Cooling tower maintenance should be done regularly, or it may affect the operations of the core facilities of the processing plant. If left unchecked, a cooling tower can allow heat to build up inside the plant and impair the machineries that it protects from overheating.
The first thing to remember about proper tower maintenance is that it should be done professionally. This will allow plant administrators to keep the tower in tip-top shape for a very long time before the next maintenance cycle. With a professionally maintained cooling tower, plant administrators can save on maintenance cost and benefit from little downtime of the facilities. At the same time, they can be sure that the plant is safe from the dangers of a poorly maintained tower.
Also, it is important to remember that tower maintenance should be done with a fire-proof system. Cooling towers are typically made of combustible materials that can withstand fire from the inside. With severe damage from constant use, however, the interior becomes more and more vulnerable to fire even when it is not in use. To prevent fires from propagating inside the tower, make sure that there is an active network of fire sprinklers in the tower.
At the same time, do not forget to look after the pack of the tower where scale, gunk, biofilm, and other debris are likely to accumulate. It should be noted that contaminated packs have been found to be the cause of most Legionnaire’s Disease outbreaks. The cooling tower pack should be kept clean regularly.
That may not be always easy to do because the pack is often the most inaccessible part of the tower. As such, there are only limited opportunities to check its condition. It would be a good time to check the pack in the course of the cooling tower maintenance.
