School Cooling Emergency Turns Into No-Cost Upgrade

Antimicrobial HDPE cooling towers help Kentucky schools qualify for a government ESSER grant which funds total cost of two new units.

The engineered plastic towers are made out of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is impervious to the natural and chemical causes of rust and corrosion. The towers are also unaffected by pH from water sources, including evaporation make-up water, and even the water treatment chemicals that attack metal towers from the inside out. This solved the second issue for the school district.

“Durability was a huge part of what won us that job,” added McKinney. “With HDPE, the whole tower is molded in one piece, so you don’t have any of the leaking points that caused the failures in metal towers. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Delta puts a 20-year warranty on their towers. You just don’t get that kind of lifespan with metal towers.”

To further reduce ongoing cost and maintenance requirements, the school district also wanted to get away from the belt-driven fan systems that require periodic downtime for replacement. The Delta Cooling direct-drive fan eliminates the belts entirely. In addition, the variable-frequency drive (VFD) motor, which requires less horsepower than their previous towers, is already translating into a substantial savings on electric power consumption for the school district.

“We are actually already working to roll this out again at other schools,” concluded McKinney. “The ESSER funds are still available, and with these antimicrobial HDPE cooling towers, we know we can help other schools improve their situation.”

ESSER grant

Delta Cooling Towers