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.
- Items
- 7
- Photos required
- 10
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The water-treatment or mechanical tech on the quarterly rooftop round.
When in the schedule
Every quarter during the cooling season, timed with the treatment vendor's visit so the dip test and the mechanical look happen together.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Basin and water
- 2 photos
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.
- 1 photo
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.
- 2 photos
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.
Fill and drift
- 2 photos
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.
- 1 photo
Drift eliminators seated and intact
Eliminator sections in place with no gaps, no carryover misting off the tower, no crushed or displaced panels.
Fan and drive
- 1 photo
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.
- 1 photo
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.
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.
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 10 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Common questions
- What does this cooling tower quarterly checklist cover?
- 7 items across 3 sections, covering basin and water, fill and drift, fan and drive. 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 does every item ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 7 items call for photo evidence. 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.
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