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19

Tower Cleaning, Water Treatment and Blowdown

Maintaining Water Quality:

The steel used in AV Series towers has been galvanized with a heavy zinc 
coating averaging 2.0 mils in thickness. AV Series towers are also available 
in stainless steel, which is even more corrosion resistant than galvanized 
steel in certain environments. Other materials used (PVC fill, drift eliminators, 
and louvers, aluminum fans, etc.) are selected to offer maximum service 
life in a “normal” cooling tower environment, defined as follows:

Circulating water with a pH between 6.5 and 8; a chloride content (as NaCl) 
below 500 ppm; a sulfate content (SO4) below 250 ppm; total alkalinity 
(as CaCO

3

) below 500 ppm; calcium hardness (as CaCO

3

) above 50 ppm; 

a  maximum  inlet  water  temperature  not  to  exceed  125°F  (51.7°C);  no 
significant contamination with unusual chemicals or foreign substances; 
and adequate water treatment to minimize scaling.

•  Startup Conditions: The water conditions during the initial tower opera-

tion are crucial in preventing premature corrosion of galvanized steel 
(white rust). For at least the first eight weeks of operation, pH should 
be controlled between 6.5 and 8.0 with hardness and alkalinity levels 
between 100 and 300 ppm (expressed as CaCO

3

).

•  Chlorine (if used) shall be added intermittently, with a free residual not 

to  exceed  1  ppm—maintained  for  short  periods.  Excessive  chlorine 
levels may deteriorate sealants and other materials of construction.

•  An atmosphere surrounding the tower no worse than “moderate indus-

trial”, where rainfall and fog are no more than slightly acid, and they do 
not contain significant chlorides or hydrogen sulfide (H

2

S).

•  Many proprietary chemicals exist for control of scale, corrosion, and 

biological growth and should be used prudently. Also, combinations 
of chemicals may cause reactions which reduce treatment effective-
ness, and certain chemicals such as surfactants, biodispersants and 
antifoams may increase drift rate.

Unless you purchased a stainless steel AV Series the structure of 
your AV Series consists primarily of galvanized steel, therefore your 

water treatment program must be compatible with zinc. In working 

with your water treatment supplier, it is important that you recognize 

the potential effects on zinc of the specific treatment program you 

choose.

 

Warning

Operation

Summary of Contents for MARLEY AV 98-1514E

Page 1: ... Marley AV CoolingTower User Manual 98 1514E ...

Page 2: ...g tower Carefully read the manual before installation or operation of the tower and follow all instructions Save this manual for future reference Indicates presence of a hazard which can cause severe personal injury death or substantial property damage if ignored Indicates presence of a hazard which will or can cause personal injury or property damage if ignored Indicatesspecialinstructionsoninsta...

Page 3: ...oor Safety First The location and orientation of the cooling tower can affect the safety of those responsible for installing operating or maintaining the tower How ever since SPX Cooling Technologies does not determine the location or orientation of the tower we cannot be responsible for addressing those safety issues that are affected by the tower s location or orientation Warning Thefollowingsaf...

Page 4: ...us as possible to promote ease of maintenance and to permit freedom of airflow into and through the tower If you have questions about the adequacy of the avail able space and the intended configuration of the tower please contact your Marley sales representative for guidance Prepare a stable level support foundation for the tower utilizing weight wind load and dimensional information appearing on ...

Page 5: ...pt for future reference and maintenance purposes Hoisting Tower AV6300throughAV6700modelsconsistoftwomodulespercell Theupper module includes hoisting clips at the top of the module The hoisting clips on the lower module are located near the bottom on the ends of the cold water basin All other models ship in a single module The hoisting clips for the single height models AV6100 and AV6200 are locat...

Page 6: ...3 AV6300 through AV6700 models only Remove shipping guards from bottom of top module AV6500 thru AV6700 Clean any debris from the underside of the top module fill skid and beams and from the top of the bottom module before hoisting into place Remove paper backing form sealer strips around top perimeter of bottom module Place top module on the top peripheral bearing surface factory installed gasket...

Page 7: ...asin It is both beveled for welding and grooved for a mechanical coupling If a weld connection is used it is recommended that the weld area be protected against corrosion Coldgalvanizingissuggested appliedaccordingtothemanufacturer s instructions Bottom outlet connection This is a factory installed screened cir cular opening in the cold water basin floor of one or more cells An appropriately sized...

