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CheckMyChiller.Com Manual/FAQ
FAQ
Why does the health of my chiller matter?

Chillers typically account for approximately 35-50% of an entire buildings power consumption, making them
the single largest power consumer for most properties. As power prices continue to increase, the need for
vigilance in regards to the chillers health must also become a high priority. Whilst the chiller may be providing
adequate cooling for your current needs, and may be running without any visible alarms or faults, these factors
alone are not a true or adequate reflection of the health of the chiller. The chillers health may be continuously
degrading over time, due to a wide variety of causes, which, if left unchecked, result in significant decreases in
the chillers efficiency, and very costly increases in the total power consumption required to providing the
cooling needed. Even when preventative maintenance programs have been adhered to, many things that will
directly affect the chiller’s efficiency may escape unnoticed.

It has been found, that many chillers lose up to about 30% of their capacity and efficiency, without having been
identified as an issue, meaning that in a typical building, the buildings power bill may have increased by up to
15%, without anyone identifying the cause, or even realising that this could have been prevented, or at least
minimised.

Whilst it may not be possible to fully restore the chillers performance back to its design levels, once you have
identified that your chillers health has suffered, it may be possible to identify the nature and scale of the losses,
and schedule various works that can help to reduce these losses to the lowest point possible.

What should I do with my CheckMyChiller health report?

A Check My Chiller Health Report provides you with an up to date, accurate reflection of the chillers status at
that point in time. The report will provide the user with some possible causes for any health impact on the
chiller, which may then be further investigated on site by the user, or by a trained professional, in order to
hopefully remedy any of the issues identified. My taking prompt action, you can maximise the energy efficiency
possible for the chiller in its current state, resulting typically in significant reductions in power consumption,
providing ongoing saving benefits. This report may also highlight any capacity related issues that may be
preventing the chiller from achieving the required capacity that your building requires, and provide indicative
steps about how to increase the capacity of the chiller, closer to the original design capacity.

In addition, the overall reliability and efficiency of a chiller, is directly linked to how effectively it has been
maintained, how well are all its components working, and how appropriately it has been set up. Issues that have
been highlighted, then proactively addressed, before they cause a critical shut down, will result in less down
time, more consistent operation, and potential avoidance of costly chiller repair bills, or unscheduled repair
works.

The Report provided also provides information that can be utilised to make more informed decisions about the
operational state of the chiller, and a clearer indication of the chillers performance, in both efficiency and
capacity, and therefore the ongoing cost to the owner. As such, this would provide the means for more informed
decision making, and more accurate Return on Investment calculations to be conducted when looking into
potential chiller replacement options.

Chiller Capacity – how is this calculated

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Chiller Capacity is calculated by multiplying the flow rate, with the Chilled Water Delta T (the difference
between the entering and leaving chilled water temperatures), along with the specific heat of water (assumed to
be 4.186 kJ/kg/°C)

Chiller Capacity – What can cause this to be reduced

There are many potential causes of chiller efficiency and capacity decreases, so here are a list of some of the
more common issues:

Water Side Evaporator & Condenser Tube Fouling – Typically caused by sludge, mud, scale, biological
growth or contaminants found in the water, that accumulate, or build up over time on the water side of the
heat transfer surface of the tube.
Underperforming Cooling Towers which are delivering condenser water temperatures above the design
condition.
Water Flow Issues, on both the Chilled and Condenser Water, where the water flow may be too slow or
too fast.
Refrigerant Side Evaporator & Condenser Tube Fouling, typically caused by oil, or other contaminants
such as rust, that builds up on the refrigerant side of the heat transfer surface of the tube.
Hot Gas Bypass Valves Leaking
Refrigerant Leaks, and reduced operating refrigerant charge
Non Condensables, such as air, present in the refrigerant
Drift in Calibration of refrigerant level sensors
Faulty Expansion Valves
Incorrect Set points for Chilled Water and Condenser Water
Compressor Degradation over time due to wear

For more information on the above, please click on the specific item to get additional information.

Evaporator Approach: If the evaporator approach (Evaporator Approach = Leaving Chilled Water Temperature
– Saturated Refrigerant Evaporating Temperature) is too high, the capacity of the chiller will be negatively
affected, as the compressor may not be able to deliver as much capacity, or must work much harder to achieve
the same capacity as at the design approach temperatures as the suction pressure is lower than normal. A high
Evaporator Approach could be an indication of a loss of refrigerant, or an unbalanced refrigerant distribution in
the chiller due to a faulty level sensor, or expansion valve, or a controls issue. It could also be due to fouling
within the water circuit, however this should be relatively unlikely, due to most chilled water circuits being a
closed loop, and treated at the initial stages to prevent fouling occurring. It some cases, this can also be due to
the presence of additives in the water, such as glycol, which changes the properties of the water that give it the
ability to absorb or transport the heat. The properties that would affect this would be the Specific Heat (the
ability of a fluid to absorb and transport heat), the Specific Gravity (the density of the water as compared to
water), the Viscosity (the ability of a fluid to flow), and the Thermal Conductivity (the rate of heat transfer
possible).

