As a cooling tower operator, you know the importance of ongoing preventative maintenance. But what happens when that’s not enough? What happens when it’s time for a cooling tower rebuild?
A cooling tower is like any other structure; it won’t last forever. The average lifespan of a cooling tower is 15-20 years. Even with the proper cooling tower installation and regular care and maintenance, the structural foundation of a cooling tower will eventually need to be addressed to extend its lifespan. It is sometimes possible to replace some components instead of looking at the actual structure, but sometimes you need to do more.
So how do you decide that it’s time for a cooling tower rebuild? Let’s look at when you need to consider cooling tower rebuild services and what to expect during the process.
What Is a Cooling Tower Rebuild?
A cooling tower rebuild is a renewal process that involves replacing and repairing worn parts of a cooling tower to bring it back to peak performance levels. The goal of the rebuild process is to restore structural integrity and extend the life of your cooling tower system.
This isn’t something you can do with a quick once over though. You’ll need to take a careful look at your tower and perform a safety inspection to ensure that it’s safe to work on. This is also the time to evaluate what needs to be repaired or replaced during the cooling tower rebuild process.
This will require safety equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), including an N95 respirator. If you don’t think you have the necessary equipment for the job or know what to look for in your cooling tower, it’s a good idea to contact a cooling tower rebuild specialist.
While conducting your inspection, there are some things you’ll want to specifically look for. They include:
- Deterioration in the structure of the cooling tower is key. Recent history is littered with collapses of aged cooling towers that weren’t maintained properly. Don’t let this happen to you. Know the signs to look for when evaluating the physical condition of your cooling tower.
- Leaky pipes and missing nozzles will impact the effectiveness of your cooling tower. Do you notice your water bills getting higher? It could be leaking pipes and nozzles that are missing or damaged. The water around your cooling tower that isn’t supposed to be there might be caused by leaky and damaged pipes.
- Corroded mechanical components and overall wear and tear. Let’s face it, your cooling tower works overtime to cool your buildings and provide comfort to those inside. With that hard work comes the potential for issues with the mechanical components that run it around the clock. They won’t last forever and might need to be replaced.
- Fill clogging and damage can lead to a drop in performance and begin to affect your bottom line. Clogs can lead to your cooling tower having to work harder than normal. This will increase your energy rates and over time lead to a reduction in the lifespan of your cooling tower.
- Deterioration of guardrails and ladders is a safety issue that needs to be addressed immediately once discovered. Your operators and inspectors need unfettered access to your cooling towers and guardrails and ladders that have deteriorated are a safety hazard.
- Condition of drift eliminators is important not only for the health of your cooling tower but of the people in the vicinity of the tower. Drift eliminators minimize how much water is carried out of the tower with the exhaust air. The goal is to keep these water droplets to the bare minimum as they can contain chemicals that are present in the circulating water in your tower. Keeping your drift eliminators functioning properly also cuts down on the risk of people being exposed to Legionella bacteria.
Once your inspection is complete, your cooling tower rebuild specialist will create a plan to get your cooling tower back to peak efficiency. This might entail repairing some equipment or even replacing some necessary components. Your technician will sit down and show you the findings and explain the next steps in the process. They’ll offer comprehensive tower installation services so that your cooling tower is back in business in no time flat.
What To Expect During the Rebuild
Once you’ve met with your cooling tower rebuild professional and agreed to a game plan, it’s time to begin the rebuild process. One of the great things about a cooling tower rebuild is it gives you the opportunity to upgrade components. Your upgrades may include the following:
- Installation of a different distribution system could increase the efficiency of your cooling tower. Generally, there are two types of water distribution systems for your cooling tower-fixed and rotary pipes. Choosing which is the right system for you will depend on the type and size of your tower.
- Alternative or larger mechanical equipment may return your cooling tower to performing at peak performance. These could include larger or higher efficiency fans so that your system is delivering optimum cooling efficiency without pulling excessive moisture out of the air.
- More modern and efficient heat transfer media may be a good way to get your cooling tower functioning better than the day it was originally installed. This may include installing a higher-performing fill. For example, if you want to increase cooling capacity, you might think about replacing your original splash fill with a PVC film fill.
In Need of a Cooling Tower Rebuild?
Your cooling tower works hard every day, and even with regular maintenance, it’s going to need some TLC in the form of a cooling tower rebuild at some point. What do you look for when it’s time? How do you tell what you should upgrade or replace? That’s what the cooling tower experts at Pinnacle CTS are here for.
Pinnacle CTS is a cooling tower service and repair company that proudly serves the Greater Tri-State area (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts). When you utilize our services, a safe working environment for all, quality of service and work performed, and the satisfaction of our customers will always be our highest priority to deliver for all of our clients.
Contact us today and our professional technicians will come for a complimentary inspection and walk-through. We’ll address your needs and perform the service with as little downtime as possible. At Pinnacle CTS, we’re your cooling tower service experts.
