Frequently Asked Questions
Cooling Towers
Where can I find the Full Load Amps (FLA) of a cooling tower’s electrical components?
How do I clean my air inlet louvers?
Cooling towers can often experience mineral/scale buildup on the exterior surfaces of their air inlet louvers. Improper water treatment, insufficient bleed rates, and/or excessive cycling of the fan motors are the most typical causes. Since the louver material is constructed of lightweight PVC, it cannot withstand the rigors of heavy...
What are the benefits of a belt drive system when compared to a gear box drive system?
A belt drive system brings many advantages including lower upfront costs, simplified maintenance, lower replacement costs, and shorter lead time.
Regarding maintenance, belt drive systems are much easier to service than gear box drive systems as they require no special tools, equipment, or skills. EVAPCO cooling towers...
What is the minimum recommended fan speed for an open cooling tower?
EVAPCO recommends a minimum fan speed of 25% for each available open cooling tower. Operating below 25% of motor speed achieves very little return in fan energy savings and capacity control. This recommend also applies to closed circuit coolers and evaporative condensers. If you have additional questions about the operation...
Why would I use equalizer connections instead of a flume box?
Water equalization is required anytime there are two or more separate basins that are combined on the same condenser water loop. There are two main types of equalization: flume box or external equalizer pipe. Only one of these options is required.
The default equalization...
Fluid Coolers
What is a dry bulb switchover temperature?
A dry bulb switchover temperature refers to the temperature at which a closed circuit cooler can run fully dry (with just the fans running, without the spray pumps on) and reject 100% of the design heat load. This is an important term in the engineering community as a higher dry...
Can I operate my closed circuit cooler recirculating pump on a VFD?
No, the recirculating pumps supplied on EVAPCO closed circuit coolers are ON/OFF and require full flow to maintain system efficiency and prevent premature scaling of the coil. They are not designed to operate on a variable frequency drive (VFD).
Every fluid cooler pump is sized for a set flow rate...
When should I use glycol in my closed loop system instead of water?
Glycol has antifreeze properties that protect coils in a closed circuit cooler from potential freezing during winter operation in northern climates. Glycol solutions are rarely used for closed loop systems in warmer climates, such as Florida or Arizona, unless they are being used as corrosion inhibitors.
In general, about half...
Where can I find the coil volume of my closed circuit cooler?
You can find the coil volume of your closed circuit cooler in 3 places. Each model’s product brochure contains this important information. Visit our comprehensive Document Library to locate up-to-date materials related to your specific fluid cooler. You may also find the coil volume in the project submittal, or within EVAPCO’s selection...
Why do I need to maintain a minimum flow in my closed circuit cooler? What is the minimum flow I must maintain?
A minimum flow needs to be maintained in all closed circuit coolers to prevent potential freezing/bursting of the coil(s) during cold weather operation. Also, when the flow falls below a certain threshold it becomes laminar, which will significantly reduce performance during normal operation. The recommended minimum flow for each EVAPCO...
Water Systems
Why is water treatment important in an evaporative cooling system?
Effective water treatment works to control scale, corrosion, and microbiological growth within an evaporative cooling system. It also helps to ensure heat transfer efficiency and extend the service life of the equipment.
When an evaporative cooling system rejects heat to the atmosphere, only pure water is evaporated. As this occurs...
What advantages does solid chemistry have over a traditional liquid chemistry program?
The use of solid chemistry in water treatment will result in lower shipping costs, the elimination of drum disposal, the elimination of chemical spills and the necessity of spill containment, as well as a reduction in required PPE.
Smart Shield® solid chemistry water treatment is available for cooling towers,...
How does the makeup water quality affect a cooling tower’s material of construction?
There are a variety of materials used for evaporative cooling equipment, like cooling towers. Some common choices include galvanized steel, 304 stainless steel, and 316 stainless steel. Each material has different corrosion resistance properties; thus, the makeup water quality will affect decisions about material of construction.
Water quality...
How much water will I save using EVAPCO’s Water Saver™?
The amount of water saved by using the EVAPCO Water Saver™ heavily depends on how many cycles of concentration (COC) the evaporative unit is currently running. It could be advantageous to inquire about this type of water treatment if the...
Will Pulse~Pure® work for me?
Pulse~Pure® is a pulse electric field device (PEFD) designed to control scale, corrosion, and microbiological growth in evaporative cooling systems by emitting high and low frequency electrical charges into the passing water. This chemical-free water treatment system has been approved for roughly 75% of makeup...
Parts & Maintenance
Can EVAPCO provide replacement parts for another manufacturer's cooling tower?
Yes. EVAPCO can provide replacement parts for any piece of cooling equipment you have onsite. For specific parts and pricing (or custom requests), please contact your local sales representative.
EVAPCO has been offering parts for non-EVAPCO cooling equipment for many years. We have a dedicated Custom Design Team, as part...
How long (in general) does cooling tower fill last?
Typically, heat transfer media (otherwise known as fill) will need to be replaced once or twice during the life of a cooling tower.The longevity of fill, or heat transfer media, is predominantly a function of water and air quality, as well as proper operation. If you believe you need replacement...
I need to improve the maintenance access to my cooling tower, condenser, or fluid cooler. Can EVAPCO custom fabricate ladders and service platforms to fit my installation requirements?
Yes, we can! Our representatives will work with you to provide a ladder and/or service platform designed to meet your needs and budget. The Custom Design Team within our Mr. Goodtower® division is able to fabricate solutions, even for non-EVAPCO equipment.
Our goal is to provide safe and secure serviceability for your...
My cooling tower is not functioning as well as it did when it was new. Is this normal? How do I get it running back to normal?
Over time, cooling tower performance can degrade due to a variety of factors. This is completely normal; however, your local EVAPCO sales representatives can help to improve operation. Our team of representatives and Mr. Goodtower® Service Centers are experts in cooling equipment and replacement parts.
If you notice any potential issues...
Troubleshooting
My cooling tower is overflowing because the mechanical float valve is stuck open. What should I do?
The mechanical float valve that EVAPCO uses operates with a makeup water pressure between 20 and 50 psi. When the makeup water pressure exceeds the 50-psi limit, the makeup valve will not close. The reason for this is that the buoyant force of...
My tower was just installed and there is rust around the basin. What can I do?
If the unit was just installed, the rust is probably not affecting the integrity, or life expectancy, of the base stainless steel material. It is most likely foreign material on the surface that can be cleaned.
So, where is the rust coming from? The rust spots that show up on the surface of the unit are...