Cooling Tower Chemical Feed Prep

It’s almost feeding time! Chemical feed – in your cooling tower, of course.

Part of getting the cooling tower ready to work its magic for the warmer months is prepping the chemical feed system to work reliably.

Prepare Tower Control Equipment

Start by getting the tower control equipment ready.

It’s time to exercise all the valves going to and coming from the feed equipment and injection assembly. What does it mean to exercise a valve? Put it though its full range of motion, to confirm that it’s fully operational. According to retailer New Concept Tools, “the national average for valve operability is an astoundingly low 60%, meaning that the valves you need to operate will work less than two-thirds of the time.” They aren’t specifically talking about cooling tower valves, but they make an important point nonetheless.

When you’re relying on PVC valves (use Schedule 80 PVC), these valves may have an even lower operability average; so use union valves for easy replacement. Always have spare(s) on hand.

Next, check the tubing that feeds chemicals into the system. Is it discolored? Is it brittle? Far better to replace dubious tubing now – you don’t want it to rupture, and have to deal with the consequences.

Start the season with clean injectors. Pull all the injectors, and clean them. Acid will generally clean most injectors. Once again, have spares on hand.

Once system is operational install and calibrate all probes. Keeping a spare on hand is a very good idea, especially pH and ORP probes.

Finally, assess your pumps. Start up all pumps; confirm that they’re functioning as they should; and prime and feed them. And, make sure certain pumps and blowdown valves are plugged into the proper power supply.

Plan Ahead for an Easy Start-Up

Want a smooth start-up this spring? Preparedness is the key.

Be systematic, and follow correct protocol when preparing tower control equipment, and for all aspects of spring start-up.

Check all the tools you rely on to properly control water chemistry. Make sure you have backups of key equipment, including probes, injectors, and valves. And confirm you have the testing tools you need to monitor the program.

After a long winter hibernation, equipment can be stiff and grumpy, and may fail altogether. Be prepared!

If you’re unsure about anything relating to your cooling tower chemical feed prep, please just give us a ring at Chemtex. We’d love to help you start the spring right.