Air-cooled and water-cooled plants
We maintain scroll, screw and centrifugal chillers, both air-cooled packages and water-cooled machines tied to cooling towers.
Air-cooled chillers live outdoors and depend on clean condenser coils and healthy fans. Water-cooled machines sit in a mechanical room and depend on clean condenser tubes, good water treatment and a cooling tower that does its job. The maintenance plan is different for each, and we build it around what you actually have.
When to call us
- Condenser or evaporator approach temperatures creeping up compared with last season’s logs.
- High head pressure trips on hot days, or nuisance low-temperature trips in shoulder seasons.
- Oil level dropping, oil pressure alarms or visible oil around fittings.
- Surge noise or unstable load on a centrifugal machine.
- Chilled water supply temperature drifting off setpoint while the machine reports full load.
What annual maintenance involves
A thorough annual inspection is usually planned for the low-load season so the machine can be taken offline without affecting occupants. Typical tasks include:
- Condenser tube brushing on water-cooled units; coil cleaning and fan inspection on air-cooled units
- Oil sample sent for laboratory analysis, plus oil filter change where the design calls for it
- Refrigerant leak check and charge verification, with records kept as federal rules require
- Compressor motor insulation resistance testing and starter or VFD inspection
- Calibration of temperature and pressure sensors and flow switch verification
- Safety control testing and review of the controller’s alarm and operating history
- Eddy current tube testing, offered when the age or history of the machine warrants it
How the work runs
- Review the logs. We look at operating data first. Trends tell us more than a single reading.
- Plan the outage. On multi-chiller plants we take one machine down at a time. On single-chiller sites we schedule around weather and, if needed, arrange temporary cooling.
- Inspect and service. Work follows a written task list for your specific machine.
- Restart and verify. The chiller is brought back online, loaded and checked against design conditions.
- Document. You receive readings, lab results when they come back, and a list of recommendations ranked by risk.
Seasonal start-up and shutdown
Chillers in climates with a cold season often get laid up for the winter. A proper shutdown, including draining or protecting outdoor water circuits against freezing, prevents split tubes and a very bad spring. Start-up reverses the process with a full operating check before the first warm week.
Frequently asked questions
Do you look after cooling towers too?
Yes. The tower is part of the condenser water loop, so fill, basin, fans, drives and makeup water controls are covered. We coordinate with your water treatment provider rather than replace them.
Can maintenance happen without losing cooling?
Usually. With two or more chillers we rotate. With one, we plan the outage for mild weather or bring in temporary cooling for critical areas.
What does the federal HFC phasedown mean for my chiller?
Supply of some high-GWP refrigerants is being reduced over time under the AIM Act. Existing machines can keep running, but leak tightness matters more each year. We’ll flag where your refrigerant fits and what the long-term options are.
How do I know if my chiller is running efficiently?
Approach temperatures, kW per ton trends and how often it runs at full load are good indicators. We trend those from your logs or controls so you can see the change over time.