If you’ve never worked with cooling towers before, you may be led to believe that the water inside the tower plays the most crucial role. And while water is integral to the function of cooling towers, the true heart of any tower is the fill.
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Since , Marley Flow Control has been an industry leader in the manufacturing of cooling towers. We are an Australian-owned and operated brand that offers a high level of expertise and an extensive range of products that are ready to order. Our wealth of knowledge has allowed us to work with some of the country’s largest businesses and corporations we are pleased to call our clients.
As industry leaders, we have a high level of expertise and can provide a wide range of cooling tower services. If you need help with your cooling tower, contact our highly experienced team to discuss your options today.
So why are fills so important, and what is their function? What is the difference between a splash fill and a film fill? Read our helpful blog to learn everything you need to know about your cooling tower fill.
Before we can discuss the role of fills in a cooling tower, it’s essential to understand how these towers work.
Firstly, hot water is distributed over the top of the cooling tower. Nozzles spray the water over the cooling fill. This exposes the water to ambient, cool air.
Using several large fans, cold air is blown past the warm water, causing some liquid to evaporate. This evaporation process is what cools the water. The heat leftover is then transferred from the water stream to the air stream, raising the temperature and humidity. The hot air is then released into the atmosphere, leaving behind cooled water.
Water is then collected at the cold water basin of the tower, ready for the pumps to recirculate cold water through the system again.
The cooling tower fill is a medium used in cooling towers to increase the surface area of the tower. Its primary function is to put as much water surface area in contact with as much air as possible, for as long as possible. This allows for greater evaporation rates.
The two most popular types of fills are:
A splash fill is made from many layers of slats or bars. When hot water cascades through this series of slats or bars, the liquid breaks down into smaller particles – in simple terms, a splash fill is designed to interrupt water flow and cause splashing. This allows for increased contact between the water and air, which is then contained within the atmosphere.
Originally, splash fills were made from wood. But modern splash fills are made from PVC, which allows for a greater heat transfer. And because splash fills converts liquid into tiny droplets, dirt and debris are easily separated from the water. This makes them the perfect choice for industries that produce poor quality, excess water – like mining and chemical facilities.
Advantages of a splash fill are:
Unlike a splash fill, a film fill is made of many thin sheets of PVC, placed very close together. As the water forms thin flowing sheets across the fill, a large surface area is created, allowing hot air to circulate and contact the film of water.
Any dirt or debris in the water is collected on the film of the fill.
The advantages of a film fill are:
Fill profiles are the patterns, ridges or wrinkles in a fill. Typically fill profiles are designed to force the water to take the longest route along the fills as possible.
Small flutes allow for more capacity per cubic foot, making them more efficient than larger flutes. However, large fill profiles are less likely to get clogged with dirt than smaller fill profiles. This makes them the perfect option for industries like steel mills, as they use low-quality water.
In extreme cases with dirty water, a bar type fill can be used. A bar type fill takes the form of splash bars throughout the tower, allowing for larger debris to be passed through. It may be the least efficient fill, but a bar type fill is easier to clean and is more effective at processing dirty water.
Marley Flow Control is the Australian distributor for the SPX (Marley) cooling tower range. We will help choose the correct product according to the thermal duty, noise and space limitations, environmental conditions and water conditions.
Australian owned and operated, we are a well-known and trusted brand that offers a high level of expertise and an extensive range of products ready to order. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive cooling tower inspection and repair service. We provide repair work on the fill and mechanical components and a full functional annual assessment. Afterwards, we provide a comparison between a comprehensive refurbishment or a new cooling tower.
Our experienced team has the skills and equipment to fit new motors, driveshafts, gearboxes and fans in the field, including long laser alignments of up to four metres.
Cooling towers are an integral component of many industrial and commercial facilities. They serve the important purpose of removing excess heat from industrial processes or air conditioning systems. In order to achieve this, cooling towers rely on a process of evaporation and heat transfer. However, in order for cooling towers to function properly, they require fill. In this article, we will explore the purpose of filling in a cooling tower.
