Moisture, warmth, and biofilm. A poorly maintained cooling tower is an ideal environment for disease-causing bacteria. Preventing the disease from cooling towers is one of the most important health and safety priorities in any workplace environment.
How To Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease In Cooling Towers
Legionnaires’ disease is one of the primary disease risks associated with cooling towers. It is also one of the most serious, proving fatal in about 10 percent of cases. Having some level of Legionella inside a cooling tower is almost inevitable as they provide ideal conditions for the bacteria to grow and are open to the environment. Preventing Legionnaires’ disease from building up in cooling towers should be a key priority in cooling tower maintenance, and efforts made to tackle it will also prevent other cooling tower diseases.
What are the Origins of a Legionnaires Outbreak?
Many outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease from cooling towers can be traced back to poorly maintained cooling towers dispersing Legionella bacteria through cooling systems in aerosolized water. Legionella bacteria live easily in warm water, meaning that even well-maintained cooling towers can have some level of infection. However, the problem of Legionella disease in cooling towers can get a lot worse if biofilm is allowed to build up inside, as this provides a great environment for bacteria to grow.
So, how to prevent Legionnaires’ disease from cooling towers? Preventing Legionella disease in cooling towers requires regular and thorough maintenance. Have your cooling tower inspected and cleaned at least twice a year, using biocides to prevent Legionnaires’ disease in the cooling tower. Biofilm should also be removed using chemical treatments as well as brushing or pressure washing.
How To Prevent Algae Growth In Cooling Towers
Diseases from cooling towers tend to start with bacteria breeding in biofilm. Biofilm is an ideal environment and food source for bacteria. Unchecked algae can form biofilms, making it that much easier for Legionella and other hazardous bacteria to colonize your cooling tower. It can also block proper water flow and allow pools of standing water to form, providing another friendly environment for harmful bacteria. However, algae also serves one useful purpose. Algae buildup is a visible sign that it is time to have your cooling tower cleaned, unlike bacteria which can live invisibly in cooling systems.
To prevent algae growth in cooling towers, you have a few options. Adding chlorine or other biocides to the water can help to prevent or slow down algae growth. Larger shock doses can help to clear more severe algae buildup. Different algaes will be best dealt with by different types of biocide, so having your water analyzed can help determine the right treatment package for your cooling system.
Physical cleaning is also required to clear up biofilm as well as scale and other issues. This gets rid of accumulated biofilm and gives maintenance experts a chance to inspect the tower for clogs, corrosion or damage.
How To Maintain a Cooling Tower For Disease Control
Add chlorine or another biocide to your cooling system water, making sure to use the appropriate amount and type for your system. Many cooling tower users accomplish this by adding an appropriate amount of commercial bleach.
Have your cooling towers cleaned regularly, at least twice a year as OSHA recommends. Keeping your cooling tower free of biofilm and scale deprives bacteria of the environment that they need to grow.
Make sure that your cooling system is well designed. Poorly designed cooling systems may allow areas of standing water to form, providing a great environment for Legionella and other bacteria.
Worried about disease from cooling towers? Contact Pinnacle Cooling Tower Service to arrange a free inspection and estimate.
Contact us
To learn more about cooling tower maintenance or to find out how we can help when it comes to routine cooling tower service and maintenance, contact Pinnacle Cooling Tower Service today at 732-570-9392. Our primary goals are safety, service, and customer satisfaction.
