Reasons for Foaming & Discoloration in Cooling Tower

Did you know, if a new cooling tower is put into operation then heavy foaming occurs? Yes,

sometimes you may see heavy foams occurring as you start operating the tower. However, this type of foaming usually subsides after a relatively short operating period.

Persistent foaming can be caused by the concentrations of certain combinations of dissolved solids, or by the contamination of the circulating water with foam-causing compounds. This type of foaming is often alleviated by increasing the rate of blowdown. In extreme cases, foam depressant chemicals must be added to the system, which are available from a number of chemical companies.

Woods contain some water soluble substances and these commonly discolor the circulating water on a new tower. The discoloration is not harmful to any of the components in the system and can be ignored in that regard.

However, a combination of foaming and discolored water can result in entrained in the air stream and discharged out the fan cylinders. In those cases, operation of the fans should be avoided until the foaming is controlled.