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4 Main Factors that Can Affect the Performance of Your Commercial Chillers

Commercial buildings take advantage of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to effectively cool and dehumidify key areas and rooms. And one HVAC system component that can bring a lot of benefits to commercial buildings is the chiller. 

Chillers are often utilised by a lot of commercial buildings and establishments. Some of these properties are hotels, restaurants, hospitals, industrial and manufacturing plants, and many more. 

Working Principles of Chiller Units

Most of the time, chillers work by absorbing the heat inside the buildings and transferring it into the environment. Following the principle of vapour compression or absorption, chillers would allow the coolant to flow to the cold side of a process water system before pumping it to extract heat out of a facility. 

The refrigerant inside a chiller, alternatively, circulates and pass through an evaporator, compressor, condenser, and expansion device. As it passes through the evaporator, a thermodynamic process occurs, allowing the refrigerant to evaporate and change its liquid state into vapour while the coolant temperature reduces. The refrigerant will then go through the compressor, which is a component that helps increase the pressure of the outgoing refrigerant vapour. At the condenser, the refrigerant will revert to its liquid state, while its latent heat is transferred and sent away from the environment through a cooling medium.

Factors that Affect Performance

If you want to ensure optimum performance for your chiller, then you must monitor the following factors.

1. Chiller Sizing: One factor that can affect the performance of the chiller has to do with its size. Choosing the correct size for your chiller ensures that it will work optimally without encountering any issues. A chiller that is oversized right at the start of the commercial building operations may be great. However, it must be checked frequently to ensure that it can still operate and use energy efficiently. 
2. Operating Practices: Chillers must be operated optimally to ensure that their performance will be sustained throughout their service life. To maximise the performance of your chiller, you must make sure that its flow rate is similar to the recommended values of the chiller’s manufacturer. Increasing the flow rate beyond the recommended value would only reduce its operating efficiency as well as increase the erosion of chiller components. Adequate training must also be given to the operators.
3. Maintenance: Another factor that can influence the performance of your chiller is the existence of maintenance. Just like other equipment, commercial chillers should undergo regular maintenance to ensure that they are still working optimally. Maintenance is also integral to see if there are problems with chiller components. Without maintenance, your chillers might utilise more energy even though their performance stays the same.
4. Cooling Towers: The condition of your cooling towers must also be assessed regularly to know if they are still operating fully. Cooling towers that are well-maintained and can work properly are guaranteed to work at their peak efficiency without any consequences. It is important for these towers to be cleaned regularly to prevent operation mishaps and costly repairs.

To know more about commercial chillers, feel free to reach us at Protector Air Care.

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