Warning Signs on a Commercial Cooling Tower
Cooling tower service usually starts when the chiller complains. High condenser pressure, rising approach temperature and head-pressure trips on hot afternoons often trace back to the tower, not the chiller itself. Other signs show up on the roof: slimy or scaled fill pack, a basin coated with sludge, water spraying past the drift eliminators, a fan gearbox that has started to growl, or uneven water flow across the cells.
A cooling tower rejects all the heat the chiller pulls out of the building. When it cannot do that job, the chiller works harder, uses more power and wears faster.
What Our Cooling Tower Service Covers
Fill replacement
Fouled fill is the most common reason a tower underperforms. We remove old fill, inspect the structure and install new fill pack sized for the cell. Fill and basin projects run $12K-$45K over 3-7 days.
Basin cleaning
Basin cleaning removes sludge, scale and debris that feed biological growth and clog strainers. We also inspect and replace the basin immersion heater and freeze protection controls for Toronto winters.
Water treatment and Legionella risk
A treatment program controls scale, corrosion and biological growth, with conductivity-based bleed and regular testing. Legionella risk is managed through cleaning, biocide treatment, drift control and documentation following ASHRAE Guideline 12 practices.
Fans, gearboxes and drives
On induced draft towers, we service gearboxes, drive shafts, couplings, belts, fan pitch and motors, and add VFDs where they pay back. See VFD upgrades.
Drift eliminators and distribution
Damaged drift eliminators waste water and chemicals. Clogged nozzles and distribution basins leave fill dry in places. Both are fixed during service.
Tower first, then chiller
When a chiller trips on high head pressure every August, check the tower before condemning the chiller. Fresh fill and a clean basin often fix the problem for a fraction of the cost.
Brands We Service
We service BAC, Marley SPX and Evapco towers, crossflow and counterflow, and follow CTI standards for performance and fill selection. Our CRE-ticketed crew also handles the commercial chiller the tower serves, so the plant is tuned as one system.
How Much Does Cooling Tower Service Cost?
| Scope | Price | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Fill + basin project | $12K-$45K | 3-7 days |
| Tower fan VFD | $8K-$40K | 2-5 days |
| Full plant retrofit | $75K-$300K | 4-8 wks |
Routine cleaning, inspections and treatment programs are quoted per tower and can be bundled with chiller startup and layup.
Seasonal Timing in Toronto
Most GTA towers start up in April and lay up in October. Spring is the best time for fill and basin work because cooling load is low and the chiller can be restarted with a clean tower. Towers that run year-round for process or data loads need freeze protection checks before December. Sites in Downtown Toronto, North York and Markham office parks make up most of our tower work, usually alongside the chillers and commercial rooftop units on the same buildings. For full plant room upgrades, see high-rise mechanical room HVAC.
