Incorrectly cleaned or wrongly maintained cooling towers will suffer from a whole load of problems. This includes deposits and scales build-up, biological proliferation and fouling, and corrosion. Tower maintenance system involves inspection and repair (where needed) of all components of the cooling tower. The most important thing is the biological proliferation that can expose the employees to the risk of pathogens and potential disease.
Working on tower maintenance
One of the most critical cooling tower services is tower maintenance. By this, it is meant all cleaning services to prevent legionella disease outbreak, preventive repair of all cooling tower components, and keeping an eye on the condition of the cooling tower to make reports on a periodic basis. At every instance, the maintenance team will inspect and clean all the components including pumps, fans, air intake louvres, fill pack, drift eliminators, access hatch seals, internal casing, and spray systems.
A report is submitted after doing each cleaning and disinfection. In this report, you can see the condition of each component and read the recommendations for them. Water disinfection includes preventive water care programs and risk identification. This helps maintain the quality of the water as per the prescribed standards. Identification of the risks will help minimise the growth of bacteria and other pathogens.
Decontamination is done first
The entire water distribution system of the facility is decontaminated on a systemic basis. This is carried out whenever contamination of the water is detected. The cleaning process is done by isolating the heat source. Disinfection is carried out for one hour through the addition of chlorine and bio-dispersant. It is essential to maintain the correct amount of chlorine and the pH level. The next step in the cooling tower services is to isolate the system by ensuring the correct lockouts.
More action is required, and for this, the team will access all areas of the cooling tower. They remove the louvres and the access panels along with the drift eliminators. The tower casing is now cleaned using a jet of high-pressure water. This is followed by the checking of the spray nozzles and the water distribution system. It is necessary to remove the solid matter from the sump and the basin floor.
Doing the cleaning action
Now, the louvres are cleaned and refitted. Cleaning is also done for the access panels and the drift eliminators. The system is refilled with water, and the pump is de-isolated. Second disinfection is carried out by adding chlorine. The right amounts of chlorine and pH are maintained for one hour. The excess chlorine is removed to the drain. Fresh water is filled again, and corrosion inhibitor is added. At this time, the biocide is also added. The system is re-commissioned, and the dosing equipment is put back on line. This is the end of the cleaning action.
To prevent cooling tower downtime, it is necessary to do the maintenance work in a timely fashion. This will help prevent the occurrence of dangerous legionella outbreaks. Regular inspections will help improve the efficiency of the equipment and the cooling tower life cycle.
