Free checklist
Evaporative cooler annual maintenance checklist
The annual evaporative cooler service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against IMC (mechanical code), 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
Plan's start-up or shutdown steps reviewed with the owner
Beyond the quarterly record check: the water management plan's cleaning, disinfection and drain-down steps for this unit reviewed and the season's records complete.
No photoEvery source feeding the unit locked and tagged for the service
Blower, pump, controls and any sump heater locked by each worker. Before run checks: refilled, guards on, people clear, locks removed by whoever hung them; re-lock before hands go in.
Media service
Media inspected, cleaned or replaced
Media replaced when scaled, collapsed or fouled; if reused, cleaned to an even, open face that wets uniformly on start-up.
No photoDistribution header or spray nozzles flushed and cleared
Deeper than the quarterly flow look: header or nozzles removed or flushed, every hole and orifice cleared of scale, then refitted level over the media.
Blower and heat exchanger
Blower wheel, bearings and shaft serviced
Wheel clean and tight on the shaft, bearings lubricated per the manufacturer or checked for play if sealed, housing free of scale and corrosion.
Indirect heat exchanger passages inspected and cleaned
On indirect units, the wet and dry passages of the heat exchanger inspected and cleaned per the manufacturer, no scale or growth bridging the passages.
No photo
Water system
Sump drained, descaled and pump serviced
Sump emptied and scrubbed free of scale and biofilm, pump strainer clean, float and bleed reset, no leaks at fittings.
Fill valve and level control serviced
Float seat and arm, or fill solenoid and level probes, cleaned and free of scale and wear, fill shutting off tight at the set level; worn parts replaced.
Disinfection step in the water management plan recorded
Where the plan calls for disinfecting the sump and wetted section, the product, contact time and flush recorded by whoever did it.
No photoSupply, drain and bleed verified through a full fill cycle
Unit filled, level holding, distribution wetting the media evenly, bleed running to drain, no overflow at the sump.
Bleed-off rate or control setting checked against the manufacturer
Bleed flow timed or metered and set to the manufacturer's rate for the local water, or the conductivity setpoint or dump timer checked; beyond the quarterly flow look.
Pump and blower motor current read against the nameplate
Read on the temporary release under the site's energized-work procedure and its PPE, each motor within nameplate and near last year's reading.
Seasonal changeover
Unit drained and secured for the off-season where applicable
At shutdown the sump, supply line and pump fully drained ahead of freezing, panels closed, no standing water left in the cabinet.
No photoGuards on, locks removed and unit left in its seasonal mode
Guards and panels on, locks removed by the person who hung them, unit run and left in auto for the season, or left off and drained as the owner directs.
Service findings and settings reported to the owner
Media replaced, bleed rate set, motor readings and any disinfection sent to the owner and recorded against the water management plan.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Media reinstalled scaled and hardened instead of replaced, so this season's cooling is down before it starts.
- Unit left full of water into a freeze because the sump, supply and bleed were never drained at shutdown.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this evaporative cooler annual checklist cover?
- 15 items across 5 sections, covering records and lockout, media service, blower and heat exchanger, water system, 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 HVAC service lead at the seasonal start-up or winterizing service.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year at start-up or shutdown, when the sump can be drained and the media pulled without taking cooling away on a hot day.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 9 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 10 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 an evaporative cooler annual inspection?
- Media reinstalled scaled and hardened instead of replaced, so this season's cooling is down before it starts. Unit left full of water into a freeze because the sump, supply and bleed were never drained at shutdown.
- 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 10 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.