Cooling Tower Startup Procedure- Done Right

July 17, 2023

Cooling towers in your facility may be seasonal and require a startup procedure. This would occur after it has been laid up for the season or if it is a new tower undergoing a first-time setup. It is important to startup a cooling tower correctly to help with efficiency, maintenance, and safety. 

Steps for How to Startup a Cooling Tower

1. Examination

Conducting a thorough examination each season will help you maintain your cooling tower. You should be on the lookout for issues, as these will only grow and cause large problems. Below are the issues you should be inspecting for:

1. Inspect the cooling tower. Look at the fan, motor, belts, bearings, electrical connections, distribution system, spray nozzles, valves, basin, piping, drift eliminators, etc. If anything is not ordinary, take note of it.
2. See if there is corrosion, cracks, or scale.
3. See if there is any biofilm, algae, or other organic materials in or near the tower. This is especially true if it is a rooftop tower or if it is a rural environment.
4. Examine your safety mechanisms. The tower should have protection from overflow, the ability to shut down, and remote monitoring set up.
5. Note any parts of the tower that are broken and replace them.

2. Cleaning

Keeping a cooling tower clean is important for its functionality. The tower’s ability to cool is hampered when there is biofilm, dirt, and debris in the way of the heat transfer surface. Additionally, dirty towers can lead to bacteria-causing corrosion. Here are some of the common cleaning procedures for a cooling tower that has been left dormant:

1. Dispose of all existing water by draining the basin.
2. Locate any debris or sediments in the tower and remove them.
3. In the tower’s interior, use a cleaning compound. Let it remain inside the tower for the compound’s recommended time.
4. Utilize a high-pressure washer to spray the various inside surfaces of the tower. Completely flush the system.
5. Use the washer to spray the exterior surfaces as well.

Ongoing cleaning is something that needs to be scheduled when your system is in use. This should be used in conjunction with consistent chemical water treatment. An in-depth guide to cleaning and maintaining the cleanliness of your cooling tower can be found here.

3. Water Filling

To fill your system properly you will need to fill the basin to the necessary level. These procedures will go over the initial filling of the cooling tower:

1. Near the tower basin is the fill valve. Open this and let the water flow into the basin.
2. Wait until the water rises to the necessary level. You will want to close the valve once it is at the ideal level.
3. Avoid overflowing the basin, you will need to actively monitor it to prevent this.
4. Utilize a float valve, a device that rises and falls based on water levels that should open and close the water flow as necessary. This will keep your water levels in the desired range.

4. Powering On

To start circulating water and cooling your system, you will need to switch on your power. Here are the guidelines to initially start-up and power on your cooling tower:

1. The fan, pump, and motor all need to be switched on.
2. All of your parts should be functioning properly. You can use your control panel to ensure this.
3. Monitor water levels, pressure, temperature, flow rate, and energy usage to make sure it is working right. Water pressure, water flow rate, water temperature, and total energy use need to be observed in the control panel.
4. To make sure your cooling tower is operating efficiently you should tinker with the control panel options. The right options will provide more efficient results.

After a successful startup, you will need to immediately begin planning for maintenance if you want your cooling tower to run properly, operate energy efficiently, and not develop common problems. All cooling towers require regular maintenance to avoid system downtime. Their efficiency is highly dependent on the quality of the water and the heat-transfer surface. If your system is maintained you end up using less water and electricity. In addition to this, you save on repair and replacement costs of the system. 

General Cooling Tower Maintenance Tips

The longer a system is not maintained the more serious and difficult to fix the problems will be. For example, the amount of time it takes to remove scale in a cooling tower will take around the same amount of time it took to build-up. If it took a year to build-up it will take a year to remove with traditional methods. For some issues, such as corrosion, it may be too late and require a replacement of the affected parts. Replacements are exceedingly expensive. Considering these reasons, here are the essential tips to maintain your cooling tower:

• Conduct regular cleanings to remove contaminants. This could be algae, biofilm, minerals, or other debris in your tower.
• Look out for corrosion development. Repair as necessary to prevent pitting from growing.
• Certain components need to be replaced more often or are more susceptible to damage. Some of these components are fan blades, fan belts, and motor bearings.
• Apply lubrication to moving parts. Bearings and blades need this to operate smoothly.

Chemical Water Treatment Program for Cooling Towers

A tower’s cooling efficiency is highly dependent on its water and heat transfer surfaces. Here at Chardon Laboratories, water treatment is our expertise. We offer a full-service water treatment program that includes testing, part setup, monitoring, efficiency maximization, and more. We are service-based and do more than sell chemicals. Find out more here. The methods below are some of the most important for chemical water treatment.

• Take tests of the water. Find out the pH, conductivity, turbidity, and temperature. The results of this test will help determine your specific water treatment program.
• Pump corrosion inhibitors to combat rust and corrosion.
• Utilize biocide chemicals to help combat algae, biofilm, bacteria such as Legionella, and other organic-based problems.
• Utilize pH adjusters to properly set the pH range of your water.
• Using a scale inhibitor is an important way to fight scale.

Need Professional Help with Startup, Maintenance, or Chemical Treatment?

Chardon Laboratories doesn’t just fix your problems, we prevent them. We are proactive in our service approach, solving potential issues before they become large, costly problems. 

With over 55 years in chemical water treatment, put your valuable systems and energy maintenance in the right hands. Reach out to Chardon Laboratories today by clicking here or call us at (380) 224-7395.

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