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Acid cleaning removes hardness scale from a cooling tower's fill and wetted surfaces without dismantling anything. A descaling chemical is dosed into the basin and recirculated through spray pipes over each fill partition for 4 to 6 hours, then neutralised and rinsed away. Routine cleaning and disinfection removes sludge and controls Legionella; it does not dissolve hard scale. Scaled fill stops air and water meeting properly, so the tower loses capacity and the chiller works harder.
Scale builds where water evaporates: on the fill, the hot deck and the wetted surfaces below the spray. Once it is there, a routine clean will not shift it. Signs that a tower is due for acid cleaning:
If you are not sure, send us a photo of the fill and we will tell you whether it is scale or dirt.
| Routine cleaning & disinfection | Acid cleaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Legionella control and sludge removal under the EMSD Code of Practice | Removing hardness scale from the fill and wetted surfaces |
| What it removes | Sludge, biofilm and loose deposit | Calcium carbonate scale bonded to the fill |
| Chemicals | Disinfectant | Inhibited acid descaler, then a neutraliser |
| When | On the routine schedule the Code of Practice sets | When scale is present, as a separate job |
| Tower status | Offline for the clean | Offline: 4–6 hours of recirculation plus set-up, neutralising and rinsing |
One does not replace the other. A scaled tower still needs its routine cleaning and disinfection on schedule.
All from our own cleaner and descaler range, chosen after we have looked at the tower's materials:
Acid cleaning fixes the scale that is already there. Keeping it away is the job of the treatment programme: scale inhibitor, the right cycles of concentration and routine testing.
The descalers we use are inhibited to protect the tower's metal, the tower is isolated and offline throughout, our technicians work in the protective equipment the safety data sheet specifies, and the spent solution is neutralised before it is drained. Waste is handled as the property management office instructs.
The recirculation itself runs 4 to 6 hours. With set-up, neutralising, rinsing and refilling it is normally a single day's work, with the tower offline throughout.
No. The descaler is sprayed over each fill partition through perforated pipes fitted via the top access panels, so the fill is cleaned in place.
No. The Code's routine cleaning and disinfection deals with sludge and Legionella. Acid cleaning is an extra job for hardness scale, done when scale is present, and it does not replace the routine schedule.
The descalers we use carry built-in corrosion inhibitors, the solution is neutralised afterwards, and we check the tower and pipework materials before choosing the product. Where acid is not appropriate we use a neutral cleaner instead.
Scale is hard, pale and bonded to the fill; dirt and biofilm wipe off. A rising approach temperature with a fill that looks crusted usually means scale. Send us a photo and we will tell you.
We reply within one working day.
Send a photo on WhatsApp. We will tell you whether acid cleaning is the right job and quote it after a free site visit.