How often should you schedule cooling tower maintenance?
If you’re running a factory or managing a facility that relies on an industrial cooling tower system, you already know that downtime isn’t just inconvenient — it’s expensive. What’s often overlooked, though, is how preventable most breakdowns are. Regular cooling tower maintenance is the difference between reliable performance and emergency repairs that throw your operations into chaos.
Let’s walk through what proper maintenance looks like, how often you should schedule it, and how the right service partner (like our team at Lekwa Cooling Tower Services) makes all the difference.
Trusted Cooling Tower Specialists in South Africa and sub-Saharan African regions.
We have extensive work experience on the following cooling tower types:
Cooling Tower Nozzles
Cooling Tower Sprayers
Cooling Tower Impellers
Drift Eliminators
Distribution Pipes
PVC Fill Blocks
PVC Drift Eliminators
Fill Grids
Cooling Tower Splash Fill
Cooling Tower Pumps
Cooling Tower Gearbox
Cooling Tower FRP Walkways
Cooling Tower Sumps
Cooling Tower Drive Shafts
Cooling Tower Hub Assembly
Cooling Tower Couplings
Cooling Tower Louvers
Dark Room Louvers
Honeycomb Drift Eliminator
Trickle Pack Fill
Cooling Tower Vibration Switches
Refurbished Parts
Why Regular Cooling Tower Maintenance Isn’t Optional
Cooling towers aren’t exactly low-maintenance workhorses. They’re exposed to heat, humidity, dirt, and chemical build-up — and when left unchecked, all those factors speed up corrosion, bacterial growth, and mechanical failure. One overlooked gearbox or blocked fill media, and suddenly your entire industrial cooling tower system is running at half efficiency or worse.
We’ve seen the consequences: motors burning out in the middle of peak summer, legionella outbreaks due to neglected water treatment, and entire systems shut down because of warped fan blades or clogged nozzles.
That’s where scheduled preventative maintenance comes in. It keeps your tower running efficiently, keeps water and energy use under control, and extends the life of your equipment.
Want the job done properly? Our team at Lekwa Cooling Tower Services handles cooling tower maintenance across sub-Saharan Africa with zero shortcuts — just reliable, professional service from start to finish.
Maintenance Frequency: A Realistic Schedule That Works
There’s no one-size-fits-all schedule for cooling tower maintenance — but here’s a breakdown based on what works best across most industries we service:
Weekly Checks
- Water quality testing (biocide levels, pH, conductivity)
- Visual inspection of drift eliminators, fill media, and fan blades
- Check for obvious leaks, corrosion or scaling
Monthly Maintenance
- Clean strainers and nozzles
- Inspect belts, pulleys and gearbox oil
- Record vibration readings and operating parameters
Quarterly Servicing
- Detailed cleaning of fill media
- Adjust fan belt tension
- Descale cooling tower basin
Annual Overhaul (Shut-down Maintenance)
- Full inspection of mechanical components
- Chemical cleaning and descaling
- Replace worn components (nozzles, fill, drift eliminators)
- Inspection and potential refurbishment of structure, if needed
For many of our clients, especially those operating year-round, this schedule ensures optimal performance without interruptions. Facilities using GRP cooling towers or field erected cooling towers tend to need more in-depth quarterly inspections, due to their scale and environmental exposure.
What Can Go Wrong Without Preventative Maintenance?
Let’s be blunt — skipping maintenance might save money in the short term, but it often ends in unplanned outages, massive repair bills, or even regulatory penalties. It’s a false economy. When you delay servicing your industrial cooling tower system, the small issues you can’t see — scale buildup, uneven water distribution, deteriorating components — quietly snowball into major failures.
We’ve seen:
Fan motor burnouts from seized bearings
When fan motors aren’t checked regularly, lack of lubrication or worn bearings eventually cause the motor to overheat and seize. That’s not just a mechanical problem — it means no airflow, no evaporation, and a tower that’s completely out of commission during peak demand. Repairs aren’t cheap, and downtime costs even more.
Biofilm build-up causing dangerous bacterial spread
If water treatment and cleaning are neglected, biofilms start forming inside the system. That’s a breeding ground for harmful bacteria like Legionella. Once that takes hold, you’re looking at serious health risks, potential shutdowns, and environmental or health authority involvement. Prevention is simple, but the consequences of neglect can be extreme.
Severely clogged fill packs reducing thermal performance by 30%+
The fill is where the heat exchange happens — if it’s coated in scale, debris, or biological growth, heat rejection efficiency drops dramatically. Your tower has to work harder, your system consumes more energy, and equipment downstream starts suffering. We’ve seen towers pushed so hard to compensate that chillers and pumps overheat too.
