How to Clean a Cooling Tower With a Pressure Washer
Picture this: It’s the peak of summer, your business operations are in full swing and suddenly your cooling tower, the unsung hero of your industrial system, starts underperforming.
Your operations slow, costs rise, and you’re left with a costly repair or replacement that could have been avoided. Sounds like a nightmare, right? Well, there’s a cost-effective, straightforward way to prevent such an unforeseen headache: regular cooling tower cleaning.
The problems we’ve described above are all too common. So, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to put together this comprehensive guide on how to clean a cooling tower.
The twist? We’re going to talk specifically about pressure washing cooling towers.
This approach to cleaning your cooling tower will produce better results with less time and effort. So, you can get back to focusing on what matters most to your business.
An efficiently running cooling tower is not just about keeping your system operating at peak performance, it’s also about protecting the health and safety of your workers, saving on unnecessary repair costs, and ultimately, securing your bottom line.
Investing in regular cooling tower cleaning isn’t an expense, it’s a proactive measure that pays dividends in operational efficiency, longevity of your equipment, and peace of mind. We’ll expand on this below as we take a deeper look at why cooling tower cleaning isn’t something you can afford to overlook.
Why Cooling Tower Cleaning Cannot Be Overlooked
Just as with restaurant pressure washing, cleaning gym equipment, or heavy equipment cleaning – it’s all about protecting your investment, getting the most out of your equipment, and eliminating the concern of safety-related issues. Cooling tower cleaning is no different.
By investing in regular cleaning of your cooling tower, you can save yourself from the heath hazards of a dirty cooling tower, increase the efficiency & longevity of your unit, and save money in the long run.
The Health Hazards of a Neglected Cooling Tower
Neglecting the cleanliness of your cooling tower isn’t just a maintenance oversight, it can also pose significant health risks. Bacteria, algae, and mold can build up in the water and system components, leading to poor air quality and a potential breeding ground for harmful contaminants.
One of the most infamous of these is Legionella bacteria, which can lead to Legionnaires’ disease, a serious type of pneumonia. Regular cleaning with a high-quality pressure washer is an effective way to minimize these risks and ensure a safe and healthy working environment.
Cooling Tower Efficiency and Longevity: What’s At Stake?
A dirty cooling tower can drastically reduce the efficiency of your entire HVAC system. The buildup of debris and scale can reduce the tower’s cooling capacity, requiring more energy to achieve the same cooling effect, and thus increasing operational costs.
Moreover, corrosion and wear-and-tear caused by the accumulation of such debris can reduce the lifespan of your equipment, potentially leading to costly repairs or replacements. Regular cleaning helps prevent these problems, maximizing your tower’s efficiency and prolonging its operational life.
The Impact of Cooling Tower Upkeep on Your Bottom Line
While it might seem like an additional expense initially, regular cooling tower maintenance, including pressure washing, is actually a wise financial move. It’s all about prevention versus cure.
Regular cleaning helps to prevent the high costs associated with system breakdowns, extensive repairs, and loss of productivity due to downtime. Not to mention the potential liability and reputational damage associated with health hazards from poorly maintained cooling towers.
By investing in regular cooling tower cleaning, you’re investing in the financial health of your company. But – why is it worth investing in a pressure washer for cooling tower cleaning specifically? There are actually a few reasons…
Pressure Washing Cooling Tower is the Most Effective, Efficient Process: Here’s Why…
Nothing beats the cleaning effectiveness and efficiency of a pressure washer. Even the toughest of messes stand no chance against the intense blast of hot water coupled with a targeted detergent.
As such, business rely on pressure washing for commercial buildings, parking lot power washing, pressure washing factory floors, and of course, pressure washin cleaning towers. But to paint the full picture of what makes this such a worthwhile investment, we want to get into the science below…
Understanding the Science Behind Pressure Washing
We have a complete gude on how a pressure washer works – but we want to quickly touch on the science behind it that makes this powerhouse cleaning solution so special.
Pressure washing works by using high-velocity water spray to dislodge grime, dirt, and debris from surfaces. By using a pressure washer, you’re not only removing visible contaminants, but also reaching into the small crevices and corners where dirt and bacteria can hide.
