Cooling Tower Efficiency Improvement
A lot of commercial properties are searching for cooling tower efficiency improvement methods. One way to achieve this is through maximizing cooling tower efficiency through improving water quality. By implementing solutions to reduce the concentration of dissolved solids circulating through the cooling tower system the water consumption can be greatly reduced.
Keys To Cooling Tower Efficiency
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The cooling tower, depending on climate, can consume up to 25% of the property’s total water usage.
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Cooling towers lose water 4 ways: Basin leaks and overflows, blowdown, drift, and evaporation.
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Unchecked dissolved solid concentration leads to corrosion, scaling, and biological growth.
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Fine tuned blowdown in cooling towers is a common area for significant improvement.
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Benefits To Improving Cooling Tower Efficiency
Clearly with the cooling tower being a major component of your commercial or industrial property there is a potential for significant savings. There are other benefits to maintaining your cooling tower properly.
Environmental Benefit
When you tune your cooling tower to use less water it reduces the volume of chemicals needed to keep the water conditioned. This also means fewer chemicals which need to be discharged into the environment.
Financial Benefit
Using less water saves money on the water bill, but also helps reduce sewer costs. In addition the less water you use the less that needs to be treated and that saves money on buying chemicals.
Safety & Health Benefit
Reducing the labor needed maintaining the cooling tower by tuning its efficiency also leads to being able to direct staff to maximize their time. Proper running of a cooling tower and saving water supports healthier communities and environmental stewardship.
How To Improve Cooling Tower Efficiency
The follow are 5 ways you can improve your water consumption and achieve better cooling tower efficiency. For more information about your specific cooling tower and efficiency challenges talk to your local cooling tower maintenance company.
1 – Blowndown Rate
Match your blowndown rate to manufacturer specifications for your cooling tower to maintaint the total dissolved solids. A good rule to remember is adjust the rate to be able to maintain five concentration cycles. It is the job of a cooling tower water treatment specialist to determine the specific regimen for you cooling tower. They will take into consideration the makeup water available along with the maximum number of cycles your system can handle. Every region has different challenges with local water supply and will have varied amounts of hard water and dissolved solids. It’s important to keep in mind the safety of your cooling tower and facility when designing a water conservation strategy for your cooling tower.
2 – Install Flow Meters
Installing flow meters on blowdown and makeup lines will help monitor the condition of the water in your cooling tower more accurately. Regular checking of these meters or monitoring them with a data logger will help with scheduling maintenance inspections. You can use the collected data to help calculate actual cycles of concentration and compare that information to your target. The data will also be a benefit for tracking other cooling tower maintenance issues. In some areas local water utility companies will offer rebates and credits for tracking the amout of water lost through evaporation.
3 – Install A Conductivity Controller
Blowndown is a major factor in saving water and improving cooling tower efficiency. Installing a conductivity controller will help automatically adjust blowdown rate and save water. The controller monitors the cycle water and only allows the induction of makeup water at a predesignated conductivity setpoint. The best approach includes data loggers to provide the best real world data at your site.
4 – Alternative Water Conditioning Methods
While makeup water must be conditioned to cycle through the cooling tower chemicals are not the only method of achieving this priority. Alternative water conditioning methods include: UV systems, ozonation, and ionization. These upgrades will reduce the need for buying chemicals to keep your cooling tower working properly.
5 – Efficiency Retrofitting Opportunities
Older cooling tower units may not have all of today’s advancements for efficiency. Two common areas for significant improvement include automated chemical feed systems and sidestream filtration systems. Both of these retrofit improvements can help improve you cooling tower’s efficiency.
Automatic Chemical Feed – These systems function similarly to conductivity controllers and monitor the cycle water’s level of dissolved solids. This saves your facility money in that they only release the exact amount of chemicals when needed to treat your makeup water.
Sidestream Filtration – For dusty atmospheric conditions sidestream filtration can improve water quality by removing sediment for the tower sump. This also helps reduce the level of dissolved solids in your cooling tower cycle water.
Phoenix Valley Cooling Tower Maintenance
If you have a facility in the Phoenix Valley that needs cooling tower maintenance, All Kote Lining Inc. is your source for the highest quality cooling tower maintenance. Our team saves companies money by improving cooling tower efficiency and refurbishing cooling towers. Either way our services are designed to extend the life of your cooling tower and make them more efficient to save your business money.
For more information about how we can help your commercial, medical, or industrial facility please give us a call.