Cooling towers are used in air conditioners and a variety of industrial processes as a means of cooling. They typically utilize evaporation of water to transfer heat to the atmosphere. Due to this, significant amounts of water are consumed. Furthermore, cooling towers require a lot of energy, especially during the summer, because it's at this time that they are used most. Ensuring that your cooling tower is efficient will therefore go a long way in mitigating your costs. For optimal results, here are some tips that will ensure your cooling tower is using as little energy as possible and working at its best.

Improving your water quality.

Large water losses are indicative of inefficient cooling towers and are usually a result of using poor quality water. Water containing large amounts of dissolved solutes and particles necessitates a greater quantity of blowdown water to drain them. This is to avoid scaling and corrosion. Consider installing a side stream sand filter. It's a cheap way of ensuring that the water entering your cooling tower is free from particulate matter. Also, re-evaluate your water treatment plan for the best results. Use effective dispersants and corrosion inhibitors that will reduce the risk of scaling and corrosion. You'll therefore require less blowdown water and reduce water consumed by the cooling tower.

Choose the right cooling tower design.

When selecting the type of cooling tower you want, ensure that it is efficient. When you go for natural draft cooling towers, ensure that you select splash deck types over spray types. They are 20-30% more efficient than spray types. It's because they utilize a decking that increases the surface area of contact of air and the hot water. Furthermore, spray types lose more water to the environment as the water leaves the nozzles. For the tower fill types, use film fills instead of splash fills, since they offer better heat transfer in small volumes compared to splash fills.

Install a sun shade.

The very wet conditions around promote the growth of algae particularly at the top of the cooling tower. This inhibits proper flow and distribution of water over the tower fill media. Consequently, such conditions severely impact heat exchange efficiency of your tower fill and cause wastage of both water and energy. Installing a sun shade over your cooling tower will prevent sunlight from getting through and therefore inhibit the growth of algae. You can also cover the tower decks with dark, opaque material to do the same.

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