When combined with a specialized pressure washer soap, a pressure washer can tackle even the most stubborn residues, ensuring a thorough clean that improves both the efficiency and hygiene of your cooling tower.
The technique is both powerful and precise, making it perfectly suited for cleaning complex equipment like cooling towers. This is especially true when comparing it to other methods…
Comparing Pressure Washing to Other Cleaning Methods
When compared to other cleaning methods such as scrubbing by hand or using low-pressure water hoses, pressure washing stands head and shoulders above.
Scrubbing can be labor-intensive, time-consuming, and often inadequate, especially for hard-to-reach areas. Low-pressure hoses, on the other hand, lack the power to deal with stubborn grime and bacterial buildup effectively. The same is true of steam cleaners.
On the contrary, pressure washing provides a deep clean quickly and efficiently, drastically reducing labor costs and downtime. Plus, it’s a less aggressive process compared to techniques like sandblasting, reducing the risk of damage to your equipment.
The Economical and Time-Saving Benefits of Pressure Washing
Pressure washing your cooling tower isn’t just about achieving a superior clean – it’s also a savvy business move.
Using a commercial pressure washer means your cooling tower gets cleaned faster, reducing the downtime required for maintenance. Less downtime equals less interruption to your operations and, in turn, less impact on your bottom line. After all, time is money!
You or your employees have better things to do – so spending as little time cleaning while still achieving a squeaky clean is an investment worth making.
Furthermore, the best commercial hot water pressure washers at Hotsy are designed to be durable and efficient, providing excellent value for your investment over the long term.
How to Clean a Cooling Tower With a Pressure Washer Step-by-Step
By now, you should be fully convinced that pressure washing is the way to go for your cooling tower maintenance. But knowing why it’s a good idea is just the first step. It’s time to learn how to clean a cooling tower with a pressure washer so you can implement this in your own business.
Below, we’ll take you through a step-by-step guide on how to effectively pressure wash your cooling tower, making this crucial maintenance task as straightforward and stress-free as possible. First, you need to gain an understanding of your business’ needs.
Step 1: Assessing Your Cooling Tower’s Cleaning Needs
Not all cooling towers are created equal – and your specific unit(s) will influence the specific pressure washer you choose along with what kind of soap to use in pressure washer.
So, consider the size and design of the tower, the amount of dirt and debris accumulation, and any specific maintenance guidelines provided by the manufacturer.
Take note of areas showing the most grime, as well as hard-to-reach areas that will need special attention. These details will guide you in selecting the right pressure washer and accessories. Speaking of which…
Step 2: Choosing the Right Pressure Washer
The perfect pressure washer for your cooling tower will depend on the size of the job. For larger towers or towers with a heavy build-up of grime, a powerful model with a higher PSI (pounds per square inch) and GPM (gallons per minute) would be ideal.
But, you don’t want to go with too powerful of a unit and run the risk of damaging equipment – or choose a flow rate that ends up being overkill, leading to wasted water.
Hotsy offers a range of commercial pressure washers suitable for heavy-duty tasks. For instance, a model like the Hotsy 1075SSE, offering a high-pressure water flow rate of 4.5 GPM and 3500 PSI, can handle extensive, grimy cooling towers efficiently.
With that said, we encourage you to read our entire guide on how to buy a pressure washer. This will guide you through choosing the right pressure washer PSI and pressure washer GPM. You’ll also learn what is best between a hot vs cold water pressure washer along with electric vs gas pressure washer.
Ultimately, though, your best bet is to simply give us a call or stop by one of our many South Texas pressure washer stores.
We bring 40+ years of experience to the table and a lot of passion for helping business owners develop the best cleaning process possible. We are eager to do the same for you – whether you buy a hot pressure washer for sale or go with our commercial pressure washer rental.
And beyond helping you choose among the types of pressure washers, we can help you check off the rest of the boxes on your pressure washing equipment list.
Step 3: Adding Detergents & Other Cleaning Accessories as Necessary
After choosing the right pressure washer, it’s time to select your detergents and accessories. It’s true that alone, these machines are powerful cleaning solutions. But when paired with the right pressure washer degreaser soap, they’re even more powerful.
