With cooling towers having an average life of 20-25 years, cooling towers are not often on the weekly shopping list, or even the annual budget for many clients. When it comes round to deciding where to go to get a new one, the names of companies that can supply cooling towers isn’t necessarily front and centre of your mind.
This happens a lot in our business: I’ll meet a supplier with something that sounds really useful, but the timing isn’t right. Their name gets pushed to the back of my mind, and when I finally need what they offer, I can never remember who they were. At that point, I usually just take the easy route, either Googling around or going back to our current supplier for a quote.
The risks of working this way are relatively low when it’s our single underutilised printer in our office, but for cooling systems that will have an operating life of nearly a quarter of a century, there’s significant operating costs and environmental factors to consider before going for ‘the same again’ or ‘like for like’.
Whilst it may seem easiest to replace your existing cooling tower with an identical unit, doing so can expose your business to missed energy-saving opportunities.
Under ESOS, large organisations must review where energy can be saved, and cooling systems are often one of the largest loads on site. Although ESOS doesn’t mandate investment, ignoring efficiency opportunities could affect compliance with other legislation such as EPCs and Part L of the Building Regulations, not to mention higher operating costs. In other words, a like-for-like swap might look simple today, but it could prove a false economy tomorrow.
If your company is considered a large operation under the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) definition (typically >250 employees, or >£44m turnover + >£38m balance sheet) then an energy assessment will be mandatory every 4 years which looks to identify energy-saving opportunities. With industrial processes generating around 46% of businesses energy bills1, the cooling system is most certainly an area to investigate.
Consider what energy your existing cooling tower consumes so you can benchmark against it.
The energy consumption of a cooling tower is shaped by several key factors. At the tower itself, design choices such as fan type (centrifugal or axial) and the control philosophy governing their operation will largely dictate power demand. Beyond the tower, the circulation pumps, and how effectively they are controlled, often represent a significant share of the overall system load. When planning a replacement, it is essential to assess not just the unit in isolation but the wider system performance to ensure long-term efficiency.
It’s always best to start with a performance survey of the system as it is today. Many ‘legacy’ systems have been chopped and changed through the years, with new processes added and old ones removed, so demand today is unlikely to be the same as what it was 20 years ago when the system was installed. This is another reason not to jump to quickly into swapping out like with like.
“Upgrading to a higher-efficiency motor may save just 1–5%, while optimising system design and controls can cut energy use by 20–30% or more. The biggest savings come from how the system is designed, not just the motor itself.”
Richard Crunden – MD Vistech Cooling Systems
For towers with centrifugal fans, changing to axial fans on the new tower could halve your power consumption without even considering the fan control. Understanding the demand on the system through a performance survey would allow you to consider further options regarding reducing the load on pumps, circulating less water or at a lower pressure. These savings can be very significant, especially when you consider that only 10% of the lifetime costs of a pump is the initial purchase price2.
System design is paramount when considering energy savings. Particularly when you consider the fact that moving to a more efficient motor could save you between 1-5% but using intelligent control and reducing motor sizes could potentially reduce your energy consumption by 20-30% and more depending on the existing operation.
Where do I buy a cooling tower?
Once you know the performance and duty your cooling tower needs to deliver, the next step is deciding where to buy it from. Broadly speaking, there are three routes:
Direct from the manufacturer
Through an agent or distributor
Turnkey solutions provider
All have their strengths and weaknesses, and the below table provides the supply routes available, the pros and cons of each route and best fit example companies for each route.
Supply Route
Pros
Cons
Best Fit & Examples
Direct from the Manufacturer
• Direct OEM support • Competitive pricing • Latest designs
• Less local support • Integration left to client • Slower communication
• Local expertise • Faster response • Design & survey support
• Higher cost (agent margin) • Scope varies by agent
For OEM product + local expertise. Examples: ProKool, Airevapcool, BAC UK
Turnkey Solutions Provider
• One-stop solution • Single responsibility • System optimisation • Lifecycle support
• Higher upfront project cost • Less OEM visibility • Relies on provider capability
For full end-to-end solutions. Examples: Vistech Cooling Systems, Aquacooling, GalxC, Maziak
Where does Vistech fit?
Vistech Cooling Systems bridges the gap between a traditional agent and a turnkey solutions provider. As the UK agent for EWK cooling towers, we give clients direct access to a leading European manufacturer, supported by local expertise. What makes us unique in the market is that our team includes consultant process design engineers. This means we don’t just design cooling systems in isolation, we understand the client’s wider process requirements and engineer solutions that integrate seamlessly with production, utilities, and long-term business goals. Our system designs are focused on helping our customers improve efficiency and their competitiveness in the market.
“Unlike many suppliers, Vistech has consultant process design engineers in-house. We don’t just design cooling systems, we understand your process and engineer solutions that fit seamlessly with it.”
Richard Crunden – MD Vistech Cooling Systems
Unlike many agents, we can take responsibility for the entire solution, from initial feasibility and FEED studies, system modelling through to installation, commissioning, and lifecycle support.
That said, we know we won’t always be the right fit. For some projects, dealing directly with the manufacturer is the simplest route; for others, a large contractor bundling the tower into a wider package may make more sense. Our role is to help you understand the options, the trade-offs, and where Vistech’s approach can deliver the most value.
Final thoughts
If you’re considering a cooling tower replacement, the most important step is to understand your system before deciding on the route to buy. Whether that means going direct, via an agent, or through a turnkey provider like Vistech, the right choice depends on your site, your goals, and your resources.
If you’d like to explore your options or benchmark your existing system, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or drop me a message richard@vistechcooling.co.uk.
References
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Office for National Statistics (ONS). (2018) Business Energy Statistical Summary. GOV.UK. Available at: 180718_Business_Energy_Statistical_Summary_-_final_version.pdf (Accessed: 19 September 2025).
