How to Prevent Fill Pack Fires

Fill pack, or Fill, or Filler Fill, or Filling, or Fill Sheet, and so on. It not only has many names, but it also has many brands and can be produced from a variety of materials. Some materials claim to be non-combustible such as PVC, but as we stated in previous article that it could be the cause of fire. If you're not yet reading that you can click here.  
 
At the moment, the two most common materials utilized in the production of Fill Pack that we experienced from our customers cooling tower are PVC and PP. 
 
What are those exactly? 
Well.. they're both thermoplastics. 
 
PVC or Poly Vinyl Chloride is a widely used thermoplastic. It is water, oil, acid, alkali, alcohol, and chemical resistant. One of the best features is that when it is ignited, it will extinguish itself.  
 
PP (Poly Propylene) is another type of thermoplastic but lighter in weight, tougher, and has better tensile and impact resistance. 
 
So, what can we do to avoid the fill-pack-fire? 
 
If you use PVC Fill, the self-extinguishing ability may be lost if the gas created while it burns is not present. Avoiding gas extraction is important. And in order to do so, the cooling tower fan must be turned off. 
But if the cooling tower fan cannot be stopped, leaving the water spray on will also help. When the fire flakes reach the water, the fire goes out on its own.   
 
If you use PP (Polypropylene) Fill, a fire retardant must be added, which is a substance that can prevent fire from spreading. PP Fill with fire retardant is roughly 30% more expensive than standard PP fill.  

It wasn't that complicated, but I guess your cooling towers manufacturer / seller / vendor who sold you the Fill pack didn't think it was necessary to let you know.  
 

 I hope this article can help you understanding more into the cooling tower for your industry. If you have further question about this article or any other topics, please contact us from our email sales@berindorisma.co.id or by call and WhatsApp at +628111509569