'link' | Cooling Tower Handbook

Ice formation begins not at the bottom basin, but at the air inlets—specifically on the louvers and fill. As falling water droplets drift into the sub-freezing air stream, they flash into ice crystals that adhere to the leading edges of the fill. This is called accretion . If left unchecked, an ice bridge will form across the air intake, strangling airflow, collapsing the fill, and ultimately toppling the fan deck.

Here it is, the line you should memorize and stencil onto the tower control panel: cooling tower handbook

For nine months of the year, the cooling tower is the unglamorous workhorse of the industrial plant—loud, wet, and largely ignored. But when the mercury dips below 32°F (0°C), this same piece of equipment transforms overnight into the plant’s most vulnerable asset. Winter operation is not about efficiency; it is about survival. Ice formation begins not at the bottom basin,

Most operators assume that cold weather is a blessing for cooling. After all, if it’s freezing outside, the tower doesn’t have to work as hard to shed heat, right? This is the single most dangerous misconception in wet cooling tower management. If left unchecked, an ice bridge will form

Respect the cold. Your tower will thank you in July.

From the Cooling Tower Handbook, 4th Edition