Condenser Approach: If the condenser approach (Condenser Approach = Saturated Refrigerant Condensing
Temperature – Leaving Condenser Water Temperature) is too high, the capacity of the chiller will be negatively
affected, as the compressor may not be able to deliver as much capacity, or must work much harder to achieve
the same capacity as at the design approach temperatures as the discharge pressure would be higher than normal.
A high Condenser Approach is most commonly due to fouling within the water circuit, however, it may also be
due to a loss of refrigerant, or an unbalanced refrigerant distribution in the chiller due to a faulty level sensor, or
expansion valve, or a controls issue. It some cases, this can also be due to the presence of additives in the water,
such as brine, which changes the properties of the water that give it the ability to absorb or transport the heat.
The properties that would affect this would be the Specific Heat (the ability of a fluid to absorb and transport
heat), the Specific Gravity (the density of the water as compared to water), the Viscosity (the ability of a fluid to
flow), and the Thermal Conductivity (the rate of heat transfer possible).

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Fouling: Fouling is often found to account for about 30% of the energy losses in a chiller. Fouling is typically
caused by sludge, mud, scale, biological growth or contaminants found in the water, that accumulate, or build up
over time on the water side of the heat transfer surface of the tube. As this build up occurs in the tubes, the
energy consumption also increases as the fouling acts as an insulator, and negatively impacts the thermal
conductivity of the tube, and therefore the rate at which the heat exchange between the water and refrigerant can
occur. As this causes the chillers efficiency to decrease, and the power consumption to increase, it often causes
the compressor to reach its maximum power available much sooner than it should, resulting in a significant loss
of capacity.

Approach – what is meant by Approach

Approach is the difference in temperature between the leaving water temperature, and the saturated (liquid)
refrigerant temperature. In the Evaporator, the refrigerant must be colder than the leaving chilled water
temperature in order to cool the warmer entering chilled water down to the chilled water set point. In the Water
Cooled Condenser, the refrigerant must be warmer than the leaving condenser water temperature in order to
transfer heat out of the high temperature discharge gas, into the condenser water circuit, in order to condense the
refrigerant back into a liquid state. In an Air Cooled Condenser, the refrigerant must be much warmer than the
ambient air temperature, in order to transfer the heat from the high temperature discharge gas, into the air, in
order to condenser the refrigerant back into a liquid state.

Evaporator Approach = Leaving Chilled Water Temperature – Saturated Refrigerant Evaporating Temperature.
A Normal Evaporator Approach temperature on a flooded chiller is between 0-2°C, and on a DX chiller between
3-5°C, although these may be slightly higher on a single pass machine.

WC Condenser Approach = Saturated Refrigerant Condensing Temperature – Leaving Condenser Water

Temperature. A normal water cooled Condenser Approach Temperature is between 0.5-2.5°C, although these
may be slightly higher on a single pass machine.

AC Condenser Approach = Saturated Refrigerant Condensing Temperature – Ambient Air Temperature. An

Air-cooled Condenser would typically have an approach at full load of between 10-15°C.

What can be done to remedy the following issues:

High Condenser Approach: Mechanical Tube Cleanings can be performed, which uses a brush, and fresh water
to thoroughly, manually, and mechanically clean each individual tube. These should typically be carried out
approximately yearly.

High Evaporator Approach: The refrigerant distribution system should be inspected, and a refrigerant leak
detection should be carried out to identify if this is currently a leak resulting in an insufficient refrigerant charge.
Mechanical Tube Cleanings can also be performed, which uses a brush, and fresh water to thoroughly, manually,
and mechanically clean each individual tube. These should typically be carried out approximately every 5 years.

Incorrect Pressure/Temperature Refrigerant Relationship: This indicates the presence of contaminants in the
refrigerant, various non-condensibles, most typically due to the presence of air. Refrigerant Analysis can be
performed at an off-site laboratory, to identify the purity of the refrigerant, the presence of non-condensables,
and the presence of oil, or other contaminants. If these are found, it may be possible to purge the air, or you may
need to replace the entire refrigerant charge with new refrigerant.

High compressor superheat: High compressor superheat is typically the result of the evaporator being starved
of a sufficient refrigerant volume. This may be due to the refrigerant distribution system, such as an issue with
the refrigerant level sensor, a refrigerant pressure/temperature sensor, the expansion valve, a blocked filter/dryer,
a restriction in the liquid line (for example a valve not fully open), the control settings, or due to an insufficient
refrigerant charge due to a refrigerant leak.