But, not in the literal sense.
Detergents designed for pressure washers, like the best soap for pressure washer offered by Hotsy, enhance the cleaning power of the water, making it easier to cut through grease, grime, and bacteria. This mean you can power down your unit’s PSI, further lowering the risk of damaging fragile equipment in your cooling tower.
Moreover, accessories like extended wands or rotating nozzles can help you reach those tricky corners and hard-to-reach spots of the tower. We encourage you to take a look at our list of the best pressure washer attachments to see all that we have in store for you.
Now that you have everything you need to start pressure wahsing, let’s talk about preparing your cooling tower for cleaning.
Step 4: Preparing the Cooling Tower for Cleaning
Before starting the cleaning process, ensure that the cooling tower is turned off, and adequately secure all electrical connections to avoid water damage.
Also, protect surrounding areas or equipment from water splash. If there are large pieces of debris or waste, remove them manually to ease the pressure washing process. This is also a good time to get your pressure washing clothes on to protect yourself from intense jets of hot water.
At this point, it’s time to get to the fun part in our guide on how to clean a cooling tower: actually pressure washing cooling towers!
Step 5: Properly Applying Pressure and Detergent
If you’re new to using pressure washers, we encourage you to first read our beginner’s guide on how to start a pressure washer. We also have resources on pressure washing tips and tricks for a faster, moer effective cleaning – such as how to use soap with a pressure washer. But it’s really not all that complicated.
Start from the top of the cooling tower, working your way down. This approach ensures that dirty water doesn’t contaminate the already cleaned areas.
Apply the detergent from bottom to top to allow it ample dwell time. Give it a few minutes to allow the suds ample time to work their magic, working loose the muck and grime in your cooling tower.
After letting the detergent sit for the recommended time, rinse it off with the pressure washer. Remember to maintain a safe distance between the nozzle and the cooling tower surface to avoid damaging the equipment. From top to bottom, ensuring an overlapping stroke pattern so you don’t leave any soap behind.
Step 6: After-Cleaning Care and Maintenance
Most of the hard work is done. Now, it’s just a matter of getting the unit back up and running. Remember, it’s essential to let your cooling tower dry completely before restarting it. That’s why it’s best to pressure wash on a warm day so the unit dries out fast. Then, you can piece it back together if you took it apart.
Step 7: Repeat the Process on a Routine Basis
Creating a consistent cleaning schedule is the final yet one of the most important steps in cooling tower maintenance. Regular cleaning prevents the buildup of grime, dirt, and bacteria, reducing the risk of health hazards and machinery malfunction.
The frequency of cleaning will depend on various factors, such as your location, the cooling tower’s usage, and the type of pollutants in your environment. A tower in a heavily industrialized area or a dusty environment might need cleaning more often than one in a cleaner setting. Similarly, a cooling tower that is in continuous operation will require more frequent cleanings compared to one that operates intermittently.
Scheduling cleanings at regular intervals – monthly, quarterly, or bi-annually – helps ensure that maintenance is never overlooked. Also, consider aligning your cleaning schedule with cooling tower inspections to ensure the longevity and efficiency of the system.
This raises an important consideration: can you rent a pressure washer instead of buying one if you only need to use it 1-2 times a year? You sure can. It’s just important to sit down and run the numbers on what makes more sense.
Consider how much to rent a pressure washer alongside how much you’d pay to own the unit. While you may only need to make time for pressure washing cooling towers a few times a year, you can probably find other beneficial uses for the unit.
If not, though, you are probably wondering where to rent a pressure washer – and as you now know, you can count on Hotsy! With that said, it’s time to wrap up this guide on how to clean a cooling tower with pressure washers.
Wrapping Up Our Guide on How to Clean a Cooling Tower With a Pressure Washer
While a dirty, mucked up cooling tower can present significant problems for your business, you shouldn’t ever have to stress about these isuses again. You now know not only how to clean a cooling tower – but how to harness the power of a quality commercial pressure washer specifically.
All that’s left to do now is configure your own cooling tower cleaning process. Then, stop by and pay us a visit at Hotsy in South Texas. We are ready to help you eliminate all the stress and frustration of dirty cooling towers for good!
