What is a cooling tower and how does it work?
Warm water is sprayed by the distribution system and nozzles onto the fill. Air moved by the fan contacts the water film, a small part of the water evaporates and the rest cools and collects in the basin. The cooled water is pumped back to the chiller condenser or the process.
Performance depends on ambient wet-bulb temperature, water flow, fill cleanliness and fan airflow. Dirty fill or blocked nozzles raise the leaving water temperature and push the chiller into high pressure.
Cooling tower types
- Open circuit: water contacts the air directly.
- Closed circuit: water or glycol flows inside a coil; the main loop stays clean.
- Counterflow: air moves up, water falls down.
- Crossflow: air enters from the side, water falls vertically.
- Axial fan (induced draft): fan on top pulls air.
- Centrifugal fan (forced draft): fan at the side pushes air; suits enclosed spaces.
- FRP casing: corrosion-resistant glass-reinforced polyester.
- Galvanized and stainless casing: industrial and large-capacity use.
What we do during maintenance
- Fill cleaning and descaling
- Nozzle and distribution system cleaning
- Drift eliminator checks
- Basin, strainer and sludge cleaning
- Fan blade pitch and balancing
- Motor and gearbox oil and bearings
- Belt and pulley adjustment
- Float valve and make-up water checks
- Blowdown adjustment
- Water treatment and chemical dosing checks
- Biocide and disinfection plan
- Vibration, current and temperature measurement
- Electrical panel and VFD checks
- Basin heater and winter protection
Repairs and parts replacement
- Fill replacement
- Nozzle and distribution pipe replacement
- Drift eliminator replacement
- Fan, motor and gearbox replacement
- Bearing, belt and pulley replacement
- Casing and basin leak repair
- Corrosion repair and coating
- Closed circuit coil leak repair
Common cooling tower problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Warm leaving water, chiller high pressure | Dirty or scaled fill, blocked nozzles, low fan speed, low water flow | Fill and nozzle cleaning, fan and belt checks, flow measurement |
| Vibration and noise | Fan imbalance, bearing or gearbox fault, loose fixings | Vibration measurement, balancing, bearing and gearbox service |
| Excess water loss and drift | Damaged drift eliminators, high blowdown, faulty float | Eliminator replacement, blowdown and float adjustment |
| Scale and corrosion | Insufficient water treatment, high cycles of concentration | Dosing and blowdown adjustment, water analysis |
| Algae and biological fouling | Insufficient biocide, sunlit basin | Cleaning, disinfection, dosing plan |
| Fan not running or tripping | Motor winding, contactor or VFD fault, seized bearing | Electrical measurement, motor and panel repair |
| Freezing in winter | Basin heater fault, lines not drained | Heater and drain checks, glycol in closed circuits |
Brands we service
We maintain and repair cooling towers of all brands as an independent service provider. We are not the authorized service for these brands; warranty work should go to the manufacturer's authorized service.
Buildings we serve
Our base is in Etimesgut, Ankara. We provide cooling tower maintenance and repair daily in Ankara and on a project and contract basis across all 81 provinces of Türkiye, including Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa, Antalya, Konya, Kayseri, Eskişehir, Kocaeli, Adana, Gaziantep, Samsun and Trabzon.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a cooling tower be serviced?
Basin, strainer and water level weekly; nozzles, fill, fan and belts monthly; motor and gearbox oil, bearings and a general clean at the start and end of the season. Water quality and chemical dosing should be monitored continuously.
Why is the cooling tower leaving water too warm?
Common causes are dirty or scaled fill, blocked nozzles, low fan speed or slipping belts, insufficient water flow and high wet-bulb temperature in summer. On water-cooled chillers this leads to high-pressure alarms.
When should the fill be replaced?
When scale, sludge or algae block it and it can no longer be cleaned, or when it is deformed or broken. For partial blockage, chemical and mechanical cleaning is tried first.
What is the difference between open and closed circuit towers?
In an open tower the process or condenser water contacts the air directly. In a closed circuit tower (evaporative fluid cooler) water or glycol flows inside a coil cooled by sprayed water, so the main loop stays clean.
What should be done about Legionella risk?
Warm, stagnant water in cooling towers favours bacterial growth. Regular biocide dosing, basin cleaning, drift eliminator checks and periodic water analysis are needed. We recommend an accredited laboratory for analysis.
Which brands do you service?
We maintain and repair open and closed circuit cooling towers of all brands as an independent service provider. Warranty work should go to the manufacturer's authorized service.