Maryland Masonic Homes Cooling Tower Replacement

MEP Designs Inc. was hired to replace the 500-ton cooling tower serving the Maryland Masonic Homes facility located at 300 International Circle, Cockeysville, MD. The Maryland Masonic Homes is a short-term rehabilitation rating of high performing and a long term care rating of average. It is a medium facility with 88 beds that is part of the continuing care retirement community.

We investigated the cost effectiveness of replacing open loop cooling tower with closed loop cooling tower. We did a load analysis to determine optimal capacity of the tower considering the system constraints such as capacity of existing pumps and pipe sizes. The new cooling tower controls are of the DDC type and are integrated with the existing controls system and mimic the sequence of operation of the old cooling tower. MEP Designs also reviewed the existing water treatment system of the condenser, tower and chilled water and provided recommendations to mitigate/eliminate the scaling and/or corroding of the pipes and increase thermal efficiency of the HVAC system.

The facility remained occupied during the construction and at no time was the facility without cooling, heating, or electrical power. MEP Designs made provisions for a temporary tower to maintain full operation of the HVAC system during construction.