Free checklist
Evaporative cooler quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly evaporative cooler 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 IMC (mechanical code), manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 7
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The HVAC or maintenance tech on the quarterly round through the cooling season.
When in the schedule
Every quarter while the unit is running, because scale and biofilm build fast in warm standing water and a dry patch of media cools nothing.
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.
Media and water distribution
- 2 photos
Media fully and evenly wetted with no dry streaks
Water sheeting evenly across the full face of the media, no channeling or dry lanes, media not collapsed, scaled or rotted.
- 1 photo
Distribution header and holes flowing clear
Every distribution hole or slot passing water, header not scaled shut, spray or trickle even across the top of the media.
Sump and bleed
- 1 photo
Sump clean and float set to the right level
Sump free of sediment and biofilm, float valve holding level below the overflow, pump submerged and priming.
- 2 photos
Bleed or blowdown flowing to drain
Bleed line open and running to an approved drain, not capped or kinked, sump not visibly concentrating or crusting.
Air side
- 1 photo
Drift eliminators and airflow clear
No water carrying past the eliminators onto the roof or wall, blower moving air, no scale or debris choking the discharge.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Media wetted unevenly — dry streaks and channeling — because the distribution header holes are scaled shut.
- Bleed or blowdown plugged or turned off to 'save water,' so the sump concentrates and the media cements up with scale.
- Drift carrying onto the roof or wall, staining the membrane and leaving mineral deposits everyone blames on the roofer.
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 7 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.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this evaporative cooler quarterly checklist cover?
- 5 items across 3 sections, covering media and water distribution, sump and bleed, air side. 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 or maintenance tech on the quarterly round through the cooling season.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter while the unit is running, because scale and biofilm build fast in warm standing water and a dry patch of media cools nothing.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 7 of the 5 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 evaporative cooler quarterly inspection?
- Media wetted unevenly — dry streaks and channeling — because the distribution header holes are scaled shut. Bleed or blowdown plugged or turned off to 'save water,' so the sump concentrates and the media cements up with scale. Drift carrying onto the roof or wall, staining the membrane and leaving mineral deposits everyone blames on the roofer.
- 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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