Spring is a great time to consider your facility’s cooling tower system. As the weather warms up, many comfort cooling systems shut down in the late fall and winter will soon be put back into operation. Following a few “good housekeeping” procedures are important before these systems are filled with water and started up. These steps allow facilities managers to save money and avoid headaches during the cooling season.

Step 1: Clean Cooling Tower Fill, Basin and Hot Deck

To prepare a cooling system for the upcoming season, clean the cooling tower fill, basin and hot deck. Dirt and debris from the previous cooling season and winter months can build up and must be removed. Failure to remove this debris can foul and plug system components, leading to poor cooling system performance.

Additionally, debris can be a food source for microbiological growth, which can cause corrosion and fouling of heat exchange surfaces and can lead to airborne pathogens such as Legionella. To avoid these issues, debris should be removed from the hot deck and distribution holes. Any broken sprayers or distributors should be repaired or replaced, and the system should be sanitized before being returned to service.

Step 2: Clean and Calibrate Cooling Water Controller

To ensure the optimal functioning of your cooling systems, it’s crucial to clean and calibrate various components. These include the cooling water conductivity controller, probes, flow switch, level controls and chemical metering pumps. Conductivity, pH, and ORP probes that have not been serviced for several months should be cleaned and calibrated. Chemical metering pumps may also need to be cleaned and primed with fresh chemicals before calibration.

Components not properly maintained during the previous season may need to be repaired or replaced to help your cooling systems run smoothly and efficiently. Check that all parts function correctly to keep the cooling water’s chemical balance and prevent scale buildup and corrosion.

Step 3: Clean and Lubricate Fans and Motors

The final step in preparing for the cooling season is cleaning fan housings, lubricating fans and motors, and checking for oil leaks. Ensure fan belts are tight and in working order and replace them if necessary. Oil leaks in fan motors can foul the cooling water system, reducing heat transfer efficiency and causing microbiological growth.

RK Water can assist with your facility needs by providing maintenance services for cooling tower systems, including cleaning and disinfecting the water tanks, checking and repairing leaks, and ensuring that the system is functioning correctly before the start of the cooling season. RK Water’s expertise can help you save money on energy costs and avoid costly repairs down the line.

By: RK Energy

The recent decline in the oil and gas industry has many companies experiencing hardship. Those that have survived are working to reduce costs by selling equipment or letting it sit idly; others are bypassing well testing, equipment servicing, repairs and site maintenance.

While scrimping on equipment maintenance is tempting, companies should seriously consider retaining and maintaining their costly operating equipment and field sites. Used equipment can now be found at bargain-basement prices today. Selling equipment in a downturn will likely result in a large capital loss for the business. The benefits will lie only with the buyer. Oil and gas companies should consider that once the industry turns around, the cost of equipment will also rise.

By holding onto equipment and investing in preventative maintenance instead, operators can gain enormous savings on future repairs. Investing now in maintenance will reduce down time and extend the life of the equipment. It will also help identify potential site risks and reduce overall production costs.

If companies continue to market effectively, it could also be an opportunity to win some business from competitors who are downsizing. Rather than dismantling and selling equipment or slashing the maintenance budget, maintaining existing equipment can put companies in a position to gain market share when the industry picks up because they’ll be able to ramp up production more quickly.

Despite the significant slowdown, there is still plenty of oil to drill. When the industry is on the upswing, competitors who downsized will be forced to spend extra time and capital expense before getting back to work as they will have to replace their equipment and perform site maintenance. Those who sustained their equipment and sites will be able to get to work right away.

If you are looking for someone to maintain your oil field equipment and perform on-site maintenance, RK Energy would be happy to discuss our services with you. Contact RK Energy at rkenergy@rkindustries.com for more information.

By: RK Service

People from the rest of the country may be starting to take their winter ski vacations in Colorado, but area business owners and facility managers need to keep their buildings safe and operating smoothly until spring returns.

RK Service professionals weighed in on the most important winter maintenance tasks for local businesses below.

Top Three Winter Maintenance To-Do’s

Inspect the HVAC System
Ensure that HVAC systems are ready to handle the demands of cold months. Have an expert inspect and optimize your HVAC system now. If your heating system has not been inspected and serviced recently, doing so right away may prevent unnecessary outages and emergency service calls during or after a storm. It will also ensure that employees and tenants stay warm no matter how low the temperatures drop.

Eliminate Heat Loss
“Gaps around louvers, doors and windows create pockets of freezing air that make their way throughout an entire building,” says RK Service technician, Don Pierce. The loss is compounded as heat escapes from these same areas. Every part of your building should be checked for leaks and cracks. General caulking around doors and windows will help seal out the winter air. Drafty areas near windows may indicate insulation inadequacies or freeze exposure issues.

Protect Water Pipes
Freezing weather can affect vital facility systems: sprinkler systems, fire pumps, heating and air conditioning equipment, boilers, steam piping and water tanks. Freezing in any part of your system can result in flooding, causing equipment damage and electrical dangers. The best way to avoid frozen pipes is to prepare your facility as early as possible. First, heating equipment needs to be serviced and in good repair so that optimal heating levels can be maintained at all times. The cause of frozen pipes is often insufficient interior heat due to equipment failure. Second, pipes should be inspected and insulated in exposed areas.

Call RK Service today to schedule an equipment maintenance call right away. Or let one of our experienced technicians perform a complete inspection of your facility and provide their top recommendations for your business. No matter where you are in Colorado, we have a local team that can you help you.