Cooling Tower Handbook //top\\ Today

Most operators assume that cold weather is a blessing for cooling. After all, if it’s freezing outside, the tower doesn’t have to work as hard to shed heat, right? This is the single most dangerous misconception in wet cooling tower management.

Ice formation begins not at the bottom basin, but at the air inlets—specifically on the louvers and fill. As falling water droplets drift into the sub-freezing air stream, they flash into ice crystals that adhere to the leading edges of the fill. This is called accretion . If left unchecked, an ice bridge will form across the air intake, strangling airflow, collapsing the fill, and ultimately toppling the fan deck. cooling tower handbook

Here it is, the line you should memorize and stencil onto the tower control panel: Most operators assume that cold weather is a

Watch the fan exhaust. A healthy winter plume is wispy and dissipates quickly. A dangerous plume is thick, heavy, and drifts horizontally without rising. This indicates the water is entering the cold air basin at a temperature too low to melt the ice forming upstream. Ice formation begins not at the bottom basin,