Why Tailored Maintenance Matters?
A seemingly boring topic….. Maybe….. however, an essential consideration for plant engineers and facilities managers each year. Unfortunately, tailored cooling system maintenance & cleaning isn’t optional; it’s essential! Poorly maintained systems lead to increased energy usage, scaling, corrosion, reduced performance, and compliance risks under ACOP L8 & HSG 274. Yet, many businesses settle for subpar service contracts that miss site-specific issues. At Vistech Cooling Systems, we’re often asked: What exactly are the benefits of a tailored cleaning and maintenance contract — and how much does it cost?
Here’s what you need to know.
The Benefits of a Tailored Maintenance & Cleaning Contract
A tailored maintenance contract ensures your cooling systems are kept in optimal condition with site-specific schedules and scopes that go far beyond tick-box inspections. Here’s how:
1. Site-Specific Scopes for Maximum Performance
Generic service visits often overlook nuances in your system setup. A tailored contract should include:
- Full inspection of drift eliminators, distribution nozzles, heat transfer surfaces, and sump strainers etc.
- Mechanical checks like fan alignment, belt tension, shaft lubrication, and drive pulley inspections
- Cleaning and assessment of internals and externals, including GRP coatings, access platforms, and distribution systems
- Use of dedicated maintenance logs and condition reports to support asset lifecycle planning
This level of detail reduces unplanned downtime and allows you to forecast repairs more effectively.
2. Compliance and Certification
Cooling towers fall under scrutiny from HSE and this can be a minefield for our clients! Our tailored contracts:
- Align with ACOP L8 & HSG 274 bi-annual cleaning recommendations
- Include pre- and post-clean assessments with photo evidence
- Create a robust audit trail with signed reports and site logs
- Reinforce Legionella control through proper system inspection and documentation
3. Cost Control Through Predictability
Preventive maintenance is far cheaper than reactive repairs. A bi-annual contract tailored to your specific site shutdowns should:
- Smooths out cash flow with planned refurbishments
- Reduce the likelihood of urgent part replacements
- Supports budget control with fixed-cost option contracts spanning multiple years
We also offer recommendation-led spares strategies, where critical parts are either stored on-site or managed on your behalf
What’s Included in Cleaning & Maintenance Contract Scope – and What Does It Cost?
At Vistech, our contracts are structured around transparent, line-by-line scopes. For example:
Typical Bi-Annual Maintenance Includes:
- Initial Preparation: Ensure electrical isolation (by others), confirm safe access, and document all components during initial inspection.
- Debris Removal: Remove debris from the unit, including fan cowling and air intake (note: not a full tower clean).
- Sump & Water System: Inspect sump strainers (if accessible), check water level and make-up valve operation.
- Mechanical Inspections:
- Immersion heaters
- Internal and external casing (including sump)
- Fan components, bearings, and locking collars
- Heat transfer surface, Louvres and drift eliminators
- Distribution system (nozzles, grommets, water flow)
- Drive system: belts, pulleys, and alignment (where applicable)
- Mechanical Checks & Lubrication:
- Fan shaft bearings and adjusting screws
- Drive alignment and tension
- Final Checks: Restore power (by others), test fan direction and noise/vibration levels, inspect unit condition, including coatings and accessories.
- Reporting: A full report is submitted detailing the system condition, debris findings, and recommendations for future maintenance or parts replacement.
Mechanical Maintenance Contract Cost Range:
- Cooling Tower Mechanical Maintenance Contracts: from £650 per unit per visit
- Adiabatic Cooler Mechanical Maintenance Contracts: from £650 per unit per visit
Cleaning Contract Cost Range:
- Cooling Tower Cleaning Contracts: from £2,625 per unit annually
- Adiabatic Coil Cleaning Contracts: from £1,000 per unit per visit
Note:
Costs vary depending on tower access, scale, condition, and required consumables. Scaffolding or major parts replacement can be quoted separately
Discounts available for multiple units or long-term agreements
Emergency call-out support, asset tracking, and smart monitoring are available as add-ons
Our Perspective: What Makes Vistech Different?
With over 50 years of hands-on cooling tower experience, Vistech isn’t just a contractor; we’re a strategic maintenance partner with 98% of clients renewing contract year on year. Our engineers regularly conduct tailored cooling system maintenance for hundreds of industrial cooling systems across the UK, with many contracts running year-on-year thanks to:
- Exclusive service expertise with EWK equipment
- A culture of forensic inspections, not box-ticking
- Proactive advice, not just reactive reports
- Honest & Open book refurbishment/replacement advice
We design every maintenance plan from your system’s real operating conditions, not a standard checklist.
An analogy that has held throughout Vistech’s 50-year lifetime would you trust the car wash to service your engine?
If not, then hiring a water treatment engineer to maintain your cooling tower follows the same rules. They know water chemistry, and we know towers.
Contact us for a quotation
If you’re relying on reactive servicing or generic maintenance checks, now’s the time to reassess. Speak to Vistech’s engineering team to discuss a tailored contract that ensures compliance, reduces breakdown risk, and protects your cooling asset lifecycle.
📩 Contact us today for a free site review or a sample service schedule.
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What is a tailored cooling system maintenance contract?
A tailored contract is built around your exact system and site-specific needs – covering everything from drift eliminator inspections and belt tension checks to GRP coating assessments and condition – report logging – rather than a generic tick-box service.
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How do site-specific scopes boost performance?
By inspecting key components (nozzles, sumps, fans, heat transfer surfaces) and scheduling maintenance around your shutdown windows, you reduce scaling, corrosion and unplanned downtime – so your tower runs at peak efficiency.
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How does tailored maintenance ensure ACOP L8 & HSG 274 compliance?
Our bi-annual cleans and checks align precisely with ACOP L8 & HSG 274: you get pre- and post-clean photo-verified reports, signed site logs, and documented Legionella-control inspections for a full audit trail.
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What cost savings come from a tailored plan?
Preventive maintenance from £650/visit (mechanical) and £2,625/yr (cleaning) smooths out cashflow, avoids emergency part replacements and gives you fixed-cost multi-year options which often saving 20–30% vs reactive repairs.
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What’s included in Vistech’s bi-annual service & clean?
Each visit covers initial prep (safe access, isolations), debris removal, sump and nozzle checks, full mechanical inspections (fans, belts, shafts), lubrication, photo-verified reporting, plus proactive spares recommendations.