How to Prevent Fill Pack Fires

After we published an article about Fill Pack PVC, which is non-flammable but can cause a cooling tower fire. Many people responded positively to the article. There are also questions. So we choose the most frequently asked questions to discuss today.

Can it be avoided?"
Is there a strategy or approach that can be employed to prevent it?

The answer is yes. There are things you can do to help prevent the incident.


In today's article, we will go through prevention approaches and techniques to avoid serious cooling tower incidents and to ensure that your Fill Pack in the Cooling Tower does not cause a fire.


But, before we get into today's article, if this is your first time visiting our website. Please allow us to briefly introduce ourselves.

We, Innovek Asia, the number one cooling tower manufacturer in Thailand with world-class-standards. 

Our firm belief in always improving and searching for new technologies, together with more than 15 years of extensive expertise, has propelled us to the top of the cooling tower manufacturing industry. And, to show you guys that we really are an expert in this field, Knowledge articles on Cooling Tower-related topics have been created and published to the Knowledge Center here for all to read, including the articles you are currently reading.


Now that we've gotten to know one another. Let's get back to todays topic.


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 youre 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.. theyre both thermoplastic.

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 wasnt that complicated but I guess your cooling towers manufacturer / seller / vendor who sold you the Fill pack didnt think it was necessary to let you know. 


Remember the recent case of a cooling tower fire in a power plant in October that we mentioned in a previous article. 

Innovek had a chance to assist in identifying the cause and collaboratively resolving the cooling tower fire problem. We found that the fire was caused by the use of non-flame retardant Fill PP. So, when a spark occurs, it begins to spread, burning all of the parts in the cooling tower. Restoration must start with determining whether the structure is still usable. But let me inform you that getting the cooling tower to work again will take at least three months.


Consider what would happen if this happened to your cooling tower and you were forced to shut down operations for three months. 

How much would that cost you?

 ( Picture showing the cooling tower damage at the scene of the fire )

       If you have any questions or concerns regarding Cooling Tower, or if you have any comments or recommendations for us, please contact us at coolingexpert@innovek.co.th or at our LINE Official account by clicking the LINE icon on the right side of the screen.