Media Maintenance

Kuul evaporative media has proven to be extremely tough and resilient over years of usage. The key to ensuring a long product lifespan, however, is consistently good maintenance practices. Thoughtful care is required to keep the low-pressure drop and high evaporation efficiency at peak performance. With proper maintenance and water quality, Kuul evaporative media will typically last five years or more. A few elements impact the longevity of the media, including inadequate water quality, incorrect pH levels, insufficient water distribution, and lack of cleaning.  Here, we troubleshoot these elements.

Water quality

Evaporative media sustainability is directly affected by the water that is being used to generate cooling. We recommended monthly water checks to watch the water’s pH level and other constituents of the water. Water contains minerals and scaling salts that are either acidic or basic pH. Water’s pH and constituents are essential aspects of best maintenance practice when it comes to water quality used for direct evaporative cooling (DEC). Be sure to flush and clean the evaporative system sump or reservoir regularly to decrease the scaling salt levels. A dumping system equipped with a timer to control automated dumping cycles may also be used.

pH levels

We recommend keeping the water pH levels between 6.5 and 8.5. Generally, a high pH, coupled with calcium and other dissolved salts, will cause calcium scale deposits on evaporative media. High pH water is not only damaging to evaporative media – as well as water pumps and distribution system performance because of scale formation – but a pH higher than 9 is damaging to the materials found in the evaporative media. Reducing the supply water’s pH is an option, as this reduces the point at which scale forms. Low pH, or acidic waters less than 6.5, can be toxic with dissolved metals such as iron, copper, lead, and zinc. Water with these elements is generally corrosive to metals and damaging to metal-based water systems.

Water distribution

The focus of good water distribution is to ensure even water flow over the top surface area of the media. This avoids overloading part of the media and dry streaks which lets warm air through and accumulates dirt. The purpose of the water distribution over media is to evenly distribute the drops from the distribution header umbrella for better cooling. We encourage a slow and consistent stream, with water flowing left to right over the media for full coverage. While we recommend keeping on and off cycles to a minimum, it is vital to allow the media to dry completely once every 24 hours to help curb algae growth.

Cleaning

Check the system once a month for damaged or clogged pieces of media to ensure no dry streaks occur if a hole is blocked in the header. A soft-bristled brush can be used to remove heavy debris if you experience clogging. Even water distribution assists with good media washing and maintenance. If needed, use disinfectants at low and safe concentrations per manufacturer guidelines (chlorine at 1-2 ppm can be beneficial as a disinfectant).

Your evaporative media will pay dividends with great care and dedication through premier cooling performance and continued sustainability. We recommend scheduling preventative monthly maintenance checks to ensure the well-being of your evaporative media and promote longevity. If you have any questions about your Kuul evaporative media or water sample results, our leading United States-based Kuul Customer Service team is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST, with extended hours in the summer. They provide knowledgeable answers relative to product questions, installation, and maintenance, as well as shipping and logistics. Please contact us for more information or if you have any questions.