# different sort of customer



## westernhvac (Jul 13, 2009)

I seem to be running into a lot of "green" leaning customers lately. Today, in the course of an energy efficiency conversation, the topic of cooling towers was brought up and I really don't know if there is such a beast in the reidential market. It is boise, ID and heating would be a large part of its usage. I had to tell my customer that I really had no idea and would have to get back to them. Does anybody out there know of anything that would fit the bill? This would be a 3 ton system, customer is leaning towards variable volume ductless split now. Answer to the cooling tower question would help satisfy my curiosity as well as theirs.

Thanks


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## hvaclover (May 15, 2009)

A green cooling tower? That is almost an oxymoron. The chemical treatment that is needed to maintain and keep the tower clean would defy any environmental interpretation of a "green" system.

Secondly the mechanical energy used to drive pumps and make up water valves and fan motors would void any savings the hvac equip may have derived originally.


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## westernhvac (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks,
I was thinking along those lines but wasn't quite sure. That's why I post here. I like to think that if I don't know something, I might know somebody that does.


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## jvegas (Jun 17, 2009)

What about geo is that a option


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## milk man (Aug 5, 2009)

I worked on an old solar house that used a cooling tower instead of loop. (Not the Iranian cooling tower is spoke of before.)

The tank would pump out to the cooling tower and the geo's loops ran through the tank.

They swore they had a leak and spent a bunch of money looking for it.

I thought it evaporated out of the tower but no one believed me. They never did find a leak.


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## hvaclover (May 15, 2009)

Did they check the make up water?


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## milk man (Aug 5, 2009)

hvaclover said:


> Did they check the make up water?


 
They where done looking before I got involved. I don't know what all the did. 

They thought it was under the garage slab. I doubt it. At one point it would wash the ground out.

They just wouldn't not believe me when I told them it evaporated. As far as the make up water overflowing the tank I don't think that was the case.


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## supertek65 (Oct 1, 2009)

cooling tower BAD!

cooling towers are going away because of leed points

it is sad! everything is going to be air cooled!

instead of one 1,000 ton centrifugal there will be 5 200 ton air cooled chillers!

ofcourse they will not work on hot days but they will be green!


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## milk man (Aug 5, 2009)

More equipment equals more work


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## beenthere (May 30, 2009)

Have to be a pretty bug house, with a large cooling load. Before a cooling tower would be practical to use.


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