Safety, Efficiency & Extending Equipment Life
Cooling tower cleaning removes scale, sediment, biofilm, and debris that reduce efficiency, increase equipment stress, and pose water-management concerns. Beacon Industrial Services’ professional industrial cooling tower cleaning helps facilities improve performance, reduce downtime, and protect critical cooling system equipment.
Why Clean Cooling Towers
Cooling towers require continuous circulation of water and pull large amounts of outside air through the system. This, in turn, introduces minerals, dirt, pollen, organic matter, and other contaminants.
Cooling towers, if not regularly cleaned, can accumulate the following:
- Mineral and calcium scale
- Sludges and sediment
- Biofilm and algae
- Dirt and debris in the air
- Organic material
- Blocked strainers
- Tower fill contamination
- Corrosion and deterioration
These contaminants aren’t just cosmetic. They can restrict airflow and water distribution, reduce the efficiency of heat transfer, and add extra strain to chillers, pumps, and other cooling-system equipment.
5 Reasons Why Cooling Tower Cleaning is Important
1. Increase Cooling Tower Efficiency
Heat rejection from a cooling tower is based on effective contact between air and water.
Scale, sediment and dirty tower fill may interfere with this process. If efficiency decreases, other parts of the cooling system may need to work harder to keep the desired temperatures.
Professional cooling tower maintenance & cleaning can assist:
- Enhance the efficiency of heat transfer
- Restore flow of air through tower fill
- Enhance water distribution
- Retain cooling capacity
- Reduce unnecessary loading of equipment
- Support lower cost of operation
For manufacturing and commercial facilities with large cooling needs, maintaining tower efficiency can have a significant impact on overall system performance.
2. Eliminate Scale and Mineral Deposits
Dissolved minerals are left behind and become more and more concentrated as cooling tower water evaporates.
Over time, calcium and other mineral deposits can build up on:
- Filling towers
- Toilets
- Plumbing
- Distribution elements
- Heat transfer surfaces
- Strainers and similar equipment
Descaling of cooling towers removes these deposits before they cause significant restriction to water movement or interfere with efficient heat transfer.
Regular removal of scale can also protect expensive downstream equipment such as chillers, condensers, heat exchangers, and pumps.
3. Helps Control Biofilm and Legionella Risk
Cooling towers need careful water management, as warm recirculating water, sediment, scale, and biofilm can create conditions conducive to microbial growth.
Biofilm is especially important because microorganisms can settle in these deposits and become more difficult to control.
As reported, New York is the latest to experience another wave of Legionella outbreak that according to the CDC, Legionnaires’ disease is five times more common in the U.S., the CDC says. Legionella is one of the organisms that can multiply in cooling towers under conditions such as warm water, sediment, scale, biofilm, water stagnation, and insufficient disinfectant residuals. Contaminated water droplets can then be aerosolized and inhaled.
Proper water chemistry management and physical cleaning of cooling towers are needed to reduce risk. Facility operators and their water treatment providers must maintain proper disinfectant levels, chemistry and monitoring. Experienced industrial cleaning professionals such as Beacon Industrial Services can remove the scale, sediment, biofilm and debris that chemical treatment alone may not remove. This combined approach of proper chemistry, routine monitoring and professional physical cleaning helps to maintain cooling tower performance and supports a comprehensive Legionella risk-management program.
An effective cooling tower water management strategy should consist of a combination of:
- Professional physical cleaning
- Effective water treatment
- Disinfection as necessary
- Check-up regularly
- Testing and monitoring of water
- Maintenance documentation
Cooling tower cleaning should be part of an overall Legionella prevention and water management program, not a substitute for professional water treatment, testing or disinfection.
4. Minimize Unscheduled Downtime
Cooling Tower Problems Often Become Most Apparent When Cooling Demand Is Greatest
An industrial facility can have its process equipment and production affected by the lowered cooling capacity. In commercial and institutional facilities it can affect HVAC performance and occupant comfort.
Routine cleaning of industrial cooling towers helps facilities to identify and remove contamination before it causes:
- Less cooling capacity
- Overheating equipment
- Higher operating costs
- Emergency repairs
- Production downtime
- Unexpected shutdowns
Scheduled preventive maintenance is easier to deal with than an emergency cooling-system failure.
5. Assist in Increasing Cooling System Equipment Life
The cooling tower is just one part of a larger mechanical system.
Poor tower performance may affect:
- Chilled water units
- Pump
- Condensers (heat exchangers)
- Heat Exchanger
- Piping (B)
- Strainers
- Processing Equipment
Sediment, scale, corrosion and inefficient heat rejection can add stress to these components. Routine preventative maintenance of cooling towers can help facilities maintain equipment and possibly avoid early replacement of components.
How often should cooling towers be cleaned?
No single cleaning schedule works for all cooling towers.
Cleaning frequency should be determined by:
- Manufacturer's recommendations
- Quality of water
- Water treatment program
- Water management plan for the site
- Tower operational environment
- Seasonal vs. year-round operation
- Visible bio-film or scale
- Build-up of sediment
- Cooling performance
- Relevant regulations
CDC guidance recommends cleaning and disinfecting cooling towers offline at least annually, with frequency adjusted based on operating conditions and manufacturer’s cleaning and disinfection requirements.
Facilities with high levels of dust, minerals, biological material, or industrial contaminants may need to be inspected and cleaned more frequently.
