Maintenance of cooler

There are two types: air cooler and water cooler.

I will present the Air Cooler.

The fluid is going through a coole r thru which a forced cooling air blows by a ventilator driven by an electric motor. This type is not so good in the tropical climate because the outside air temperature is high and is difficult to reduce the temperature as need it to avoid overheating the hydraulic system.

Maintenance of air cooler

Check for correct working temperature: The working temperature is one of the key factors that give the efficiency of hydraulic system. If the temperature is too low the flow resistance is increased, practically the fluid becomes ticker and sluggish and has a negative effect on mechanical output and the pump experienced suction difficulties. If the temperature is too high leaks in the hydraulic system occur that mean losses and wear are greater.

The surrounding air determines the rapidity with which the cooler will lose its efficiency through clogging of the cooling elements. When handling very fine-grain materials (e.g. cement), the cooler should be inspected and cleaned at shorter intervals. Clean it with a quality grease solvent such as mineral spirits and dry it with compressed air. Do not use fuel oil, kerosene, or gasoline

Airflow across, around the cooler is an important aspect. In my experience most of the coolers was installed outside. In this case the cooler has plenty of cool air and was design for salt environment.

Oil leaks and damage at connections and in pipes require checking at regular intervals.

Note

One very important aspect is ten year old cooler has most probably lost 50% or even more of its cooling capacity. This due to corrosion/bad contact between”oil pipes” and cooling flanges. Instead of working as a conductor of heat it works like an isolator, the cooling flanges will also be clogged due to dirt and salt corrosion. This means the cooling capacity is at least 80% better with a new cooling unit.