Cooling tanks are massive things that are under constant stress from heat and the literal tons of water they hold. Over time, these tanks can weaken and begin to leak. If your employees notice that these cooling tanks are leaking, that leads to thousands and thousands of dollars in lost energy and lost water. Before things get much worse, here is what you need to do next about those smaller leaks. 

Hire a Welder Who Knows the Delicate Nature of Cooling Tanks

You need a welder who knows that he/she needs to be careful with the cooling tanks because they are vital to your industry. Hire him/her for the job of fixing the leaks. If he/she does not have an automatic girth welder, you will need to either buy this machine and store it on the property for future repairs, or rent it so that your welder can use it. 

Buy or Rent an Automatic Girth Welder

A girth welder can weld plates up to two inches thick on vertical surfaces that arc into a circle. This is key where your cooling tanks are concerned because it means that the tanks do not have to be shut off or disassembled in order to be repaired. You can purchase the girth welder and keep it for future repairs, or you can rent it.

The welder simply lifts the plate into position to patch the hole or crack, and then uses the welding equipment on the girth welder to weld the plate onto the tank. The plates can be strips or whole sheets. Usually the welder supplies these, but given the nature of the work, you may have to order the repair plates on your own. 

Make Sure the Welder Has Everything Else He/She Needs to Make the Repairs

Your welder, when giving an estimate of the work that needs to be done, will list the supplies needed. If he/she can acquire these supplies, he/she passes the cost onto you. If he/she cannot acquire these supplies because they can only be acquired by special industrial purchasing orders, then you will have to purchase them and supply them to the welder on the day that he/she will be coming to make the repairs. Any leftover supplies you can either store and keep (if you have paid for them), or recycle them if you know of a good steel and metal scrap recycling company.