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Cooling Tower Preparations for Next Year

September 2024

Summer is ending and air conditioning will soon be turned off for the season.  While it may seem early to prepare for next year’s warm weather, now is the ideal time to do so.

The cooling tower is an integral part of a building’s cooling system.  This large metal unit likely situated on the building’s roof contains water, fans and pipes.  Its’ purpose is to eliminate waste heat from building equipment.  Building-wide air conditioning systems fail to work when this cooling system fails or underperforms.

Ensuring air conditioning next summer without problems requires that the cooling tower work properly.   Winter, when cooling demands are low and cooling towers are typically shut down, is the best time to conduct cooling tower maintenance and repairs.  Waiting until warm weather arrives can mean servicing delays.

A cooling tower with rusty basins does more than affect energy efficiency and system effectiveness.  Corrosion weakens its structural integrity, making the tower susceptible to leaks and cracks.  Rust particles and debris can circulate within the cooling system causing damage to pumps, pipes, chillers and other mechanical components.

Waiting until the summer to undertake system maintenance and identify cooling tower problems, when the cooling system should be operating at peak efficiency, can lead to costly repairs and operational downtime.  Residential units unnecessarily go without air conditioning during hotter months while costlier repairs are undertaken.

“Arranging annual servicing of the cooling tower is best undertaken,” advises Kevin Cherewaty of HCTS Cooling Systems, “during the winter months when servicing requests are lower.  Should replacement parts need to be ordered, delays don’t extend the period during which a building is unable to provide cooling to its residents and equipment.”

Regular maintenance during winter months can improve efficiency, lower costs and give the entire unit a projected lifespan of up to 35 years.  Residents have an air conditioning system that performs well when the outside temperature is at its hottest.

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