What should you do if the cooling tower isn't cooling effectively?

Using a cooling tower is intended to achieve a cooling effect, but what should you do when the effect isn’t obvious? Today, we’ll walk you through this—hopefully it will be helpful to everyone.

1. Drive belt is loose

The fan's power motor drive belt has become loose, causing the fan speed to drop. Although the motor continues to supply kinetic energy steadily, the efficiency of converting that energy into useful work for the fan is significantly reduced. As a result, the fan fails to reach its standard speed, leading to insufficient ventilation inside the tower and, consequently, poor cooling performance in the cooling tower.

To address the issue of a loose motor drive belt, first turn off the cooling tower's power supply and ensure the system is shut down before adjusting the motor position, tightening or replacing the belt. Once the adjustment is complete, resume operation of the cooling tower by following the normal startup procedure.

2. Poor bearing lubrication

The fan bearing supports the rotation of the blades; however, if the bearing is poorly lubricated, the fan speed will decrease, affecting the airflow inside the tower and ultimately reducing the cooling tower's ability to dissipate heat and lower temperatures.

The issue of poor bearing lubrication should be addressed by lubricating the bearings while the equipment is shut down, or by replacing bearings that have become worn out over time.

3. The fan blade angle is inappropriate

Wind turbine blades are manufactured according to a standardized arrangement of tilt angles. During operation, if any deviation in the blade angles occurs, angle adjustments must be made while the turbine is shut down, ensuring smooth operation and enabling the turbine to achieve its designed ventilation capacity.

4. Damaged Fan Blades

Damage to the wind turbine blades can lead to unstable operation of the turbine and insufficient airflow. If blade damage occurs, the turbine should be shut down, disassembled, and the blades removed for repair or replacement.

5. Intake Grille Issue

Due to prolonged operation and environmental factors, debris such as willow catkins, leaves, dust, plastic bags, and other materials have accumulated at the air intake grille, causing blockages that severely impair airflow and pressure. This, in turn, prevents the timely removal of evaporated moisture, leading to a high-temperature environment inside the tower and rendering effective heat exchange impossible. To address this issue, remove the air intake grille and use a high-pressure water hose to flush it in reverse, clearing away the accumulated debris and ensuring unobstructed airflow.

6. System Air Accumulation

In the internal circulation system, air may accumulate inside the piping due to initial operation or maintenance activities, preventing its timely removal. This leads to partial blockages in higher-level pipelines, hindering the full-flow passage of the circulating medium, increasing frictional resistance along the system, reducing circulation flow, and ultimately widening temperature differences, thereby compromising cooling efficiency. To address this issue, Oasis Ice Peak closed-loop cooling towers feature a specialized design specifically aimed at efficiently eliminating accumulated air. At the outlet of the closed-loop tower, just below the pressure gauge and near the three-way valve, an additional section of flexible hose is installed to divert the high-pressure water-air mixture away from the pipeline system. To minimize disruption and reduce losses of the internal circulating medium, the diverted mixture is then routed back into the makeup water tank, where water and air are separated, allowing the accumulated air to be expelled safely. Especially during the system’s initial startup or after maintenance when replenishing the circulating medium, it is crucial to open this dedicated valve and allow the system to vent for 1 to 2 weeks, gradually releasing any trapped air. Additionally, during pipeline installation, be sure to incorporate automatic air vents at all high points throughout the system—particularly at upward and downward bends—as is commonly done in northern heating and plumbing systems. These vents will ensure prompt removal of accumulated air, guaranteeing optimal cooling performance.

7. Ensure the standby pump circuit is shut down.

Some customers, during the initial operation of the equipment and when a standby circulation pump was installed, failed to promptly close the valves on the backup circuit, resulting in backflow of circulating water. This caused a severe shortage in the overall system's circulation flow, significantly reducing the cooling efficiency and making it impossible to meet the requirements of the production process.

8. Scaling on the outer surface of the heat exchange coil

When the spray water is not replaced and cleaned promptly, it continuously concentrates, allowing the remaining "elite" particles to accumulate and form scale on every surface the spray water comes into contact with. This leads to a gradual buildup of thicker scale on the heat-exchange coil surfaces, significantly increasing thermal resistance and severely compromising heat transfer efficiency. Meanwhile, in the spray system, if the spray pipes, pumps, or nozzles become clogged, it can reduce the volume of water being sprayed, failing to meet the evaporation demands of the closed cooling tower and ultimately affecting the overall cooling performance.

9. Inside the spray water tank

The spray water inlet filter screen is clogged, resulting in insufficient spray water flow. To resolve this issue, the Oasis Ice Peak closed cooling tower is entirely constructed using 304 stainless steel mesh and structural components. Simply use a brush to remove any external blockages, or detach the high-pressure water pipe for thorough flushing. After cleaning thoroughly, reposition the filter screen securely in place.