Cooling towers are understood to be some of the most essential operating equipment for effective utilization of any process that makes waste heat. This includes condensing steam in a power plant, serving heat exchangers in refineries, chemical plants, cooling rollers in steel plants, etc. However, they can easily be neglected which triggers a domino effect of issues among production. Therefore, due to the tower’s functionalities, consistent cooling tower inspections and extensive maintenance programs are more important for cooling towers than other plant equipment in order to maintain efficiency.
Like all plant machinery, cooling towers experience their fair share of inevitable wear and tear attributable to over usage and extreme weather conditions. While the majority of cooling towers use FRP and weather resistant material, the issues that arise may be centered more towards internal operations. As for towers with wooden supports, frequent inspections for wood rot and decay are essential to maintain a strong safe structure. To the untrained eye some of these internal and external damage can go undetected for too long which could require a rebuild.
From structural components to mechanical equipment, periodic inspections of your cooling towers entity not only identifies faulty material needing repairs, but in addition, verifies that your tower is up to date with federal, state and local government health and safety regulations. A cooling tower malfunction could effect an entire building or power plant’s heating/cooling functionality. Preventative evaluations look out for these issues that can result in unfortunate events and lead to costly repairs. Thorough evaluations are vital for safety measures as well. A properly working cooling tower has a purpose and if for some reason an issue is preventing the tower from doing its job more than just your money is at risk but your entire plants operation including your employees safety.
A great inspection will pay for itself and help you to reduce the possibility of tower malfunctions. Preventative maintenance procedures allow us to detect early on what repairs are needed, which can keep your schedule and budget on track while your equipment maintains efficiency. Preforming these inspections of the tower consistently, before a problem occurs, will lower your chances of having major setbacks which could cost you more in the long run.