Signs that your cooling tower needs to be cleaned
Facility managers may want to consider a professional cooling tower inspection when they notice the following:
- Visible scale: White or mineral deposits on fill and components
- Sediment/sludge: Build-up in tower basins and sumps.
- Biofilm or algae: visible biological growth on wet surfaces.
- Water flow restriction: Blocked fill, screens, or distribution parts.
- Uneven water distribution: Some areas of fill get too much water, others too little.
- Reduced cooling performance: Higher temperatures or lower heat rejection
- Higher operating costs: Running cooling equipment longer or harder.
- Corrosion: Visible degradation of tower components.
Identifying these warning signs early can prevent a cleaning issue from becoming a problem with equipment or production.
What Professional Cooling Tower Cleaning Involves
Specific cleaning procedures depend on the tower design, contamination, and facility requirements.
Cooling Tower Maintenance
Technicians evaluate available components to:
- Scale
- Sediments
- Slime
- Biofilms
- Algae
- Rubble
- Rusting of iron
- Water passages shut off
Removal of Debris & Sediment
Tower basins, sumps, and accessible components can be cleaned of accumulated sludge, dirt, and debris.
Descaling of Cooling Towers
Scale and calcium removal services for commercial cooling towers can help to eliminate calcium and mineral deposits that normal cleaning may not be able to remove.
Tower Fill Cleaning
Contaminated or dirty fill can limit airflow and impede proper water distribution. Cleaning helps achieve the conditions needed for efficient heat rejection.
Component Cleaning in depth
Cleaning may involve the following, depending on tower design and condition:
- Fill in
- Sumps and basins
- Hot decks (continued)
- Distribution system
- Filters
- Drift eliminators
- Structural elements accessible
Why Select Beacon Industrial Services for Cooling Tower Cleaning?
Cooling towers are a vital mechanical asset. To clean them takes more than janitorial or pressure-washing experience.
Beacon Industrial Services has over 20 years of experience in industrial cleaning, from cooling tower cleaning to maintenance projects.
Expertise in Industrial Cleaning
Beacon knows the needs of manufacturing plants, commercial buildings, and other demanding operating environments.
Our specialized industrial cleaning services include:
- Cleaning of cooling towers
- Cooling tower descaling
- Cleaning of Heat Exchangers
- Cleaning of the HVAC system
- Clean air-handlers
- Cleaning of coils
- Cleaning ducts
- Cleaning of process equipment
- Specialty industrial cleaning
This broader experience enables Beacon to view the cooling tower as part of the overall mechanical and process systems of the facility.
Cleaning procedures with a focus on safety
Cleaning of industrial cooling towers calls for meticulous planning.
Beacon technicians work according to established procedures that have been developed for industrial environments. These include written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and site- and job-specific Health and Safety Procedures (HASPs).
Schedule Cleaning Around Your Facility
Plants cannot always stop their production in normal working hours.
Beacon can coordinate cooling tower cleaning around the following:
• Scheduled maintenance windows
• Facility closures
• Seasonal startup
• Seasonal closure
• Manufacturing schedules
• Maintenance preventive programs
The goal is simple: clean critical equipment with the minimum possible disruption to the facility’s operations.
Cleaning Cooling Towers FAQs
How often should cooling towers be professionally cleaned?
Cooling tower cleaning frequency is based on the manufacturer’s recommendations, water quality, environmental conditions, operating schedule, and the facility’s water-management program. Facilities should, at a minimum, develop a documented schedule of inspection, cleaning, and maintenance that is appropriate to their individual system.
Does water treatment mean we won’t have to clean our cooling towers?
No. While chemical water treatment is important, physical contamination can still occur in the form of scale, sediment, debris, and biofilm.
Good maintenance is a mix of the following:
- Water treatment
- Inspection
- Cleaning, physical
- Appropriate disinfection
- Monitoring
Can a Dirty Cooling Tower Increase Energy Costs?
Yes. A cooling tower can be less efficient due to scale, dirty fill, or restricted air flow or water distribution. This can put more demand on chillers, pumps, and related equipment.
Can Legionella Be Stopped By Cleaning Cooling Towers?
Cleaning removes sediment, scale, and biofilm that can create conditions conducive to Legionella growth.
Cleaning is one component of a full Legionella water-management and prevention program that includes appropriate water treatment, monitoring, and disinfection.
What Is Descaling of Cooling Towers?
Cooling tower descaling involves removing calcium and other mineral deposits from heat-transfer surfaces and tower components.
Removing scales can improve:
• Water flow.
* Transfer heat
• Cooling efficiency
• Equipment reliability
Avoid cooling tower issues before they start. A dirty cooling tower is more than a housekeeping problem.
Scale, sediment, biofilm and debris can impact cooling tower efficiency, energy consumption, water management, and equipment reliability.
Routine professional cleaning can help facilities:
- Maintain cooling efficiency
- Enhanced heat transfer efficiency
- Sediment and scale control
- Minimize biological buildup
- Protect costly equipment
- Decrease unplanned downtime
- Assist with preventive maintenance programs
- Extend service life of equipment
Schedule Professional Cooling Tower Cleaning With Beacon
Beacon Industrial Services is a professional commercial and industrial cooling tower cleaning, descaling and specialized industrial cleaning company.
Whether you are scheduling seasonal maintenance, preparing for a facility shutdown or dealing with a cooling tower that is getting more and more contaminated, Beacon can develop a cleaning program that is tailored to your equipment and operating requirements.