Evaporative cooling is a fantastic industrial cooling option for many reasons – one being that it is so straightforward to maintain. However, preparing evaporative cooling for the summer is also essential to prolong the system’s effectiveness.
Why is maintaining evaporative cooling important?
Regular maintenance of any HVAC system is key to keeping it running at optimum performance levels. It’s particularly important to regularly maintain your evaporative cooling system to ensure:
- Improved energy and cooling efficiency: Evaporative cooling systems use less power when well-maintained, and perform more efficiently.
- Better air quality: Cleaning the filter pads your system uses to remove dust and allergens from the air improves the air quality of your building.
- Increased system lifespan: Regular maintenance fixes any problems that could lead to costly repairs, increasing the lifespan of your system.
- Hygienic: Any standing water left in the system for extended periods can lead to mould and bacteria growth. Maintenance ensures the water is clean and safe.
Winter maintenance tips for evaporative cooling systems
Usually, evaporative cooling systems are relied upon most heavily during the summer months – which is why winter is the perfect time to perform crucial maintenance. That way, any potential problems can be fixed well ahead of time, and your system will be running smoothly when the weather heats up.
When the weather cools down and you stop using your evaporative cooling system, performing a winter shutdown helps protect the system during this time. There are several steps involved.
1. Drain the water tank
During the winter, there is a chance the water left inside the system could freeze. This could potentially cause massive internal damage to each unit and the components inside.
Draining the water tank of your system prevents this issue from occurring. It’s also a good chance to clean the inside of your water tank. Over time, the standing water that sits inside your system can be prone mould and bacteria growth. Draining and cleaning the tank – and topping it up with fresh water once the winter is over – protects the system from this.
2. Flush the system
Part of your evaporative cooling system’s job is to filter the air that it cools, before venting it into your building. This means that, over time, dust and debris builds up in the filter pads in your system.
This is an issue, as clogged filter pads:
- Reduce the efficiency of your unit, impacting its performance.
- Cause the system to use more energy, increasing your energy bills.
- Impact your system’s ability to reduce the spread of viruses.
The winter shutdown of your evaporative cooling is a good time to flush out any dust and debris to prevent blockages in the system. You can check and clean your filter pads, and should also replace them around every three years (depending on usage).
3. Preventing leaks
Dirt and debris that has built up in your system over time can also block the passage of water, causing leaks in ducts. This can also happen if your filters become crystallised (i.e. aren’t changed regularly enough).
When we perform routine evaporative cooling maintenance, we clean the structural parts of the unit to get rid of any potential blockages. We also check every filter is absorbing water as it should, and replace them when necessary.
