Engineering
Engineered by the people who maintain it.
We design, build and maintain cooling towers end to end with our own engineers and technicians — aligned with tower OEM specifications and supported by world-leading cooling technology providers.
How we work
In-house, end to end
In-house engineering and site teams, with clear responsibility from planning through maintenance.
OEM-aligned
Work carried out to the tower manufacturer’s specifications.
Zero injuries since 2011
No injuries since 2011 across our own staff and subcontractors — work planned to operator permit-to-work requirements under an ISO 45001-certified system.
Inside a cooling tower
Every component, explained.
A counterflow tower draws air up through falling water. Each component affects the others — which is why we engineer changes to the whole system, not part by part.
Select a component
Choose a number on the tower, or a button below, to see what typically goes wrong with that component and how we put it right.
Fan & fan stack
What goes wrong
Blade damage, wrong pitch or imbalance cuts airflow and causes vibration.
What we do
Blade repair or replacement, pitch setting, tip clearance, and new fan designs for more airflow at lower power.
Related service →Gearbox & drive shaft
What goes wrong
Misalignment and wear lead to noise, oil leaks and trips.
What we do
Laser alignment, vibration analysis, and gearbox and drive-shaft overhaul or replacement.
Related service →Motor
What goes wrong
Misalignment and bearing wear raise vibration and energy use.
What we do
Alignment and vibration analysis across the whole mechanical train, with motor overhaul or replacement.
Related service →Drift eliminators
What goes wrong
Damaged or displaced eliminators let water escape as drift.
What we do
High-efficiency drift eliminators, with drift as low as 0.0005% of circulating flow.
Related service →Water distribution & nozzles
What goes wrong
Clogged nozzles and broken laterals leave dry zones in the fill.
What we do
Nozzle replacement and FRP or PVC distribution repair or upgrade.
Related service →Fill media
What goes wrong
Fouled or collapsed fill sends warmer water back to the process.
What we do
Thermal performance testing, then fill cleaning, replacement or upgrade to suit your water quality.
Related service →Air inlet louvres
What goes wrong
Damaged louvres let in debris and sunlight and upset airflow.
What we do
Louvre and casing repair or replacement, including FRP.
Related service →Cold-water basin
What goes wrong
Sludge, scale and leaks reduce capacity and water quality.
What we do
Basin cleaning and repair, and side-stream filtration.
Related service →Structure & casing
What goes wrong
Timber decay, steel corrosion and FRP damage weaken the tower.
What we do
FRP repairs, epoxy coating and timber-to-FRP reconstruction.
Related service →Thermal performance
Measured before we change anything.
A tower’s performance is judged by two numbers: the range it cools the water through, and how close it brings the water to the air’s wet-bulb temperature — the approach. Fouled fill, poor distribution or weak airflow widens the approach and sends warmer water back to the process.
- Performance testing to CTI ATC-105
- Thermal design and upgrade calculations in-house
- Fill and fan selection for the required duty
- Post-completion performance testing, where specified
Range and approach calculator
Move the sliders to your tower’s readings. For illustration only — a CTI ATC-105 test gives the measured picture.
Fill selection
The right fill for your water.
Fill is where heat leaves the water. Choosing it for the plant’s water quality is how we raise capacity inside an existing structure — by up to 42% on a concrete tower.
| Fill type | Thermal performance | Fouling resistance | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Film fill | Highest | Lower | Clean or treated water; maximum duty in a compact tower |
| Low-fouling film fill | High | Medium | Moderate water quality where film-fill efficiency is still wanted |
| Grid/splash fill | Moderate | Highest | Dirty or high-solids water; robust, easy to clean |
| Film + grid combination | High | High | Balancing performance and fouling risk in one fill pack |
Troubleshooting
Symptom, cause, fix.
The problems plant teams bring to us most often — and how we resolve them.
| What you see | Likely cause | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Cold-water temperature too high | Fouled or collapsed fill · poor water distribution · low airflow | Performance test, fill cleaning or replacement, nozzle repair, fan blade angle setting |
| Vibration or noise from the fan | Shaft misalignment · gearbox wear · blade imbalance or damage | Laser alignment, vibration analysis, gearbox overhaul, blade repair and pitch setting |
| Drift and water loss | Damaged or displaced drift eliminators · overflowing distribution | Drift eliminator replacement (0.0005% of circulating flow), distribution repair |
| Dry spots and uneven distribution | Clogged or displaced nozzles · broken laterals | Nozzle replacement, FRP or PVC lateral repair or upgrade |
| Scale, algae and fouling | Water chemistry · suspended solids | Water analysis, hydro-jet cleaning, side-stream filtration |
| Structural deterioration | Timber decay · steel corrosion · FRP damage | FRP repairs, epoxy coating, timber-to-FRP reconstruction |
Mechanical reliability
True, balanced and quiet.
Most unplanned tower outages start in the mechanical train. We measure before we adjust.
- Laser shaft alignment of motor, drive shaft and gearbox
- Vibration analysis to find imbalance, misalignment and bearing wear
- Gearbox, fan and drive-shaft overhaul or replacement
- Fan blade angle setting and tip clearance
- New fan designs for more airflow at lower power
Ask for a performance assessment
We will test your tower and show what an upgrade could deliver.
Contact us