Overall, cooling tower inspections provide valuable evaluations on record for the owner to track the progression of any deficiencies over time and provides an efficient tool for planning and prioritizing maintenance on the structure. We sat down with Brindley Engineering’s Matt Wooden to learn more about cooling tower maintenance and inspections and what to look for in an inspection. Welcome to Part 2 – the final part – of Brindley Engineering’s series on the importance of cooling tower inspections.
Questions to ask yourself: When should we perform a cooling tower inspection and how often? Do I need to prepare for an inspection?
Q: What makes cooling tower inspections unique?
A: Cooling tower inspections are a niche in our industry. Since cooling towers do not directly carry or produce any product, routine inspections are often neglected by the Owner. However, the reality is that without a properly functioning cooling tower, normal day-to-day operations and production is not possible. It is our job to locate any issues or deficiencies that can impact these normal operations and ensure production is not interfered with.
Q: What should be the frequency of cooling tower inspections?
A: The frequency of cooling tower inspections depends on the condition and age of the tower and the Owner’s preference based on Operational constraints (Cooling Technology Institute CTI, Chapter 13). Recommendations on a routine inspection program and inspection frequency is typically provided to the Owner following the completion of an initial inspection.
Q: How do you prepare for a cooling tower inspection?
A: Cooling tower inspections require strategic planning to ensure that inspection cycles align with scheduled outages and do not result in any loss of production time. Another important factor to consider when preparing for an inspection is safety. Cooling towers pose many safety risks for workers such as confined space entry, working at heights, working over water, and legionella bacteria (legionnaire’s disease) to name a few. When choosing a company to perform an evaluation on a cooling tower, the inspectors should be a neutral party, properly trained and qualified to work safely under these conditions.
About Brindley Engineering
Brindley Engineering was founded with a vision to provide the highest level of service to clients in capital & maintenance projects, reliability initiatives, and construction solutions. We’ve developed a world-class, multidisciplinary team of engineers, technicians, and designers that share that vision.
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- Read Part 1 of our Cooling Tower Inspection Series with Matt Wooden
- Read more about Brindley Engineering’s expertise in Cooling Towers
- Get in touch today
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