Latest Posts
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Annual Service Package
Our annual service package is a proactive approach to routine cooling tower maintenance and includes cleaning/decontamination, preventative maintenance (PM), inspection, vibration logging and complete service documentation. Regular cleanings and PMs are critical in maintaining safety, efficiency, and reliability all while extending the life of the towers’ components. Inspection and vibration logging track performance and condition which allows customers to anticipate the necessary repairs required to maintain proper operation and/or extend the life of the cooling tower. The associated service documentation is an effective tool when pursuing capital for repairs and provides customers peace-of-mind by verifying that proper maintenance and decontamination services have been performed.
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New Houston Office
Press release for clients and suppliers:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with great pleasure and excitement that I announce the formation and opening of our new Gulf Coast Regional Office in Houston, Texas. Since our founding in 1994, OBR has believed in going against the grain of the industry to offer a differentiated service that places Safety, Quality and Value at the forefront of our operation. For years we have been asked by our clients to offer regular service in the Gulf Coast and we have been reluctant because we never believed we had the right people in place to provide the level of service that our brand has been successfully built around.
Today is a new day and we have been fortunate to find the right team that not only has the technical expertise to extend our brand into this new region, but that also have the same belief that a strong relationship with our clients and suppliers is the only way to provide a first class solution in the cooling tower industry. I am humbled and honored to introduce Mr. David Staat and Mr. Adrain Hill as new members of the OBR team.
David Staat is a Senior Mechanical Engineer and Director of Gulf Coast Operations with OBR Cooling Towers, Inc. David started his career in the cooling tower industry as a Project Engineer in 2001. He attended Texas A&M University receiving a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1994. He began his career in the Aerospace industry supporting NASA at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX before moving to the cooling tower industry in 2001. His experience includes project management, product engineering/design, equipment inspection, business development and construction management. He has coauthored 2 papers and has performed numerous technical seminars related to cooling tower maintenance, inspection and repair. David resides in League City, TX (just south of Houston) with his wife Deborah and children Derek and Alexandra.
Adrain Hill is an Area Construction Manager for OBR Cooling Towers, Inc. He is a 19-year veteran in the cooling tower industry and has been a Construction Manager for the past 10 years. Adrain has extensive training and experience in all aspects of cooling tower reconstruction, new towers, maintenance, and inspections. He has spent the majority of his career managing projects and personnel in the US Gulf Coast Region (TX, LA, MS) and understands the specific expectations in the region. He holds multiple Project Management and Construction Management certifications and has completed OSHA 30. When not building or managing cooling tower work, he spends most of his time volunteering as a member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He resides in Dickinson, Texas with his lovely wife Nataesha and family. Please join me in welcoming Dave and Adrain to the team, their contact information is as follows and we look forward to providing the OBR level of service in this new part of the country.
Wishing you all a safe, happy and healthy holiday season.
Philip P. Poll
Senior Mechanical Engineer / Managing Partner
OBR Cooling Towers, Inc.Gulf Coast Regional Office
David Staat
Senior Mechanical EngineerOBR Cooling Towers, Inc.
Main Office: 713-535-9195
Fax: 713-893-6063
Mobile: 281-881-3373
dstaat@obrcoolingtowers.com
www.obrcoolingtowers.com3495 Columbia Memorial Parkway
League City, Texas 77573Adrain Hill
Construction ManagerOBR Cooling Towers, Inc.
Main Office: 713-535-9195
Fax: 713-893-6063
Mobile: 832-651-8992
ahill@obrcoolingtowers.com
www.obrcoolingtowers.com3495 Columbia Memorial Parkway
League City, Texas 77573 -
Keeping your Cooling Tower Project on track
Cooling tower repair projects are often complicated and unfortunately, sometimes full of surprises. Identifying the basic scope of work to be completed is usually not difficult but details discovered during the execution of the work can threaten the success of the project. When these issues arise, the project team (owner, design engineer, project manager and construction staff) must work together to address and resolve issues quickly so that excessive costs can be avoided and sound engineering solutions are applied; all of which will keep the project on track.
