School District Chiller & Condensing Coil Maintenance

As most school district directors and maintenance engineers know, proper maintenance on chiller and condensing units is critical to efficient, grief free bag. However when you combine the fact that most chillers and condensing units are situated in low traffic locations and out of squint ( i. e., behind buildings, hidden behind walls, on rooftops, etc., ) with the fact that the coil cleaning consideration of the maintenance process is an unpleasant and time consuming duty, chiller and condensing unit maintenance isn ' t one of those jobs that most maintenance engineers look forward to. In situations where the maintenance department is busy or understaffed, coil cleaning is likely to be deferred beyond the time when maintenance is actually chief by the equipment.

It is commonly known throughout the HVAC product that steady the number one coil fouling leads to what can be described as the first level of failure which is distinguished by the attached characteristics:

First aligned Chiller Failure ( characteristics )

* Numerous operating compressor head pressure ( caused by long refrigerant pressure resulting from restricted air - flow and played out heat exchange ).
* Low cooling capacity ( caused by insolvent air - flow through the coils ).
* Exceeding kW draw coupled with a reduction in cooling tonnage capacity.
* Unit runs longer and spirit harder to achieve set temperature points.
* Compressor keeps cycling off and on under giant head pressure ( compressor is because taut under dirty coil conditions - system is overheating ).

Chillers suffering from high - head pressure conditions pass the impact along in the form of building renter heartache and trainee and faculty complaints; it is a well known fact that an uncomfortable indoor environment is not conducive to the teaching and learning process. While student and faculty discomfort manifests itself during occupancy periods, the energy penalty occurs during unabridged hours of operation ( during both part - blame and full - affliction occupation ). Unless you monitor the chiller kW attract with an energy management system or with a separate metering equipment, you will most likely learn about the problem when it ' s hot and you are unable to maintain chilled water and / or environmental temperatures, when you eye your energy consumption sky - rocketing or when your compressor fails.

Think over This Telling Scenario:
A 20 ton chiller used to cool the computer room of a district administration building becomes fouled and is in need of cleaning; but because the maintenance department is short handed and tending to unalike important matters across the district, they don ' t have the time to earn the maintenance when it is needed hence; maintenance is put - off for an unspecified interval of time. Eventually, the debris misfortune fairly fouls the chiller coils resulting in a second level of failing which has a catastrophic impact on the district and the maintenance issue.

Sustain Level Chiller Failure ( characteristics & cost implications )

* The compressor fails.
* The computer room experiences computer failure due to overheating and the district is unable to access school records, provide internet access to school buildings; stops email communications between administrators, teachers and parents; effects ability to process employee payroll and impacts access to information and reports. In short chiller failure can quickly channel district operations and communications to a stand smooth and liability effect important local, illuminate and governmental reporting deadlines to be missed. Use of back - adding to computer system is not deployed because they prohibitively would be subject to failure under the high temperature conditions.
* Procurement of a new compressor typically takes 2 - 3 days resulting in significantly reduced administrative efficiency during chiller down time.
* Compressor replacement cost - $7, 500
* Compressor installation cost - $4, 000
* Maintenance overtime cost - $3, 500
* Coil Cleaning Cost: $1, 500

As you albatross peg, if the coil cleaning and maintenance had been performed before the first level of failing, it would obtain only cost $1, 500; however, in that it was deferred and plan enlarged until the second uninterrupted of failure, the costs associated with the second omission same wound up costing the district over $16, 000; that ' s eleven times the cost of the preventative maintenance that would posses prevented the error in the first place! - Note: this doesn ' t even include the further energy cost boss ongoing to the failure nor the additional administrative cost due to system fault.

Now, if you ' re thinking that having chiller reiteration is critical to this " assignment critical " location you ' d be fitting; however, today ' s realities of district funding commonly doesn ' t permit the luxury of having full system back - up forasmuch as, the need for districts to invest in hustling preventative maintenance practices and maintenance saving technologies.

Why School Districts Defer Maintenance on Chillers and Condensing Units.

Able are many reasons cited by facilities and maintenance managers and directors; however it ' s important to keep in soul that regardless of the reasons, when equipment is in need of maintenance, deferring it for any reason entrust not copper that fact. Do any of these reasons sound familiar?

* Money Constraints - " We ' ll ensconce - off the maintenance until next month therefore we don ' t go owing to budget ". When you consider organic of the risks associated with a system blunder, deferring maintenance due to capital constraints is not usually a practical decision. When budgetary constraints are placed on the maintenance of " mission thorny " equipment, the impact restraint be catastrophic to the district and maintenance budget.
* Person Power & Time Constraints - " We ' ll get around to cleaning the chiller as soon now we can - we keep too many other things to do right today ". This reason for deferring maintenance is more common pronto than awfully before. Why? In that school districts have been forced to dilute staff and streamline operations to conform to the economic realities of their district due to failed school levy ' s, changes or reductions in state and federal funding, or they cannot find qualified personnel. This places supplementary demand on maintenance engineers because they now have to do more with less. If chillers and condensing units support undertaking malignant operations and facilities, accordingly maintenance of those systems should be scheduled the top of the TO DO LIST even when the maintenance department is busy or short handed. To lift improve maintenance efficiency and reduce the time required for performing the maintenance task, the maintenance should be outsourced to a reliable service company or technologies close as air intake coil filters should be evaluated. In short, investment in technologies that can optimize operational efficiency and reduce the maintenance effort should be considered in lean maintenance staffing situations.
* Maintenance Complexity and Enlightenment Constraints - " Maintaining this equipment is very difficult - we don ' t hold the skills to maintain it correctly " - this inducement is especially common in districts using advanced mechanical systems. Maintenance outfit must be trained to properly maintain them or, the maintenance work should be outsourced to a service company that is scholarly about the maintenance process.
* Unfriendly Maintenance Process - " " We hate cleaning chiller and condensing units because it ' s a dirty job - we get dirt and waste all over us when we power hold water the coils - we ' ll clean the coils later ". § Although cleaning coils are in truth a dirty venture, it is not a wicked reason for deferring maintenance. When cleaning coils, proper safety equipment including eye and respiratory protection, rubber gloves and protective outerwear should be worn to make safe against coil cleaning chemicals and undeveloped mold or bacteria problems that can pose a health hazard. Being an alternative, air intake filtration systems that isolate the debris on the front of the coils where it is visible and easy to clean using an respectful broom, brush or shop vacuum can lessen the " interval and bother factor " associated with this important maintenance mission.

The list of reasons for deferring maintenance can go on and on but one thing is bright, deferring maintenance on HVAC equipment obligatoriness be risky and can merger the odds that a system failure cede arise; and when it does, it will usually cost significantly more than the cost of the maintenance that could have prevented the failure in the first whereabouts. In the end, the decision for performing or deferring maintenance on HVAC systems fall squarely on the shoulders of the facilities directors and maintenance engineers as they statement their maintenance and budgetary decisions, recognizing all the risks elaborate.

Air Solution Company developed and patented the first Air Intake Filter specifically engineered to break ground to the face of cooling towers and other HVAC equipment for purposes of stopping the debris before it entered into the system. Whereas that time, Air Solution Involvement has been manufacturing and has introduced a variety of offbeat innovative filter systems including its new Fine Web Filter which is engineered for use on small and medium size refrigeration coils and machine fan intake housing units.