Free checklist
Cooling tower quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly cooling tower round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo evidence it needs
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.
Records and lockout
Water management program on file and current
The site's Legionella water management program on file, with control limits, sampling plan and corrective actions, and its last review inside the owner's schedule.
No photoTreatment logs and lab results reviewed
Vendor service reports, conductivity logs and any bacteria or Legionella results since the last round on file, each out-of-range result showing a corrective action.
No photoFan and pump locked and tagged before reaching in
Fan and pump locked and tagged by each worker before hands go into the basin or fan section; running checks use the procedure's temporary release (doors shut, people clear), then re-lock.
Basin and water
Basin checked for sludge, algae and debris
Cold-water basin visually clear, no biofilm or leaf mat over the suction screen, strainer clean and seated.
Makeup float and overflow set correctly
Float shuts off at the design level, no continuous overflow to the roof drain, makeup valve not weeping past.
Bleed running and treatment present
Bleed line open and flowing, conductivity within the treatment vendor's range, chemical feed and biocide reservoirs not run dry.
Basin seams and casing checked for leaks
Basin seams, outlet flanges and casing panels dry on the outside, no drips or wet staining on the roof, dunnage or steel below the tower.
Fill and drift
Fill and water distribution checked from the top
Even sheeting across the fill, spray nozzles or distribution basin not clogged, no dry channels or heavy scale on the pack face.
Drift eliminators seated and intact
Eliminator sections in place with no gaps, no carryover misting off the tower, no crushed or displaced panels.
Air inlets and louvers clear of debris and growth
Inlet louvers or screens free of leaves, scale and algae, no splash-out onto the roof, panels seated in their frames and not sagging.
Fan and drive
Fan, belt and bearings observed running
Fan turning freely in the correct direction, belt tensioned and not glazed, no bearing squeal or wobble at speed.
Gearbox oil level and motor checked where fitted
Sight glass at level with no milky water intrusion, no oil weep at seals, motor not running hot or drawing off-nameplate.
No photo
Return to service
Locks removed and tower returned to automatic
Access doors closed and guards on, locks removed by the person who hung them, fan and pump restarted and left in auto under the controls, not in hand.
Findings logged against the water management plan
Scale, biofilm, drive wear and out-of-range readings logged against the water management program and reported to the owner and the treatment vendor.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Bleed line valved back or plugged so the treatment concentrates and the fill starts scaling before anyone reads a conductivity number.
- Makeup float set high, so the basin overflows to the roof drain all season and no one questions the water bill.
- Fan called 'running fine' from the ladder while the belt is glazed and slipping and the gearbox oil is low.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this cooling tower quarterly checklist cover?
- 14 items across 5 sections, covering records and lockout, basin and water, fill and drift, fan and drive, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The water-treatment or mechanical tech on the quarterly rooftop round.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter during the cooling season, timed with the treatment vendor's visit so the dip test and the mechanical look happen together.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 13 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a cooling tower quarterly inspection?
- Bleed line valved back or plugged so the treatment concentrates and the fill starts scaling before anyone reads a conductivity number. Makeup float set high, so the basin overflows to the roof drain all season and no one questions the water bill. Fan called 'running fine' from the ladder while the belt is glazed and slipping and the gearbox oil is low.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 13 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.