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Glossary of Terms
1. Approach: The difference in temperature between the heat exchange fluids, typically either the leaving
water temperature, or air temperature, and the saturated (liquid) refrigerant temperature.
2. Evaporator Approach = Leaving Chilled Water Temperature – Saturated Refrigerant Evaporating
Temperature
3. WC Condenser Approach = Saturated Refrigerant Condensing Temperature – Leaving Condenser Water
Temperature
4. AC Condenser Approach = Saturated Refrigerant Condensing Temperature – Ambient Air Temperature
5. Saturated Refrigerant Evaporating Temperature: The temperature at which the refrigerant changes
state, at that particular pressure, from a liquid to a vapour, i.e. the temperature at which the liquid
evaporates.
6. Saturated Refrigerant Condensing Temperature: The temperature at which the refrigerant changes
state, at that particular pressure, from a vapour to a liquid, i.e. the temperature at which the vapour
condenses.
7. Delta T: The difference in temperature between the entering and leaving water temperatures.
8. Chilled Water Delta T: Entering Chilled Water Temperature – Leaving Chilled Water Temperature
9. Condenser Water Delta T: Entering Condenser Water Temperature – Leaving Condenser Water
Temperature
10. Specific Heat: the ability of a fluid to absorb and transport heat
11. Specific Gravity: The density of the water as compared to water
12. Viscosity: The ability of a fluid to flow
13. Thermal Conductivity: The rate of heat transfer possible
14. Evaporator Pressure: The pressure of the refrigerant found within the Evaporator
15. Condenser Pressure: The pressure of the refrigerant found within the Condenser
16. Suction Pressure: The pressure of the refrigerant at the suction inlet of the compressor.
17. Discharge Pressure: The pressure of the refrigerant at the discharge outlet of the compressor.
18. Superheat: The difference in temperature between the saturated refrigerant temperature, and the
temperature of the refrigerant vapour that has risen above this point. See examples for Suction Superheat,
and Discharge superheat.
19. Suction Superheat: The difference between the Saturated Refrigerant Evaporating Temperature, and the
temperature at the compressor suction inlet.
20. Discharge Superheat: The difference between the temperature of the gas at the outlet of the compressors
discharge, and the saturation temperature for the condenser.
21. Delta P / Water Side Pressure Drop: The difference in water pressure between the water entering the
heat exchanger, and the water leaving the heat exchanger. This may be affected to some degree by fouling,
or by a seal issue at the water box divider, but most typically, if this has deviated from design, it would be
due to a change in the flow rate, as the flow rate and the pressure drop are directly linked.
22. Subcooling: The difference in temperature between the refrigerant liquid temperature, and the saturated
temperature for the refrigerant at the condensing pressure.
23. Voltage: The average voltage of the three readings of the voltage between each phase of the incoming
supply voltage (i.e. measure between Phase 1 and 2, Phase 2 and 3, and Phase 3 and 1, add them together,
then divide by 3).
24. Water Cooled Condenser: A heat exchanger designed as the condenser for the chiller that removes heat
from refrigerant vapour and transfers it to the condenser water running through the tubes within it. The
Compressor discharges refrigerant vapour into this heat exchanger, which then condenses on the outside of
the tubes, transferring heat out of the refrigerant, into the water, as the refrigerant vapour is at a hotter
temperature than the water temperature within the tubes. The difference in temperature between these two
being called the WC Condenser Approach.
25. DX / Direct Expansion Evaporator: A Heat Exchanger Designed as the evaporator, or main functioning
part of the chiller, that removes heat from the chilled water by transferring it into the refrigerant. This heat
exchanger has refrigerant running through the tubes, and the water surrounding all the tubes, typically
being forced to travel through the chiller in a zig zag pattern due to internal baffles within the heat

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exchanger. As the water that is surrounding each tube is warmer than the liquid refrigerant within the
tubes, the refrigerant evaporates, absorbing heat from the chilled water, by changing state from a liquid to
a vapour, which is then sucked out of the evaporator by the compressor, before being discharged into the
Condenser.
26. Flooded Evaporator: A Heat Exchanger Designed as the evaporator, or main functioning part of the
chiller, that removes heat from the chilled water by transferring it into the refrigerant. This heat exchanger
has water running through the tubes, and the refrigerant surrounds all the tubes, As the water within each
tube is warmer than the liquid refrigerant surrounding the tubes, the refrigerant evaporates, absorbing heat
from the chilled water, by changing state from a liquid to a vapour, which is then sucked out of the
evaporator by the compressor, before being discharged into the Condenser.

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