Why Cooling Tower Cleanliness Matters

Towers function like air washers, in that they draw in any and all airborne particulates in the area - construction dust, pollen, seeds, mold spores, etc. These contaminate the condenser water system and tend to form "sludge" deposits in areas of quiescence and stagnant water. These deposits shield the underlying metal from the bulk water, thereby creating isolated areas difficult to reach by corrosion inhibitors and biocides. The result are micro environments in which corrosion and microbial activity can occur. 

While side-stream filtration, especially of the media type, can reduce sludge formation, manual cleaning is still required. We normally recommend an annual cleaning for systems with effective filtration and biannual cleanings for those without.   

Neptune has been cleaning towers for our customers for 25 years, and the reason we prefer to do it, rather than farm it out to a mechanical contractor, is twofold:

• First, we have a genuine interest in the condition of our customers' towers. How a tower appears and performs for our customers is directly influenced by how well we design, administer, and monitor our treatment programs. And, since cleanliness can affect a program's performance, we take great pains to do a thorough cleaning job in removing any sludge accumulations and deposits. Also, we have the knowledge and experience to identify any areas of concern we happen upon, such as MIC, coating holidays, corrosion cells, etc. 
• Secondly, one of the most important objectives of an effective water treatment program is to minimize corrosion. Within open, dynamic water systems, corrosion can never be completely eliminated due to presence of oxygen, but it can be minimized enough to add decades to the useful life of cooling towers, heat exchangers and piping. Since a key to this is maintaining an adequate concentration of corrosion inhibitors AT ALL TIMES, when we perform the cleaning, we insure all treatment levels are reestablished and correct as soon as the tower is refilled.