After months full of wind, rain, leaves and snow, your chiller could probably do with some TLC. A good inspection and clean before the summer will keep you prepared and make sure your production continues to run smoothly.
Here are our top tips for making sure your chiller is ready for summer:
1. Clear away dirt and debris
Windblown dirt, leaves and other debris can surround the chiller and even get inside the enclosures. Surrounding dirt or debris should be cleared away to ensure good airflow and access to the Unit. For a deeper clean to deal with rodents or nests, we advise getting a professional to who has undertaken a risk assessment and is aware of all the potential hazards. Get in touch with our team to organise this here.
2. Cleaning Coils – dirty coils reduce efficiency
Similar to the previous point, the condenser coils and fins on your chiller should be cleaned properly to ensure effective heat exchange. Dirt build up, makes it harder to transfer heat through the refrigeration process, which forces your chiller to work harder, reducing its cooling capacity and increasing energy consumption & operating costs.
Coils should be inspected and cleaned with suitable approved chemicals and mains water and using a soft hand brush. Using a pressure washer, incorrect cleaning agents and non suitable brushes could damage from wrong methods of cleaning.
3. Condenser intake filter
Where an intake filter panel is fitted, it should be removed, examined and cleaned. If dirt builds up then it will have the same impact as a dirty condenser coil. This is very important for point of use chillers, where the unit is usually located internally, in an oily or dusty environment. .
4. Clean & inspect panels and steelwork
Wipe down each panel and the chiller frame along with the supporting structure, inspect for corrosion or breach of panel seals. If found then repair/treat where appropriate to prevent additional damage. Any dirt or mould left on and untreated can quickly become permanent and may become corrosive. Check to make sure there isn’t any water pooling on panels, hinges or around the base of the unit.
5. Check for leaks
Water leaks should be self-evident, the piping, pumps and associated components need inspection, if issues identified repaired straight away. Refrigeration & oil leaks are much harder to detect and will need an examination and leak test by a technician. Don’t try to repair the leaks yourself, contact us for an examination and to organise an FGas certified repair scheme. If fitted, testing any fixed leak detection systems and testing the alarms should be performed.
6. System & Chilled Water
Your Chiller is considered to be the heart of the system, however the system that connects to it is just as vital to ensure optimum performance and health. Strainers should be checked for proper flow and pressure, valves and actuators along with flow switches & trace heating should be inspected and tested to make sure simple alarms and potential call outs are avoided. A test of the water viscosity should be performed with a refractometer for frost protection. In addition we can offer Chilled Water analysis, as part of a water treatment scheme to include glycol and inhibitor products.
7. Planned maintenance & servicing
Finally and most importantly, schedule in a Chiller service. Having a regular maintenance schedule is the single best thing you can do to keep your system in good condition. Inspection of switchgear, testing of compressors and electronic components, including the checklist listed above, will help ensure your Chiller system is working well ready for summer, but other preventative procedure must be completed by a Chiller professional. Preventative checks and maintenance will ensure your system is always working in its optimal condition.
For more information on any of these points, or anything else to do with chillers, get in touch with our team.