How to prepare a chiller for summer: a pre-season checklist
A chiller that stops on the hottest day of July means costly repairs and unhappy tenants. A few jobs done in April–May cut that risk sharply.
Why pre-season service matters
In winter a chiller either stands idle or runs at minimal load. Meanwhile dust builds up on the condenser coils, deposits form in the water circuit and electrical contacts oxidise. When the summer load arrives, these small problems together overload the compressor.
The goal of pre-season service is simple: measure, clean and find weak points before the unit runs at full load.
Cleaning the condenser
On air-cooled chillers, condenser fins get dirty quickly in Baku's dusty, windy weather. A dirty condenser raises condensing pressure, making the compressor use more energy and trip on high pressure.
We wash the fins with low-pressure water and a dedicated cleaning solution. A high-pressure washer must not be used — it bends the fins.
Refrigerant and compressor check
With gauges we measure suction and discharge pressures, as well as superheat and subcooling. These figures tell us exactly about the refrigerant charge and how the expansion valve is working.
Compressor current is measured on each phase. A difference between phases can be the first sign of an electrical problem or a motor winding fault.
Water circuit and pumps
The temperature difference between water entering and leaving the evaporator is normally around 5 °C. If it is much smaller or larger, the water flow is wrong. Pumps, strainers and the flow switch are checked.
In systems with antifreeze added for winter we measure the concentration — glycol that is too strong reduces heat transfer.
Have a specific question about the system on your site? Send a request or call +994 12 000 00 00.