Replacement Media – When and Why to Replace

Most things in life need to be replaced – batteries, clothing, furniture, vehicles, and electronics, to name a few. When they are a part of our everyday life, we don’t think twice about changing out the clothes that are worn or the outdated phones because we use and see them all the time. But what about the items in our life that we don’t use or work with every day? Do you know when to replace your transmission? What about your HVAC system? These examples are complicated systems that you may not always know exactly when to replace – unless they break or stop working altogether. At that point, it’s too late to do anything but spend the money to replace the entire system.

Evaporative media is no different than any other system in our lives. At some point, you must replace the media to keep the desired cooling effect. If you are new to the industry or haven’t worked with evaporative media in the past, lacking the understanding of when to replace it can be costly. The flip side is also true – you can replace media too quickly and not get the full ROI. Replacing media instead of following the manufacturer’s guidance on cleaning can cost thousands over the years. Let’s break down some simple ways to know when to replace your evaporative media.

• Visible damage – If you see holes or tears in your media, it will need to be replaced. Each hole or tear could reduce the cooling efficiency you are expecting and cost more money in the long run.
• Sagging or falling media – Is your media sagging (compressing together) or falling out of place? This is a major sign to replace media when this happens. Media doesn’t start sagging by itself, if/when this happens, you need to check your water. There is no cleaning or maintenance that can be done to help sagging or falling media. Loose or sagging media will equal a significant loss in efficiency and money.
• Lackluster performance – Is your system not running like it usually does? Do you notice the system is bogging down or missing the efficiency of yesteryear? The media may need to be replaced when this happens. A word of caution: ensure that routine maintenance is being conducted to verify if the buildup is causing the lackluster performance. Most buildup can be cleaned and maintained, but it should be replaced if it’s been left too long or is severe enough to cause damage.
• Increased static pressure/pressure drop – Noticing a significant difference in pressure drop can alert you to maintenance, cleaning, or replacement needs. Based on the increase, you can judge if you need to deep clean the buildup or get new media. This can tie back into the performance sign, but it is critical enough to note.
• Reduced airflow – Similar to static pressure, media can become damaged or have so much buildup the airflow is reduced or, in some cases, stopped. When this happens, the best option is to replace the media to keep your air flowing where it is needed.
• Scaling – When there is a significant amount of scaling present on the media (enough that cleaning cannot remove the buildup), it’s time to replace your media. If the media only has slight scaling, it can be cleaned following the manufacturer’s guidelines and continue to be used.

The list above is a good start to knowing what to look for when dealing with evaporative media and understanding when to replace. Now, the real question is: can I increase the lifespan of my media?? The short answer is yes!

The easiest way to increase the lifespan of your media is to ensure your water quality follows the manufacturer’s recommendations. This means making sure you are testing your water quality on a regular basis and treating with the appropriate chemicals to attain the correct balance of all aspects of your water including, but limited to pH, TDS, alkalinity (CaCO3), total hardness (CaCO3), sulfates, and silica.

Kuul Evaporative Media is manufactured to be durable in most harsh environments, but that doesn’t mean it should never be replaced. For questions on your media, when to replace, or increasing your lifespan, contact our Kuul customer service team at kuulsupport@portacool.com or (800) 695-2942. Our team is here to assist you in your evaporative media journey – contact us today!

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