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Don’t Let This Happen To Your Equipment
Photos of Serious Problems that can make you Chuckle, Laugh or Cry!

The severe state of equipment fouling and damage shown on this page is seriously impeding operational efficiency and increasing energy consumption. It will require extensive time, effort and expense to clean and / or repair most of the equipment shown on this page. Use of Cottonwood Filter Screens would have protected this equipment and reduced cleaning to a fraction of the time.


Chillers, Condenser and AHU Problems


Snow build-up in air intake plenum and damaging pre-filters Snow Damage Severely Fouled Condenser Coils - Residential Units Severely Fouled Condenser Coils - Residential Units Trane Voyager w/ Fouled Inner Coil
Carrier Chiller – Damage due to improper coil cleaning Chiller – Vandelized Condenser Coils Chiller – Serious Fouling Chiller – Serious Fouling XXXXX


Cooling Tower Problems

The photos below demonstrate all too often seen problems that can result from poor maintenance procedures. When conditions like these occur, the tower will operate at a significant loss in efficiency – It shows-up in operations in the form of:

Severely Fouled Cooling Tower Heat Exchangers. Severely Fouled Cooling Tower Heat Exchangers. Severely Fouled Cooling Tower Heat Exchangers. Severely Fouled Cooling Tower Heat Exchangers.
Years of debris and algae build-up - This Fill is 'Beyond the Point of No Return' and requires replacement - Very Costly.  Fill in this condition is highly inefficient - the unit is a total Energy Hog! and potential health risk. Years of algae and debris build-up - A sure sign of poor maintenance practices. This tower has sever sludge build-up in the basin.  When you see this then there is also a severely fouled Fill Pack.  This tower could easily become a health hazard.


What Not To Do

Commercially Available Mesh from Hardware Store
Commercially Available Mesh from Hardware Store. This unit experienced high static pressure due to use of incompatible mesh which restricted air flow. Also, because of the gaps in the installation of the mesh, the coils still became fouled requiring cleaning. This unit was later equipped with Cottonwood Filter Screens.

Use of of roll media and window screen stops the airborne debris however, because neither the roll media nor window screen is designed for high volume airflow, this tower is virtually starved of air flow, resulting in a large drop in static pressure and a significant reduction in cooling efficiency.
 

This tower has pre-filter media which has been framed to enable coverage over a cooling tower intake opening. This type of media is not designed for high volume airflow and will restrict air-flow and result in a drop in static pressure and loss of efficinecy. Furthermore, when this media gets wet and takes on a debris load, airflow will be further restricted. The best approach for protecting this cooling tower would be to use air intake filters which are specifically designed for high volume airflow and use on cooling towers.

Roll filtration significantly reduces air-flow and operational efficiency. Because this unit is high off of the ground, isn’t easy to reach. Furthermore, the roll media is a consumable that will continue to cost the operation.
 
Marley Cooling Tower with roll filter media over the face of the intake opening. Important Note: Roll filter media is not designed for use on cooling towers. It will cause an excessive increase in static pressure even before dirt and debris loads the filter. Furthermore, when roll media becomes saturated with moisture, it further impedes airflow and impacts cooling efficiency. Pulley-Mount Air Intake Filters were installed on these units.

 


We’re Looking For Photos

As the saying goes, “A Picture is worth a Thousand Words”

We’re looking for laughable, head shaking photos of poorly maintained or neglected cooling towers, chillers, rooftop units, air handlers etc.

To Contribute your photos, email them to: airsolutioncompany@hotmail.com Attention: Wall of Shame. Note: No Company or Owner Name will be published on the wall or website – Only photos that can make you chuckle!

We are a Manufacturer of Externally mounted Air Intake Filters Screens which are commonly called Air Inlet Screens, Intake Filters, Equipment Protection Screens and Bug Screens.   Our products are available through Distributors / Mfgr. Reps., Re-sellers and OEM's - We also work with Engineering Firms to assist in providing customer solutions and in providing specifications for Bid and Spec Projects. Air Solution Company proudly serves its customers throughout North America, The UK and EU Countries.

Air Intake Filters are Manufactured by The Newway Company dba/ Air Solution Company, West Chester, OH 45071
United States and International Patents Granted – Protected under one or more of the following U.S. and foreign patents: 5,370,722 ● 5,529,593 ● 6,197,077 B1 ● 2170244 ●   95904185.6-2113 ● 7,323,028 B2 ● 7,416,577 B2● 7,842,116 B2 ● ,726,954 ● 9561456 ● 9,827,522 B2 ● GB2510786 B ●  10,040,149 B2 ●  Other Patents Pending.