AM Mondays: Heat Doesn’t Wait. Neither Should Your Maintenance

High ambient temperatures don’t just affect people they also place additional demands on air pollution control systems. Thermal oxidizers, DFTOs, scrubbers, and their support equipment must dissipate heat while maintaining stable combustion, accurate controls, and reliable airflow. Without seasonal inspections, elevated temperatures can gradually reduce efficiency, increase operating costs, and shorten equipment life.

Common Issues

Highlights:

• Overheated electrical and control panels
• Reduced cooling airflow around motors and VFDs
• Higher bearing and fan operating temperatures
• Expansion joint movement caused by thermal growth
• Increased burner fuel demand due to declining system efficiency

Many of these conditions develop gradually and often become noticeable only after energy consumption rises or nuisance alarms become more frequent.

Preventive Maintenance

Highlights:

• Inspect electrical enclosures, cooling fans, filters, and ventilation openings.
• Verify proper operation of PLC, HMI, VFD, and control cabinet cooling systems.
• Check motors, bearings, and fans for abnormal temperature, vibration, or lubrication issues.
• Inspect expansion joints, duct supports, and seals for thermal movement or deterioration.
• Review burner combustion settings and monitor fuel consumption trends.

Operational Considerations

High ambient temperatures can affect both electrical and mechanical equipment. Comparing current operating temperatures, airflow, pressure drop, and energy consumption against historical performance helps identify developing issues before they impact production or compliance.
Facilities operating continuously throughout the summer should include seasonal equipment evaluations as part of their preventive maintenance strategy.

Ship & Shore Environmental Recommendation

Ship & Shore Environmental recommends performing a seasonal system evaluation before periods of sustained high temperatures. Our technicians assess combustion performance, control systems, electrical components, airflow, and heat recovery to identify hidden conditions that can reduce reliability during peak operating months.

Why It Matters

Highlights:

• Improve equipment reliability
• Reduce unnecessary fuel consumption
• Protect electrical and control systems
• Extending component life
• Minimize unplanned downtime
• Maintain consistent environmental compliance

Preparing for hot weather is just as important as preparing for cold weather. Seasonal inspections help keep your emission control system operating safely, efficiently, and reliably regardless of the temperature outside.

Contact us at +1 (562) 997-0233 or email service@shipandshore.com for more information. For urgent oxidizer emergencies, text or call +1 (562) 477-7557&6 or +1 (562) 400-4439.