Staying on top of your cooling tower’s performance
International Cooling Tower
Would you ignore your vehicle's engine service light? Maybe you'd do it for a little while but not for long. We all know too well that ignoring things we would rather not deal with can have dire consequences down the road. The same applies to not paying attention to your cooling tower's performance. Just like a car engine needs an oil change, an inspection and preventative maintenance, a cooling tower needs some TLC as well.
There are a significant number of items to consider when gauging the performance of your cooling tower:
- Is there any erosion in the wood?
- Are the chemicals in the water causing delignification?
- Is there any water intrusion
- Is there any fungal growth?
- Is the fan functioning properly?
- Are there any chipped, broken or worn gear teeth?
- Is the shaft out of alignment?
- Are there damaged couplings?
- Are there lubrication problems?
- Is the mechanical system at optimal performance?
- Are the fan blades pitched correctly?
- Is everything in balance?
- Are there any cracks in the fans?
- Are the tower's cold water temperatures meeting your requirements?
Cooling tower fans operate under different load conditions. Over prolonged periods, the mechanical components become worn, and -- as with any rotating equipment -- bearing and gear failures, misaligned drive shafts and excessive vibration are common.
International Cooling Tower's (ICT's) team of engineers and field technicians have the knowledge and expertise to properly determine if your cooling tower needs an inspection, any preventative maintenance or any repairs -- and even if there are design issues. For optimum performance, your cooling towers should be inspected annually to avoid any downtime costs if there are any issues. ICT's experience and proficiency have enabled the company to perform structural replacements on a combination of counterflow and crossflow towers at petrochemical facilities, power plants, refineries and numerous other industrial facilities, with minimal impact to the operations.
Here are just some of the services ICT offers:
- Inspection and cleaning of fan blades
- Cleaning of screens
- Removal and cleaning of strainers in sumps
- Changing of gear-reducer lubricant
- Power-washing of tower hot deck, cold deck and fill
- Inspection of vibration safety system
- Motor windings testing
- Inspection of fan motor and temperature and vibration analysis
ICT is here 24/7 year-round to help with all of your inspection and maintenance needs. The company can service your needs in any location throughout Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.
For more information, visit www.ictower.com or call (832) 780-6900.