Cooling Tower Issues and Troubleshooting Approaches
The water temperature rises unexpectedly.
The recommended air flow may be low. Adjusting the blade level may correct this.
The water flow may be above the recommended level. Take applicable steps to
correct the rate of flow.
The sprinkler output may be impeded resulting in poor distribution. Repair or replace
the sprinkler or feed.
Water flow not contacting the fills as designed. Check for water supply leaks or
sprinkler issues.
Flow of external air around tower is impeded. Check for air obstructions and that
exhaust air is not being recycled.
The fill is coated or checked requiring replacement or cleaning.
There is excessive vibration or noise.
Check the motor bearing and grease or replace it as required.
The fan mount may have loosened. Retighten associated hardware.
Various tower components may be rubbing against each other. Ensure that the proper
tolerances are maintained.
The fan may have become unbalanced. Take measures to rebalance it.
The fan blocks may have loosened. Retighten them as needed.
The motor shaft hub mounting might have loosened up. Tighten it back up. Note that
this may require using shims.
The cooling capacity has lowered unexpectedly.
Check to see if the motor has stopped. If so, verify that the fuse is functional, the
switch capacity is correct, and the switch contact is in good working order, clean, and
adjusted as recommended.
If the fan has stopped spinning check for a jammed bearing. Clear any obstructions
and replace the bearing.
If the motor RPM lowers unexpectedly first check that the starter is not defective.
Next ensure that the electrical load is not too heavy. Finally, check that the supply
voltage is within accepted range. If not, contact your power company.
If the motor RPM cannot be raised to acceptable levels, check that the starter is
serviceable and all the connections are clean, tight, and connected properly. If that all
checks out, investigate whether the motor windings have been damaged.
The water carries over the specified level.
Check that the water flow through the filter is not being blocked. Unblock as needed.
If the water sprinkler is rotating faster than specified adjust the speed and angle.
Ensure that the sprinkler is not too high above the filter. If so, lower it to bring it
within the specified range.
The water conductivity is not within the acceptable range.
Check to ensure that the probe for the controller is clean. If not, clean it with a clean
cloth and avoid touching it with your fingers.
Check the solenoid to ensure that debris is not stopping it from closing completely.
This can cause excessive bleeding. Ensure that the float is located such that the water
level remains within specifications.
Be sure that there are no leaks in the cooling tower system.
Verify that the chemical feed pump is properly primed.
Adjust the chemical feed pump settings until the water conductivity is within the
acceptable range.
The motor temperature is too high.
Check for a drop in voltage, that the fan is not out of balance, and that the stator is not
touching the rotor.
The water flow is reduced below specification.
Ensure that no water distribution pipes are clogged or obstructed.
Check that the strainer/filter is unobstructed.
Check for any operational faults with the water pump.
There is an unexpected water loss.
Be sure the sprinkler RPM is within specified range.
Check for compromised end caps.
Make sure that FRP/PVC eliminators are located properly.
Whether your facility uses a crossflow, counter flow, induced draft, or other type of cooling
tower, the troubleshooting ideas listed above should give you a practical jumping off point
towards addressing basic troubleshooting issues.
What is Oil Analysis?
Oil analysis involves doing analysis on the properties of a lubricant, wear debris, and the
contaminants in it. It’s done regularly or when the need arises so as to provide accurate and
meaningful information about the lubricant and the machine that it’s being used on. When
you keep records of a machine’s sample results, it’s possible to know its condition and make
the necessary changes if the machine is worn out, eliminating huge costs which could have
occurred. You can do repairs or replace the entire machine depending on its condition. The
people who mostly perform oil analysis study tribology, the study of wear and are called
tribologists.
Oil analysis is divided into:
Wear debris analysis
Analysis of the contaminants and,
Oil properties analysis
Since long ago, monitoring the condition of machines at the workplace has always been of
great importance for proper maintenance of machines. When machines are working properly,
operations run smoothly and accidents are avoided. While the petrochemical and power
generation industries do vibration analysis, the fleet industries have always chosen oil
analysis to maintain the diesel engines in shape. Other industries like the pulp and paper
industries and those dealing with metals also use oil analysis.
Oil analysis has proved to produce better assessment results and most plants in different
industries are using the method to monitor the condition of the machines and systems in use.
This assessment has increased machine reliability and improved the performance of the
company in turn. This article looks at the role that oil analysis plays in different industries.
Monitoring the Condition of Machines through Oil Analysis
The role played by oil analysis has varied over the years. In the power generation and
petrochemical industries, it has been done to determine when machines need an oil change. In
areas where there is a hydraulic application, it has been utilized to control contamination
which leads to jamming of abrades components and servo-valves. When these two are
jammed, component failure occurs prematurely.
In the fleet industries, oil analysis has mostly been used to know when additives are depleted,
fuel is resulting in oil contamination, soot is too much in the oil, or when there is unusual
component wear. Each application varies from the other and the information that the different
applications produce is used to make varied but important decisions.
Dimensions of Oil Analysis
Fluid analysis
When you perform oil analysis, it reveals how healthy the oil is. With the analysis, the oil’s
chemical, physical, and additive properties can analyzed and the decision about whether the
oil needs changing can be made. Oil analysis will also help you know when an addition of
incorrect oil has been made. If at one time the oil degrades abnormally, oil analysis will be
used to tell whether the degradation is hydrolytic, oxidative or due to another happening.
Contamination Monitoring
Contamination contributes greatly to machine failure and degradation. In most industrial
applications, moisture together with abrasive particles is the leading cause of machine wear.
These particles also make the oil to lose its additives, thereby, leading to oil degradation.
When contamination monitoring is done, the company is able to reduce the chances of
machine failure.
Detection of Wear Debris
Machines produce particles when they are not in good condition. Debris detection helps in
determining the cause of the problem and enables one to plan for maintenance and repair.
This way machines operate smoothly without causing lagging of activities.
The Importance of Oil Analysis
Proactive machine care
Machine failure is something may slow down things at an organization significantly. Oil
analysis helps to ensure that this doesn’t happen. Contamination takes effect slowly and will
be difficult to notice until it’s too late. By looking at the results of oil analysis, the necessary
changes are made, thereby, avoiding degradation, which leads to machine failure.
Making effective decisions
Oil analysis comes in handy when making operations and maintenance decisions. To make
quality decisions, you have to have accurate information. Oil analysis provides you with the
most accurate data of the components involved, thereby, giving you the best tool to make the
right decision in operation and maintenance.
Observing reliability
Due to the importance of keeping machines in full operation, it’s advisable to have people
who are tasked with the primary duty of performing oil analysis. A department should be
established to perform analysis from time to time. By doing this, the clients of the company
can rely on it to deliver throughout.