Page 8: ...iremotorinaccordancewithwiringdiagramonmotornameplate Check motor connections and power supply voltage versus motor nameplate voltage Formaintenance safetypurposes SPXCoolingrecommendsalockout type disconnect switch for all mechanical equipment In addition to a disconnect switch the motor should be wired to main power supply through short circuit protection and a magnetic starter with overload pro...

Page 9: ... motor nameplate amps and set maximum current parameter in the VFD to motor nameplate amps Maximum current parameter will reduce fan speed and limit amp draw to nameplate amps during cold weather operation If furnished with a mechanical O L set this at 110 over motor nameplate amps Motor rotation must be the same in both VFD mode and By pass mode If cable distance between the VFD and motor is grea...

Page 10: ...y or mechanically directly attached to the VFD drive system The length of this warranty avoidance will be contingent on properlyinstallingtheVFDsystemandrepairinganydamagethatmay have occurred during its operation SPX Cooling Technologies does not assume responsibility for any technical support or damages for problems associate with non Marley brand VFD systems Changing the operational fan speed f...

Page 11: ... make sure that the starter is equipped with a 2 minute time delay between changes of direction These delays will prevent abnormal stress from being applied to the mechanical equipment and the electrical circuit components 4 Run the motor and observe the operation of the mechanical equip ment Operation should be stable 5 After the first 30 minute run check motor AMPS and voltage with full water an...

Page 12: ...is is the recommended operating water level Adjust the float valve so that it is 75 open at that level Continue filling the system until the water reaches a level approximately 1 8 3 mm below the lip of the overflow If tower is equipped with a standard suction connection vent ac cumulated air from the top of the suction hood by removing one or both tap screws provided at that location Replace thes...

Page 13: ...and refilled 7 While operating the condensing water pump s and prior to operat ing the cooling tower fan execute one of the two alternative biocidal treatment programs described in the following Resume treatment with the biocide which had been used prior to shutdown Utilize the services of the water treatment supplier Maintain the maximum recommended biocide residual for the specific biocide for a...

Page 14: ...nits Range C Heat Load kilowatts Liters sec x 4 187 The cooling tower establishes only the cold water temperature attain able under any operating circumstance 2 Air wet bulb temperature Cold water temperature will also vary with the wet bulb temperature of the air entering the louvered faces of the tower Reduced wet bulb temperatures will result in colder water temperatures However the cold water ...

Page 15: ... starts per hour Considering the normal fan and motor sizes utilized on AV Series towers anticipate that approximately 4 to 5 starts per hour are allowable Ifyourtowerisequippedwithatwo speedmotor youwillenjoygreater opportunity for temperature control When the water temperature becomes too cold switching the fan to half speed will cause the cold water temperature to rise stabilizing at a temperat...

Page 16: ...re to drop below a minimum allowable level say 36 F to 40 F 2 C to 4 5 C If such low temperature operation is necessary or beneficial to your process establish the minimum allowable level as follows Duringthecoldestdaysofthefirstwinterofoperation observewhether any ice is forming on the louver face particularly near the bottom part of the louver face If hard ice is present on the louvers you must ...

Page 17: ...uvers melting any accumulated ice adequate heat load must be available Reversal may be at either full or half speed however SPX Cooling recommends reversal at half speed Reverse operation of the fan should be used sparingly and should only be used to control ice not to prevent it Reverse fan operation should not need to exceed 1 or 2 minutes Monitoring is required to determine the time required to...

Page 18: ...ittent Wintertime Operation If periods of shutdown nights weekends etc occur during freezing weather measures must be taken to prevent the water in the cold wa ter basin and all exposed pipework from freezing Several methods are used to combat this including Marley automatic basin heater sys tems Unless some means of freeze prevention is incorporated into your system the tower basin and exposed pi...

Page 19: ...ust For at least the first eight weeks of operation pH should be controlled between 6 5 and 8 0 with hardness and alkalinity levels between 100 and 300 ppm expressed as CaCO3 Chlorine if used shall be added intermittently with a free residual not to exceed 1 ppm maintained for short periods Excessive chlorine levels may deteriorate sealants and other materials of construction An atmosphere surroun...

