Chillers: Repair or Replace? Facilities Management Insights

D) Clean the system as appropriate, using the same type of replacement four-way valve as the original, and keeping the piping connections consistent with the original four-way valve. Ideally, this technology would be for brand new chiller purchases. In some cases, we add the Guardian hardware to chillers in the field with limited features but still provide the operating condition of the chiller. Hand Tools - Use an assortment of hand tools to remove, replace, and tighten any components or structure of the chiller. These items require data and analysis of that data for the best optimization. We understand system optimization and can help you get your York® chiller plant to perform to its utmost efficiency.

The reality of a spindle is that to keep the parts coming out accurately, the temperature must be maintained, and oil is a great medium for controlling heat. Often when a spindle malfunctions or needs to be repaired, your oil cooler may be a part of the problem. Impeller seals and oil pumps have failed on multiple machines, Bass says, adding that he has had five catastrophic chiller failures in two facilities during the last six years. Bass characterizes a catastrophic failure as an inability to produce chilled water and a breakdown that incurs more than $5,000 in damage.

The annual maintenance call was arranged at a time to suit me and I continue to be impressed by their customer service and professionalism. Power Cooling Systems can offer ongoing expert support for your chillers or a team dedicated to emergency special projects. We perform comprehensive teardown, repairs and planned maintenance services for chillers.

With the customer on board, the tools in house, and the ongoing training in place, it’s time for technicians to get to work servicing chillers. Atomatic Mechanical in Arlington Heights, Illinois, provides maintenance to all types of chillers across six counties within the Chicago area. Some of these controls include capacity controls and refrigerant flow controls. Capacity controls maintain the temperature of the chilled water and refrigerant flow controls are set in correspondence with the compressor used.

Regular maintenance can allow technicians to perform minor repairs instead of installing an entirely new chiller. Tom Heck, director of plant operations at King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, Ky., recently faced just such a decision. Heating and cooling are basic processes that are required in virtually every industry. This is why industrial boilers and chillers have seen widespread adoption across many different sectors. A chiller is a vital part of any heating or air conditioning system. Failure to quickly protect these chillers allows galvanic corrosion to take place, resulting in wastage and metal loss on the tube sheet around the coolant tubes.

If an oil chiller goes bad, the spindle will follow, and spindle repair is expensive. Oil coolers and spindles are affected by ambient temperature as well, and this could lead to problems. Oil Coolers, also known as Oil Chillers, are critical components in many machine and spindle applications. It is important to make sure that your oil cooler is maintained regularly to ensure that it is working efficiently and that it is cooling your machine effectively. When properly maintained, chillers often can exceed life expectancies.

Such information makes it possible for managers to anticipate life-cycle costs and build a solid, clear case for taking action to improve chiller efficiency and the organization’s bottom line. Chiller expenses are numerous and can add up quickly, so managers chiller repair should track power costs, maintenance costs, and a number of other related costs. Department of Energy, 35 percent of a building’s total energy use comes from its HVAC system. This means any inefficiencies can have a big impact on the bottom line.

The service requires full cookie support in order to view this website. C) Open the valve on the refrigerant bottle, slowly charge the system with refrigerant, and check the suction and discharge pressures. D) Replace the filter with one of the same types, wrap the filter again with a damp cloth and weld the filter inlet and outlet pipes. H) Maintain pressure, evacuate the system, and re-charge the refrigerant. F) pay attention to the protection of nitrogen filling when welding, and at the same time pay attention to do not let the water into the piping system.

In some cases, the cost of the repair is equal to or close to the price of a new unit. When that happens, All World will offer an option that works as a drop-in replacement. Most replacement options are in stock and are ready to ship same day. We know that poorly looked after chillers cost more in electricity to run. In the age of environmental concerns and energy efficiency- keeping your plant in the best condition makes a real difference.

"But despite efficiency increases, some of the new machines have their own problems in terms of reliability." At the King’s Daughters Medical Complex, Heck says the organization’s accounting system tracks maintenance expenses, and the hospital’s chemical cost center helps Heck keep a close eye on refrigerant costs. Al Asendorf, a heating and ventilation supervisor at State University of New York-New Paltz, also tracks water temperatures. He says his organization keeps the logs to track efficiency loss. Check the quality of circulating water for water-cooled condensers.