Property managers and engineers alike understand the importance of proper maintenance on all building equipment, but chillers are the apex of this long list.
A chiller with a 5 year life which has been properly maintained and logged can be 20-25% more efficient than if that same chiller had not been properly maintained. With these numbers in place a chiller whose full-load efficiency was .60 kW per ton would jump to between .72 kW per ton and .75 kW per ton if not properly maintained.
Knowing these numbers it is easy to understand why your building should have a proper maintenance plan in place. While the upfront cost of the maintenance may look expensive, it will save you and your building money in the long run. The lower utility costs and upkeep of the equipment will offset the maintenance cost sooner than many would expect.
Having the proper maintenance in place is vital to getting your machines(s) to run at peak efficiency and this starts with keeping a chiller log. Recording chiller operating parameters regularly can provide vital information and inform you of any changes or hiccups that your machine(s) may have. Catching these changes before they become major problems will save you and your building money and headaches. While the majority of buildings have chiller logs, many of these logs are not reviewed on a regular basis and that is an essential part of the maintenance.
Other important elements in keeping the chiller running at its peak efficiency are inspections; they may be based on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis. These inspections form the foundation of any chiller maintenance program and should include but not be limited to the following:
–Inspection of condenser water and chilled water pumps operating pressures/ temperatures, amperage, and voltage
–Lubrication of motors, pumps and bearings per manufacturer’s recommendations
–Oil analysis
- Lets you know of metal wear, contaminants, viscosities and inhibitor levels.
- Allows for easy trending of condition of oil
-Annual inspection: cleaning of condenser water tubes for chillers (requires shut down and ideal time to do this is winter), oil changes and dryers, and servicing of purge units
–Vibration analysis
- This test indicates an imbalance, misalignment, bearing defects, open rotor bar conditions, gear wear, harmonics, and excessive shaft run-out.
- It gives you the ability to schedule machine overhauls, helps you save on unnecessary overhauls, predict machine failures and reduce maintenance costs.
– Eddy Current test of vessels
- Eddy currents test the heat exchangers and look at the inside and outside diameter defects
- These test will also let you know the severity of the defect and whether immediate action should be taken
– Infrared test of electrical connections
- Indicates loose connections which create overheating to motor windings and reduced life expectancy of motors/ compressors.
- Helps determine whether the chiller is running as efficiently and reliably as possible.
With all of these maintenance solutions in place your building can use less energy and run more efficiently. DebonAir can customize any maintenance plan to fit you and your buildings needs and get you running more efficiently and more aware than ever before.
