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Identifying a Cooling Tower Pump at the End of Its Useful Life for Repair or Replacement

If you own or manage a large New York City residential property or office building, you may use a cooling tower to assist with your HVAC system. Some commercial facilities use cooling towers as well to help dissipate heat generated by various industrial processes. Like every mechanical system, however, cooling towers have a lifespan, especially the pump element. Here’s how to tell if your cooling tower pump may be nearing the end of its useful life, so you can make plans to repair or replace it.

Cooling Tower Pump Refresher

The role of the cooling tower pump

Cooling towers use basic physics to help lower the temperature of air being blown into large buildings as part of the air conditioning system. They use water to pull heat from the system and disperse it into the atmosphere via evaporation.

This type of water-cooled setup is more efficient at cooling the interior environment than traditional air-cooled systems, often using significantly less electricity to cool a space to the same temperature. It also doesn’t freeze like a regular air conditioning unit may. Another advantage is that a water-cooled air conditioning system doesn’t take up as much physical space as conventional air conditioning ducts do.

Here’s how they work:

1. Water flows through a heat exchanger, where it absorbs heat.
2. The water then travels over the cooling tower. Here, it is exposed to air, causing some of the water to evaporate.
3. Heat moves from the water stream to the air stream, and the warm air is released into the atmosphere, leaving only cool water behind.
4. The chilled water is then circulated through an air handler with a water coil to cool the living or working space.
5. As cool air enters the interior environment, warm air is removed and dispersed outside.

Problems with Cooling Tower Pumps

Issues from evaporation and lack of maintenance

Of course, to keep the water circulating through a cooling tower, a pump is required. At Antler Pumps, we typically encounter a few problems with cooling tower pumps.

As you might imagine, a cooling tower pump moves a tremendous amount of water through the system all day and night. As such, the pump requires regular maintenance. Some issues we see with pumps are related to a lack of routine care, like roof exhaust fans. Parts must be checked for wear and corrosion from water exposure, and the pump motor must be maintained and lubricated properly.

Another problem comes from the nature of the cooling tower process itself. As water evaporates, it can leave behind scale and mineral deposits, as well as microbes, in some instances. These impurities can build up over time and cause equipment failure.

Signs of Cooling Tower Pump Problems

When it’s time to call the pump experts

Of course, a malfunction of your cooling tower pump could be hugely detrimental for the occupants of your building. Therefore, it’s essential to recognize the signs of a problem before the issue gets out of hand.

Aside from scheduling regular maintenance sessions, you can check for these warning signs. They indicate it’s time to call your pump experts. Assessing your pump at the end of the summer, as air conditioning usage is phasing out at this time of year, lets you evaluate whether or not the pump can be repaired or whether it needs to be replaced altogether. If you need to do the work in autumn, you won’t be subjecting your building’s tenants to any discomfort.

We can divide the signs of cooling tower pump problems into three categories.

Wear or corrosion

If you have a boiler, you probably already know water is highly corrosive to metal. Some corrosion is unavoidable over time. However, proper maintenance can catch corroded parts so they can be replaced. Also, in some cases, corrosion-resistant materials or coatings may be used to minimize damage.

It can be difficult to detect corrosion inside a cooling tower pump without dismantling it. However, if you have corrosion in other parts of your cooling tower system or in your related plumbing, be suspicious that your pump may experience some corrosion too, especially if you notice unusual noise with it (see below).

Scale and mineral accumulation

Scale accumulates with most water as it evaporates. The harder the water source, the more likely it is to leave mineral deposits in your cooling tower pump and in the rest of the system. Depending on where your water is sourced from in New York City, the water will have different amounts of mineral content, just as the drinking water does.

How do you know if you have scale building up on your cooling tower system? You’ll notice a white or yellow coating on its metal parts, like you would on the inside of a tea kettle. As with corrosion, if you notice it elsewhere in the system, it’s likely present in the pump too.

The solution for mineral collection is twofold. You can try to control or treat the water source for less calcium, which is the primary culprit in scale. And, regular maintenance and cleaning of the parts can remove excess mineral deposits before they become too thick and petrified, which can result in blockages or mechanical failure.

Noise

Cooling towers are generally noisy and are subject to noise regulations. But unusual or excessive noise emanating from the pump is always a sign something is amiss. It may be an issue with the motor or a problem stemming from scale buildup or corrosion as described above. Unexplained or new noise from your cooling tower pump is always a sign that you should call a professional right away.

Have you scheduled your end-of-season inspection on your cooling tower pump yet? Are you noticing any of the signs we discussed here? Sometimes even an older pump can get another year or two out of it if you perform timely repairs.

Don’t wait until your cooling tower pump stops working completely, leaving you and your tenants in the lurch. Reach out today to Antler Pumps by calling 212-534-2500, or use our convenient online form to schedule an appointment. Remember, the best fix is always preventive maintenance.