Install a conductivity controller to automate blowdown and make-up based on real-time mineral concentration rather than relying on manual valve adjustments or mechanical floats.
Water leaves a cooling tower system in three primary ways:
Evaporation (gpm) = Recirc (gpm) × ΔT (°F) × 0.001 Cycles of Concentration (COC) = Make-up / Blowdown Blowdown (gpm) = Evaporation / (COC – 1) Total Make-up (gpm) = Evaporation + Blowdown + Drift make up water in cooling tower
Make-up water is fresh water added to a cooling tower system to compensate for total water losses. Without it, the system would run dry, lose efficiency, and suffer severe damage.
Cooling towers are designed to reject heat through evaporation. As water evaporates, the remaining water becomes increasingly concentrated with dissolved solids like calcium and magnesium. Without replenishment, the water level would drop until the pumps ran dry, and the mineral concentration would rise until it caused severe scaling or corrosion. Make-up water serves three primary roles: Offsets water lost to the atmosphere. Install a conductivity controller to automate blowdown and
Maintains the required water level in the cold-water basin for consistent pump operation. The Make-up Water Formula
Tiny droplets of water carried out of the tower by airflow. Cooling towers are designed to reject heat through
Here is a detailed review broken down by function, calculation, quality requirements, and modern challenges.