Unbalanced fans creating vibration issues that ruin gearboxes
When fan blades collect debris or get misaligned, the imbalance causes the whole rotating assembly to vibrate. That constant vibration wrecks bearings, loosens bolts, and shreds gearboxes. If you’ve ever had to source a custom gearbox on short notice, you’ll know it’s a nightmare to replace and even worse to install under pressure.
Corroded basins and casing needing full refurbishments earlier than necessary
Corrosion doesn’t announce itself. One day it’s a bit of surface rust — next thing you know, the basin’s integrity is compromised, and your entire structure needs reinforcement or replacement. We’ve handled jobs where simple basin coating maintenance could’ve delayed a full cooling tower refurbishment by five years or more.
If you’re relying on new cooling towers to give you a clean slate, don’t let poor maintenance take you back to square one. A brand-new unit won’t stay new for long if nobody’s looking after it. Maintenance isn’t an afterthought — it’s part of the asset’s life cycle.
Signs Your Cooling Tower Needs Immediate Attention
Even with a regular plan, it’s good to keep an eye out for red flags:
- Water overflow or pooling
- Odd smells or visible algae
- Unusual fan noises or vibrations
- Drops in cooling efficiency
- Rust streaks, visible scaling, or leaks
If any of these sound familiar, give us a call. We’ll inspect your tower and offer honest advice — no scare tactics, just straightforward solutions.
Why Lekwa Cooling Tower Services?
We’re not just another maintenance provider. We’ve been in this game long enough to know what works, and we take pride in our workmanship. Whether you need routine cleaning or complete cooling tower refurbishment, we deliver consistent, high-quality results.
What sets us apart:
- Knowledgeable team with decades of field experience
- On-site assessments with clear reporting
- Genuine cooling tower spares – no cheap imitations
- Custom maintenance schedules built for your setup
- Service across sub-Saharan Africa — fast response, no fuss
We also stock critical spares, especially things like fill media, drift eliminators, fan blades and nozzles, so you’re not stuck waiting on imports while your system sits idle.
Is It Time for a Refurb Instead of Another Patch Job?
If your tower is over 10–15 years old and maintenance feels like you’re always fighting fires, it might be time to think bigger. We often help clients decide when it’s smarter to refurbish than to continue band-aid fixes. Structural wear, basin corrosion, outdated components — all these can be tackled with a professional refurbishment service that extends your asset’s life significantly.
Not sure whether refurbishment or a full replacement is better for your site? Chat with our experts — we’ll inspect your current system and walk you through the most cost-effective options, whether that’s a rebuild or a brand new tower.
Before and After
Here are some before and after photo’s of projects that we have worked on
Preventative Maintenance That Protects Your Operations
If you operate cooling towers in South Africa, neglecting preventative maintenance isn’t worth the risk. With Lekwa Cooling Tower Services, you get more than inspection reports and checklist completions – you get a dedicated partner committed to safety, efficiency, and long-term reliability.
Let us help you protect your investment and improve operational uptime through expert cooling tower maintenance. To learn more or request a service, contact us directly.
Cooling Tower Maintenance for Different Tower Types
The kind of tower you’ve got makes a difference in how you maintain it:
GRP Cooling Towers
GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) units are tough, corrosion-resistant, and perfect for humid or coastal environments. But they still need regular checks for UV damage and internal scaling. Learn more about GRP cooling towers here.
Field-Erected Cooling Towers
These beasts require heavy-duty maintenance — especially on mechanical components, structural integrity, and water distribution systems. They’re common in large-scale industrial plants, mines, and refineries. If yours is field erected, it’s worth reviewing service options for Field Erected Cooling Towers here.
Factory-Assembled Towers
Often used in smaller industrial settings or on commercial buildings. Easier to maintain, but still benefit from regular preventative cleaning and alignment checks.
Not Sure Where to Start? Let’s Talk
We get it — every plant is different. Some run around the clock, others operate seasonally. Some have a full-time maintenance crew, others don’t. That’s why we don’t do cookie-cutter plans. We work with your team to build a schedule that makes sense for your equipment and your workload.
If you’re unsure about your next maintenance window, or wondering whether it’s time to upgrade, drop us a message or give us a call. You can also learn more about our cooling tower maintenance services here.
