One embodiment is a cooling system for regulating temperature of a surface of a metallurgical furnace. The cooling system includes a plurality of spray conduits. Each spray conduit has one or more control valves and has a plurality of nozzles. A plurality of temperature sensors are disposed proximate the surface of the metallurgical furnace. A control system adjusts the control valves of the plurality of spray conduits in response to temperature information derived from the plurality of temperature sensors.