Cooling Tower Drift vs. Splashout

Drift can be defined as the water that is emitted along with the exhaust air of a cooling tower. The drift droplets that escape contain the same chemical, bacterial, and particulate matter of the circulating water from which they originate, and therefore, can cause negative effects on the surrounding environment and equipment. These drift droplets can cause health concerns, as well. A person can inhale these droplets and become seriously ill, which has recently been a headlining issue with Legionnaires’ disease in several large cities.

As stated previously, drift can also cause damage to surrounding equipment such as fans, fan belts, cars parked near the tower, and other integrated cooling tower parts. These emitted water droplets can cause erosion and corrosion to the tower’s components, therefore costing the cooling tower owner a lot of money. Brentwood offers many high efficiency drift eliminators that minimize drift emissions to the lowest possible levels, and thereby, keep the tower and its surroundings safe.

Splashout happens when water is blown out of the cooling tower through the side openings of the tower. This occurs at the air inlet openings, making it important to utilize inlet louvers that prevent splash out from occurring. Splashout also creates icing during cold winter months, which can cause many different problems. Ice can clog the fill and make it heavier, potentially causing it to become unserviceable. It creates an unsafe environment around the tower itself, as well, which could cause slips and falls for those performing maintenance on the the tower. The idea is to keep the water inside the tower so that it can continue performing and cooling at peak efficiency. Brentwood provides a number of inlet louver options that help to prevent splash out.

Drift and splashout are both problems that are easily preventable and have cost-effective solutions. Brentwood recommends utilizing the most efficient drift eliminators and inlet louvers commercially available in order to reduce the risk of water escaping the cooling tower. Using older, less efficient products can expose owners and operators to much high liability risk.