As the winter weather approaches across the Northeast region, building and facility managers prepare for the important task of properly shutting down and winterizing cooling towers. Winterization is crucial for preventing corrosion, equipment damage, bacteria growth, and operational issues when systems restart for cooling season.
It is important to stick to some best practices for cooling tower winterization including when to schedule drain down and cleaning procedures, critical steps for system lay up to avoid deterioration, recommendations for necessary off-season component upgrades and maintenance, and the services a water treatment provider can offer to assist.
Fall Tower Cleaning
Cooling towers accumulate dirt, scale, biofilm and other deposits during the operating season that must be removed through periodic cleaning. If these contaminants are allowed to remain through winter, they promote additional buildup and decay along with rust and metal damage.
Thorough wash downs and scrubbing of tower fill, basins, piping and other tower structures should be conducted at the end of the cooling season, during the fall, as the system is being prepared for shut down. Timing is important as your cleaning should be done once it is determined that cooling is no longer needed so that surfaces are clean prior to winterization.
Drain and Clean Components Thoroughly
The next critical step is thoroughly draining and cleaning all cooling tower components before systems are shut down for the winter. Any water left sitting idle allows scale, corrosion, and biological growth to accumulate inside pipes, heat exchangers, condenser water boxes, pump housings, and other equipment. Stagnant water from summer use can also freeze, expand, and rupture pipes and components once temperatures drop.
Layup Protection
Layup is an important part of properly winterizing cooling towers. After the system is drained to prevent freezing and pipe burst damage, the tower itself must be protected as well.
Lay up involves coating internal tower components with special protective chemicals and substances to prevent corrosion and deterioration over the winter idle period. Common lay up procedures include spraying tower fill and other internals with corrosion inhibiting compounds, draining and drying out basins to limit corrosion and biological growth, and sealing tower enclosures. Work with your
Inspection and Offline Upgrades
Once the cooling tower is fully drained and lay up coatings applied for the winter outage, conduct detailed inspection of internal components before resealing the system. Thoroughly check fill, nozzles, distribution pipes, structural members, and basins.
Performing maintenance internal to the tower is most convenient when winterized before the enclosure is re-secured and external equipment insulated. Address deficiencies detected during inspection to improve reliability for next cooling season.
The Lasting Impact of Proper Guidelines
When cooling towers sit idle for winter, properly adhering to shutdown procedures is crucial for maintaining their integrity over the cold stretch. Comprehensive winterization curtails destructive moisture corrosion and controls biological growth prone to spread through inactive pipework systems once spring returns.
Thorough winter handling minimizes expenses of springtime reactivation, including replacement of damaged machinery. It also reduces risks of circulating contaminated water, like Legionella, as facilities resume cooling operations. Guided preparation in fall months leads to a smooth, safe system restarting when the weather warms again.
Enlist A Water Treatment Expert to Help
The comprehensive maintenance of cooling towers, especially during shutdown periods, is a key aspect of ensuring their longevity, efficiency, and safety. Oftentimes, building managers and engineers can be overwhelmed with other responsibilities and may skip over some critical steps related to cooling tower shutdowns. Partnering with the right water treatment expert can lessen these responsibilities.
Tower Water has evolved from a small family-owned business to a prominent regional company in the Northeast, and understands the importance of this personal touch in all of their water treatment services. Our team of knowledgeable professionals is dedicated to ensuring that your cooling systems operate at peak performance throughout the year.
Whether you’re looking to address specific problem areas or seeking comprehensive water treatment services, Tower Water is equipped to assist. Our ultimate goal is to be your one-stop provider for all water treatment requirements, ensuring that your systems run efficiently and safely.
Explore how Tower Water can enhance your cooling system’s performance and longevity. Discover the difference our expert guidance and customized solutions can make in your water treatment journey.