Schedule a Maintenance Visit or Ask for a Quote
Reach out today — we’re here to help. Whether you need scheduled servicing, urgent inspections, or a full system review, our expert technicians are just a call or email away.
Call us now or Email us to request a maintenance quote
Don’t Gamble with Unscheduled Downtime
Cooling tower maintenance isn’t a chore — it’s insurance against bigger problems. It protects your plant, your staff, and your bottom line. And with a partner like Lekwa Cooling Tower Services, you’re not just getting a technician — you’re getting a team that actually understands how to keep your cooling system performing at its best.
Whether you’re maintaining a GRP tower in a coastal plant or managing a field-erected system at a refinery, we’ve got the tools, parts, and people to keep it running like it should.
Give us a call, get a quote, or set up a free inspection visit. Let’s make sure your cooling system works when you need it most.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Cooling Towers by Lekwa Cooling Tower Services
Cooling tower maintenance is crucial to ensure the efficient and reliable operation of the cooling system. It helps prevent issues such as scaling, corrosion, and biological growth, which can compromise performance and lead to costly repairs.
The frequency of cooling tower maintenance depends on factors such as the type of cooling tower, environmental conditions, and usage. However, as a general guideline, regular preventative maintenance should be performed at least twice a year.
Cleaning involves the removal of debris, scale, and biological growth from various components such as water distribution piping, sprayers, drift eliminators, air inlet louvres, and fill. This ensures optimal heat exchange and prevents blockages.
Mechanical services may include the refurbishment or replacement of impellers, electric motors, gearboxes, shafts, and v-belts. These components are critical for the mechanical functioning of the cooling tower.
Many cooling towers have components made of glass reinforced plastic (GRP). Repairing and maintaining these components are essential to preserving the structural integrity of the cooling tower and preventing issues like leaks.
Signs of potential issues include reduced heat exchange efficiency, unusual noises, visible corrosion, or increased water consumption. If any of these signs are observed, it is advisable to schedule maintenance promptly.
Yes, Lekwa Cooling Tower Services understands the urgency of cooling tower issues. We offer emergency repair services to minimise downtime and prevent further damage to your cooling system.
Absolutely. Lekwa Cooling Tower Services tailors maintenance plans to the specific needs of each client. We consider factors such as the type of cooling tower, operational conditions, and budgetary constraints to create a personalised maintenance schedule.
We prioritise swift responses to service requests. Our goal is to address maintenance needs promptly, minimising disruptions to your industrial processes. Contact us, and our experienced team will assist you as quickly as possible.
Yes, we offer training programmes to educate your staff on basic cooling tower maintenance practices. This empowers your team to perform routine checks and identify potential issues, contributing to the overall longevity and efficiency of your cooling towers.
For more information or to discuss your specific cooling tower maintenance requirements, please contact Lekwa Cooling Tower Services at 016 931 2061. We are here to provide expert guidance and support for all your cooling tower needs.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cooling Towers
- What is a cooling tower?
- How does a cooling tower work?
- What are the types of cooling towers?
- What are the main components of a cooling tower?
- What are the benefits of using cooling towers?
- What are the common applications of cooling towers?
- how-do-you-maintain-a-cooling-tower”>How do you maintain a cooling tower?
- What is the role of fill media in a cooling tower?
- How do you prevent Legionella growth in cooling towers?
- What is the purpose of drift eliminators?
- What factors affect the efficiency of a cooling tower?
- How do you size a cooling tower for a specific application?
- What is the difference between open and closed circuit cooling towers?
- How do you control the water level in a cooling tower?
- What are some energy-saving strategies for cooling towers?
- What is the lifespan of a cooling tower?
- Can cooling towers operate in cold climates?
- How do you troubleshoot common problems in cooling towers?
- Are there environmental concerns associated with cooling towers?
- What are some alternatives to cooling towers?
- What types of new cooling towers do you offer, and how do they differ from refurbished units?
- Can you provide details on the spare parts available for cooling towers?
- What maintenance services do you offer for cooling towers, and how often should they be performed?
- Do you offer customised maintenance plans tailored to specific cooling tower systems and customer needs?
- How do you ensure the quality and reliability of your maintenance services for cooling towers?
- Can you provide references or case studies demonstrating your successful maintenance services for cooling towers?
- What measures do you take to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards during maintenance activities for cooling towers?
- Do you offer emergency repair services for cooling towers, and how quickly can you respond to urgent situations?
- What is your approach to optimising cooling tower performance and energy efficiency through maintenance and upgrades?
- How do you stay updated on the latest advancements and best practices in cooling tower maintenance and services?
