Cleaning Cooling Tower Systems

We’ve already shared some important steps to take as you prepare for the cooling season ahead.

If you’ve followed our advice, you’ve gone through your chemical feed and control equipment, and you have made sure these things are ready to go: Controller, probes, pumps, chemical feed lines, blowdown valves. You’ve inventoried your chemicals and brought supplies on-site.

However, the tower is still not quite ready to go on-line. There are some necessary chores you should do to disinfect and clean the tower. If you clean the tower properly before the cooling season even starts, you’ll be able to keep it clean far more easily throughout the operating season.

How to Clean a Dry Cooling Tower

First, you don’t need to disinfect the tower before cleaning it if it has not been filled with water.

A pressure washer is an excellent tool for cleaning your cooling tower. Start by getting the pressure washer and all associated tools you need on site and ready. You’ll want hoses, brooms, shovels, and sweepers. Use tarps to contain the debris coming off the tower. Keep in mind that vehicles and equipment near the tower may be stained by flying debris.

Start at the top and blow/wash all the debris to the bottom. Make sure you’re hitting the system from all angles. Collect all the debris, making certain that the debris caught under the tower fill is removed completely. Ask your Chemtex Rep about proper nozzles and pressures to clean tower properly. Incorrect power washer use can damage tower drift eliminators and fill.

If Your Cooling Tower Has Water in It…

If the tower does have water in it, prior to cleaning the tower you should add halogen to the water and maintain a residual level for the proper time before you allow any personnel to enter the tower. If the system is dirty, then non-oxidizing biocide should be properly administered and circulated to kill any bacteria in the water.

Cleaning process for filled tower is much the same. You want to prevent the debris coming off the tower from getting into the system piping. Remember, a slightly fouled tower properly will return many benefits. It is safe and easy to do, and will keep the system clean for year-round operation or get you off to a good start if tower has been down for the winter. You should be able to maintain cleanliness with minimal effort every six months, and you’ll have a system that operates more efficiently and safely.

Like with so many aspects of tower maintenance, you want to prevent contaminants from getting established. Once a tower begins to build up mineral deposits, those deposits can build on themselves, and then you’re facing a much bigger project.

Chemtex Can Help

Please ask the experts at Chemtex for specifics about cleaning and disinfecting towers. We have service crews in many parts of the U.S. who can do the job for you. We can also help direct your personnel on the safe and correct way to do in-house cleaning. As always, we welcome the chance to help you maintain a clean and balanced cooling towers system . Contact your Chemtex rep with any questions!