Page 20: ...he operating season The periodic flushing and cleaning should be done be fore and after each cooling season but in any event at least twice a year The louvers drift eliminators and easily accessible fill surfaces should be flushed by use of a moderate pressure water nozzle being careful not to cause physical damage A reliable water treatment program should be installedandmaintained Filtrationdevic...

Page 21: ...roduced into the circulating water system via the cold water basin of the cooling tower Water velocities are lowest at that point which results in inadequate mixing Belt Tensioning The belts are adjusted by turning the jacking screw at the motor support Ideal tension is the lowest tension at which the belt will not slip under peak load conditions Check tension frequently during the first 24 48 hou...

Page 22: ...er to not adversely affect belt and sheave life Alignment can be achieved by placing a straight edge across the top of the sheaves making sure that it is level and measuring down to the bottom surface of both sheaves at four points The belt is to be located in the lowest set of grooves Maintenance g n i h s u B e z i S r e n e t s a F e u q r o T b l t f ƒ m N H S M 6 5 0 2 6 8 S D S M 6 5 0 2 6 8...

Page 23: ...r prior to performing any inspections that may involve physical contact with the mechanical or electrical equipment in or on the tower Lock out and tag out any electrical switches to prevent others from turning the power back on Service personnel must wear proper personal protective clothing and equipment Weekly Inspect for bacterial growth and general operation conditions Bacterial growth should ...

Page 24: ...nal position and lock Clean and disinfect cooling tower with biocides Systems with biofoul ing high general bacterial counts or positive cultures of legionella may require additional cleaning Refer to Cooling Tower Cleaning section on page 19 Consult your water treatment expert as to prudent biological evaluation testing If basin silt level is significant drain the basin and clean it out Refer to ...

Page 25: ... manufacturer of the coating you intend to use for instructions Tower framework Check structural bolted connections and tighten as required Fans Check fan assembly bolting and tighten as required Use torque settings prescribed in the fan manual Fiberglass Components Check all fiberglass parts for exposed glass fibers If found the affected surfaces should be recoated using a two part polyamide epox...

Page 26: ...ble of withstanding the harsh environment of a cooling tower nor do they contribute their share to the thermal capability and operating characteristics intended A complete stock of all parts and components is maintained at one or more of the various Marley plants In cases of emergency they can normally be shipped within 24 hours by air freight if necessary However you would obviously benefit from ...

Page 27: ...eave and belt alignment x Check belt tension and condition x x Check sheave bushing fastener torque x Fan Check and tighten blade and hub fasteners x Check fan blade pitch and tip clearance x Check fan cylinder for loose fasteners x Motor Lubricate grease as required R Check mounting bolts for tightness x Operate at least 3 hours a month 3 hours a month 3 hours a month Basin Heater if equipped Che...

Page 28: ... u r o e g a t l o v g n o r W e t a l p e m a n t s n i a g a s e n i l e e r h t l l a f o t n e r r u c d n a e g a t l o v k c e h C s e u l a v d a o l r e v O r o f k c e h C l a u n a M n a F e e S h c t i p e d a l b n a f k c e h C s g n i r a e b d e g a m a d m o r f s a n i a r t e v i r d n a f n i g a r d M P R r o t o m g n o r W r o t o m f o M P R k c e h C y l p p u s r e w o p t...

Page 29: ...o l f i e e s o t k c e h C r e w o t f o n o i t a l u c r i c e r g n i s u a c e r a s e r u t c u r t s g n i d n u o r r u s e v i t a t n e s e r p e r y e l r a M h t i w y d e m e r s s u c s i D r i a e g r a h c s i d w o l o o t s a w p m e t b l u b t e w n g i s e D y e l r a M h t i w y d e m e r s s u c s i D e z i s r e w o t e s a e r c n i o t e v a h y a M e v i t a t n e s e r ...

Page 30: ... drawings a Field Installation Manual and tower component usermanuals Thesedocumentscontainimportantinformationrelating to safe installation and operation of the cooling tower Field installation is always required for piping inlets and piping outlets The fan guard on larger models an some optional accessories such as valves handrails ladders and safety cages may also require field installation If ...

Page 31: ......

Page 32: ...ND PARK KANSAS 66213 UNITED STATES 913 664 7400 spxcooling spx com spxcooling com In the interest of technological progress all products are subject to design and or material change without notice 2008 SPX Cooling Technologies Inc Printed in USA ...

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