If you manage a commercial building or industrial facility, you know energy costs can eat into your budget. Data centers, for instance, consumed about 176 TWh of energy in 2023, which was 4.4% of total U.S. electricity consumption that year.
Whether it’s data centers, office buildings, or industrial sites, one big reason for those high energy bills is often the cooling tower.
Ignoring this essential piece of equipment might seem like a short-term cost saver, but over time, it can do quite the opposite. Lack of proper cooling tower maintenance translates into higher energy bills, unplanned downtime, and emergency repairs worth hundreds of thousands.
In this post, we’ll talk you through how regular cooling tower maintenance cuts energy use, saves money, and keeps your system running smoothly year-round.
Why Cooling Towers Eat Up Energy
Cooling towers help regulate temperature by removing heat from your building’s systems. Warm water from air conditioning or industrial equipment enters the tower, where airflow and evaporation cool it before it cycles back.
If your system slips out of shape (maybe due to mineral buildup, biological growth, or simple wear), its efficiency drops. Over time, the pumps and fans have to work harder, burn more energy, and send your utility bills through the roof.
Let’s find out how maintenance can help you slash energy waste.
- Clean Fill Media Means Less Fan Work
When fill media gets clogged with dirt, algae, or scale, airflow suffers. The fan has to run longer or at a higher speed to maintain proper cooling. That increases electricity usage substantially, resulting in massive energy bills.
Cleaning or replacing the fill media as part of routine cooling tower maintenance keeps airflow steady. Your fan works less, and your energy bill drops. You might also want to hire a professional for the cleanup or upgrade.
- Descaling Keeps Water Flowing
Scale buildup inside pipes and nozzles chokes water flow. Poor water distribution means your tower doesn’t cool as well, forcing the system to work harder and burn more energy.
Descaling helps restore proper flow, which is often a part of preventive maintenance. With less resistance, the pumps and chillers don’t have to work overtime.
- Lubrication Means Fewer Motor Breakdowns
Fans, motors, and bearings run better when lubricated regularly. Lack of lube causes friction, and friction means wasted energy and heat. On the other hand, proper lubrication improves efficiency and extends equipment life.
The easiest way to avoid all of this is to invest in preventive cooling tower maintenance.
What a Good Maintenance Plan Includes
It’s recommended to hire a cooling tower service provider for a tune-up once a year. They’ll take care of all the required maintenance, repairs, and even upgrades or replacements if your system needs them. This typically includes:
- Cleaning and Descaling
Warm, moist conditions attract algae and bacteria and encourage mineral scale. Professional cooling tower services remove these buildups regularly, which improves heat transfer and airflow. Clean surfaces allow water to cool faster, so your tower can do more with less energy.
- Checking Water Quality
The right chemical balance keeps everything running smoothly. If your water has too much scale or fosters bacterial growth, efficiency plunges and repairs rise. Regular water testing, as part of ongoing cooling tower services, prevents damage before it starts. An expert can:
- Set up the right chemical program.
- Adjust based on makeup water conditions.
- Monitor for Legionella and other bacteria.
Keeping your water balanced protects your system and your staff.
- Equipment Inspections
Even the best systems wear down over time. Routine inspections catch worn or loose belts, failing fans, or leaking seals early. By fixing them promptly or upgrading them, you avoid bigger and costlier breakdowns, keeping your equipment running at its best.
- Monitoring Performance
Skilled and certified technicians can track your tower’s performance using sensors to watch energy use, temperature, and water flow. This kind of proactive maintenance can spot dips in efficiency, sometimes before they’re even noticeable. Plus, their fast response saves both energy and money.
What You Can Expect
There is no recent data on how much energy you can save with proactive cooling tower maintenance. However, even if you manage to cut it by, say 10%, that’s a lot, especially if your facility relies on year-round climate control.
Suppose your cooling tower is part of a system that uses $10,000 a month in energy. Even a 10% savings adds up to $1,200 per year. Factor in avoided emergency repairs and a longer system lifetime, and those savings multiply.
Saving energy isn’t only about lowering your bills. Efficient operation also lowers your environmental impact. By cutting wasted energy and reducing water loss from leaks or overblown evaporation, cooling tower maintenance supports your ESG goals.
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to accept high energy costs as just part of running a building or an industrial facility. By treating cooling tower maintenance as routine, not an afterthought, you can control your energy spending and your facility’s performance back in your hands. If you haven’t thought about maintenance like that yet, you should start now. Remember, a little attention goes a long way in saving energy, cutting costs, and keeping your systems healthy.