Fill refers to the material that is used to fill the space inside a cooling tower. The fill is a critical component of the tower because it provides a large surface area for water to flow over, which facilitates the transfer of heat from the water to the air. Fill is typically made of PVC or another plastic material, and it is designed to be lightweight and durable.
The primary purpose of filling in a cooling tower is to increase the surface area of the water that is exposed to the air. As water flows over the fill material, it spreads out into a thin film, which allows for maximum contact with the air. This increased surface area maximizes the amount of heat that can be transferred from the water to the air.
The fill material also creates a large amount of turbulence in the water as it flows through the tower. This turbulence helps to break up any stagnant areas within the water and ensures that all parts of the water are exposed to the air. This, in turn, improves the overall efficiency of the cooling tower.
Another important purpose of filling in a cooling tower is to minimize the amount of water that is lost through evaporation. When water is sprayed onto the fill material, it is broken up into droplets, which helps to minimize the amount of water that is lost through evaporation. This is important because evaporation can be a major source of water loss in a cooling tower, and minimizing this loss can help to reduce operating costs.
There are two main types of fill that are commonly used in cooling towers: film fill and splash fill. A film fill is a type of fill that is designed to create a thin film of water over the surface of the fill material. This film allows for maximum contact between the water and the air, which maximizes the efficiency of the cooling tower. Splash fill, on the other hand, is designed to break up the water into small droplets as it flows over the fill material. This creates a large amount of turbulence within the water and ensures that all parts of the water are exposed to the air.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Counterflow Fill. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
If you’re in the market for cooling tower fill, choosing the right type is critical to ensure optimal system performance and long-term reliability. Here are key factors that industrial buyers and engineers should consider:
Different materials serve different working environments:
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride): Offers good chemical resistance and is cost-effective. It is used in over 80% of standard cooling tower installations, especially in HVAC and light industrial applications.
PP (Polypropylene): Can withstand higher temperatures (up to 100–120°C compared to PVC's ~60°C). Ideal for applications with hot process water or strong chemicals.
Wood or Metal Fill: Less common today but still in use for legacy systems or high-load industrial cooling towers.
We offer a wide range of fill materials – click here to view all fill products.
Film Fill: Designed with thin corrugated sheets that create a large surface area for water film formation. This type can improve heat exchange efficiency by up to 30% in clean water systems.
Splash Fill: Breaks water into droplets and resists fouling—ideal for systems using untreated or recirculated water. Increases system reliability in high-dust or sediment-prone environments.
Modular Block Fill: Used in regions where maintenance access is limited. Reduces cleaning time by 40–60% compared to traditional sheet fill.
Each fill type optimizes efficiency and operational stability depending on water quality and system type.
Ask for the KaV/L value—a widely recognized metric for fill thermal performance:
KaV/L ≥ 0.2 is considered high-performance for standard industrial applications.
Using high-efficiency fill can reduce outlet water temperature by 2–5°C, resulting in:
5–15% lower chiller energy consumption
Better equipment lifespan and reduced operational load
We provide thermal performance data sheets on request for all our fill products.
Fill packs are available in various lengths (0.5–2 meters), thicknesses (100–600mm), and flute sizes (12–30mm) to match different tower models and flow rates.
We support custom designs for non-standard towers or space-limited installations.
Need a custom fill pack? Contact us now to discuss your project needs.
Average service life ranges from 3 to 7 years, depending on material, operating temperature, and water quality.
Using UV-resistant and anti-microbial additives can extend service life by up to 20–30% in outdoor or high-temperature environments.
For towers in regions with hard water or dust, modular fill design reduces cleaning downtime by up to 50%.
Long-term performance means fewer replacements and lower lifecycle cost.
Ensure the fill is compatible with:
Your cooling tower configuration: Crossflow or Counterflow
Water treatment process and filtration level
Airflow pattern and spray system
Not sure what you need? Our technical engineers provide free evaluation reports based on your tower specs.