Chiller Maintenance and Repair

If you’ve had anything to do with manufacturing, machines, or anything that could possibly break over the years, then it’s almost certain that you’ve had to deal with repair and maintenance at some point in time.
 
Just like all other machines, whilst robust and well-made, chillers can fail and require maintenance and care at times too. If you are using a chiller unit heavily and regularly, then it’s being placed under a pretty big amount of stress. Any machine that’s being worked for hours on end will require the best maintenance and care if you want to ensure that it will continue to serve you well for a good amount of time. What’s the point in not maintaining something properly only to have it fail permanently and cost you a fortune?
 
In this article, we’re going to take a look at chillers, look briefly at how they work, as well as provide some basic maintenance advice. It’s important to remember though that if your chiller is having a problem that you can’t easily diagnose, seeking professional help is always a better idea for the safety of both yourself and your machine. Having everything working to its best at all times is ideal, but of course it’s not always possible, unfortunately!
 
Routine Chiller Maintenance

In order to give your chiller the best chances, performing good and regular maintenance could allow you to avoid more major maintenance, saving you both time and money.
 
Daily Maintenance Logs – Everyday that you look at your chiller, make sure to log any service recommendations and have them carried out as soon as possible. In addition to this, should anything go wrong in the future having a daily log can be very helpful. It can help you to diagnose what might have gone wrong and why. Even if it’s not you that’s trying to see what has gone wrong and when, being able to show a professional repairer a daily maintenance log could help them out considerably. Whilst you can include as much data as you would like to in your maintenance log daily, you should be sure that those stats that are important are always recorded. These include liquid flow rate, operational temperatures and similar statistics. Having a daily log of your machine can be an awful lot more helpful than you think in the future should something go wrong and you’re looking for a diagnosis.
 
Water Treatments for protection and cleansing – It’s a great idea to make sure that you’re using a regular water treatment. Due to having water constantly flowing through them, chillers can be open to a vast array of problems caused by water such as rust and hindered performance by algae and scale build-up. In order to make sure this doesn’t happen in your chiller, or that the chances of it happening are at least as minimal as possible, it’s a good idea to use a water treatment. Water treatments, similar to fuel treatments that you might add to a car, are designed to cleanse the internals of the machine and prevent them against damage. If your system is a closed loop, it’s particularly important to keep on top of this sort of treatment.
 
Filter Cleansing – The filters in chillers are designed to make sure that the air and liquids that are flowing through the machine are as free of damaging contaminants as possible. As the filters do their job, they inevitably become clogged up with said contaminants. Whilst this is their job and it’s better that contaminants are in filters than circulating your machine, it does cause them to be less effective. It’s advisable to clean or replace the filters in your machine every couple of months or so, dependant on usage.
 
Keep It Water Tight – Making sure that your chiller system is water tight is of the utmost importance. Whilst the system is of course based upon liquids, you absolutely don’t want liquids in your system where they shouldn’t be. If you notice that your chiller has sprung a leak, make sure that you attend to it as quickly as you possibly can. Not only can leaking water damage the internals of your systems electrics, it can lead to rust and permanent breakages. It’s important to stick to a good routine schedule for checking your system is water tight.
 
Keep It Clean – Your chiller system relies upon the tubes and hosing that flow through it. They are what carry the solution that absorbs heat from the system. If they’re not clean, they won’t allow the liquids to move through them as smoothly and as effortlessly as they should be able to. In order for your system to be in tip top working order, the tubes must be subject to a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule. There are a few different methods of cleaning available, the most common of which include various long brushes to clean the tubes, as well as chemical solutions that are designed to effectively break down any build up or obstructions that have occurred in the hosing.
 
Make Sure The Oil Is In Good Condition – Ensuring that your system’s oil is in good condition and is well-balanced Is crucial to the performance of the system. Oil analysis should be conducted regularly by either yourself or a professional, to make sure that there is enough oil, and that the oil that’s there is in the correct condition i.e. it has not been used excessively/is too old, and there is not a large amount of moisture present in the oil.
 
Do You Require A New Chiller?

If it has been determined that you require a new chiller unit, it’s a good idea to check out North Slope Chillers. You’ll be able to find high-quality, durable chiller units that are cost-effective too.