A Look at Safety in Manufacturing

Drift eliminators play a vital role in a cooling tower. These devices catch and contain some of the water droplets and aerosol gases during cooling processes. They prevent them from entering the environment outside of the tower.

While eliminators are built to last, they can develop problems. If this happens, then you often need to install new eliminators to get your system back on track again.

How can you tell if your drift eliminators have a problem?

1. You Feel Droplets in the Air

Drift eliminators don't deal with all the water droplets a cooling tower produces. However, they should manage most of them and keep them contained inside the tower.

If you can feel water droplets in the air when you approach your tower, then this can be a sign that your eliminators aren't working. Any change to the frequency or volume of water in the environment around the tower might mean that your eliminators aren't able to contain enough water to keep your system safe.

2. You See Damage on Your Eliminators

You should visually inspect drift eliminators regularly to check their condition. These devices can be affected by environmental conditions which reduce their efficiency and processing capabilities.

For example, scale can build up on the surfaces of eliminators. This scale can block access points in the devices and clog them up. When this happens, they don't have enough airflow to do their job efficiently.

Sometimes, damage or old age also affects eliminators. For example, plastic products can turn brittle as they age. They might break or warp.

While you can clean off small scale deposits, a significant build-up usually means that you need a replacement. You also usually have to replace broken or warped eliminators.

3. Your Eliminators Have Lost Their Fit

Drift eliminators can only operate at optimum efficiency if they have the right fit and placement. They must connect tightly in a sequence. You shouldn't be able to see gaps between them and any other parts they sit close to.

You can sometimes reposition an eliminator that has shifted out of position. However, this might not work if the eliminator is damaged.

For example, if an eliminator has warped, then it can't sit in its normal position. It might also move other eliminators in the process. Here, you'll probably have to replace the damaged device to make things right again.

To get started, contact your cooling tower parts supplier and order new drift eliminators.