Considerable effort is usually expended by the owner by working with consultants and/or suppliers to develop a detailed scope of work to repair the subject cooling tower. Despite everyone’s best intentions, once the actual repair work begins, a common problem that occurs is the discovery of components or conditions that could not have been known at the project planning stage due to inspection limitations. For example, accurate anchorage locations and details may not be known because they are below the operating water level; or, structural member sizes are assumed to be the same throughout the tower and they turn out to be different in some locations. Either of these situations can result in required adjustments to structural calculations or changes in the scope of work. Quick notification by the construction/inspection team to the project management and engineering/design teams is critical to achieve a swift and sound engineered answer to the problems that have arisen. Addressing issues quickly and thoroughly is the best way to keep a project on track.
Of course cooling tower owners need to be careful about the vendors they select to complete their cooling tower repair projects. Does the service company performing the work have real engineering skills and resources or are they simply doing what they think is acceptable? The writer has seen numerous cases where cooling towers were modified without regard to structural engineering best practices. When this happens, the equipment is compromised and the chance of a catastrophe has increased.
Don’t let this happen in your plant. Call OBR today and let us help you design and manage your cooling tower project. It’s the best way to “Keep your Cooling Tower Project on Track”. -
Which way will you go?
Ok, so your cooling tower needs some attention; either an inspection to assess its current condition or you already know you have a problem and need some help to remedy the situation. Where do you turn for help? The OEM? A local contractor? Either choice can result in unintended consequences. There is another choice – OBR Cooling Towers, Inc., a cooling tower service company focused on delivering engineered solutions to your unique problems.
Original equipment manufacturers are usually very technically adept but are often more focused on their product rather than helping you to resolve your problems. Original equipment manufacturers are also typically large organizations with heavy manufacturing overhead which means you will likely pay more for whatever service you receive.
Local contractors can provide quick service at competitive prices but are usually light on engineering skills if they possess any at all. Frequently, when taking this route, the result will be that your equipment has been modified without regard to sound structural, mechanical or thermal engineering practices; all of which mean you will be spending money again sooner than you should to keep your equipment running reliably and at peak efficiency.
When you choose OBR as your cooling tower service supplier, you get the best of both worlds. Our staff has significant OEM experience and we know the equipment, regardless of brand. We are a lean organization who can bring mechanical, structural and thermal engineering experience and expertise to get to the root cause of your cooling tower issues and help you determine a cost effective program to get the best use of your cooling tower equipment.
Don’t be fooled by the claims of OEM’s that only they can service their equipment and likewise don’t fall for the low price of an “un-engineered” product. Go the “Right Way”; call OBR today; the sure choice for high value, engineered cooling tower services.
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“The One Thing” you need to do if you are a cooling tower owner/operator
Whether you are a fan of “Curley” in the movie “City Slickers” or Gary Keller and Jay Papasan’s book
“The One Thing”, you probably appreciate that there is always one really important thing that we should always strive to do no matter what we are talking about. When it comes to cooling towers that “One Thing” is making sure that your cooling tower is inspected frequently and thoroughly by a competent technician using good engineering and safe work practices and then take action based on the results of that inspection. Too often, we see towers that have either been haphazardly inspected or even if a good inspection was performed and deficiencies identified, no remedial action is taken. If these situations are ignored long enough catastrophes will occur. No one wants the call “Wow, the cooling tower just collapsed” but those calls have been made and with the aging infrastructure in this country it is happening more frequently.Of course, the situation described above is extreme but your equipment could also be negatively affected by a number of other conditions including poor thermal performance, mechanical issues or most importantly, compromised operator safety; all of which can only be identified by a competent inspector. OBR Cooling Towers has the personnel and technical knowledge to not only perform the inspections but also to perform the necessary engineering analysis required to assess the deficient conditions and to recommend a sound engineered approach to remedy any problems found to exist. We can also help you with various economic and technical analyses to help you make sound decisions about your equipment. Just give us a call or click on the link below so we can help you stay on top of your cooling tower’s condition and keep it operating safely and reliably. You might also want to have a look at CTI TP10-19 where you can find important best practices regarding cooling tower inspections.
