Diagnosis of Chillers
One of the most important parts of a chiller maintenance company is the diagnosis. If this is done wrong, the wrong parts are ordered and the return job goes wrong.
News Article No.7
For us at Maximus Chillers, it is imperative that we get the diagnosis right, so the return job goes easy. On a maintenance visit, a detailed Tick Sheet is completed with all the necessary readings and adjustments.
Chiller Maintenance Company Case Study
One of our engineers was on a maintenance visit recently and he found an electrical fault with a relay. An intermittent fault- so the most annoying to diagnose. The relay interlocks the compressor A1 run signal on the start contactor. The fault causing the relay to drop out was the high pressure condition. The high pressure switch was found to be in good working order with continuity back to the relay, so the relay was deemed to be not switching intermittently. The relay was changed with the available stock on site and the machine went back into seamless operation.
State of the Art Equipment
At Maximus Chillers we know that incorrect test equipment can lead to incorrect diagnosis. That’s why we have the highest quality equipment which is regularly inspected, replaced or calibrated. With a Fluke multimeter with fused leads- we diagnose the most complicated of problems. Sometimes a wiring diagram is not available, or the machine has been modified. Even wires disappearing into a conduit and ending up on the other end of the chiller can be traced and effectively diagnosed. You can rest assured that with the ongoing maintenance by Maximus Chillers- we will extend the useful life of any chiller.
Chiller Maintenance Company Technical Support Desk
For over the phone diagnosis, our contract customers enjoy the full benefit of our technical support desk. Faults are often something and nothing, or are just to do with how the machine was restarted. If we can get a chiller away over the phone, that saves us time and that saves you: the customer money too. Just part of what we call the MAXIMUS ADVANTAGE™ Any Chiller- Any Problem- Any Part- Any Refrigerant- Anywhere.
0161 237 3727
service@maximuschillers.com
Expansion Valves
We at Maximus Chillers have a comprehensive range of expansion valves, on the shelf, in our stores at Head Office in Manchester. There are three commonly used types of expansion valve used on a chiller:
Pulse Expansion Valve
This is a simple design of a solenoid coil lifting a solenoid valve and opening the diaphragm in the expansion valve. This allows the refrigerant to pass from the high side of the system into the low side. A sensor either side of the evaporator feeds back to the controls. The controls work out the length of time the valve stays open and the length of time the valve stays closed. Quite a simple idea and quite reliable from our experience too. The replacement of parts are a straight swap.
Electronic Expansion Valve
Another type of valve we stock is the electronic expansion valve. Similar to the above, this valve uses a sensor either side of the evaporator to work out the superheat. Another method of working out the superheat is a sensor and a transducer. Either way amounts to the same thing: the controls work out the difference in temperature and saturation point. The mechanical part of the valve is a step motor which winds all the way shut when the chiller starts. This is so that the controls can register step 0. As the valve opens, the controls record the amount of steps. It therefore knows the position of the valve to regulate a close control of superheat.
Thermostatic Expansion Valve
A thermostatic expansion valve is a completely mechanical and stand alone part. The pressure in the bulb increases with temperature and so forces the valve open. We have the full range of orifices for the commonly used varieties of valve on the shelf. Each orifice is used for a different application, ranging from low temperature -40°C saturation, through medium temperature 0°C saturation, to high temperature 20°C saturation. High temperature applications include laser chillers- the secondary refrigerant cools the oscillator and the laser head.
HFC Refrigerant
HFC refrigerant is being phased down to 21% by 2030. This is in accordance with F-gas guidelines and the emission reduction measures as defined in the Kyoto Protocol. This refrigerant, however, still remains to be the most popular type amongst chillers, with new chillers coming off the production line charged with, most commonly, R407c and sometimes R410a. R134a is also a popular chiller refrigerant most commonly used in flooded centrifugal chillers. The more the phasedown starts to pinch, the more the incentive to use a lower GWP (global warming potential) drop in refrigerant. This extends the useful life of the chiller, therefore removing the need to build a new chiller, with the associated high amount of carbon emissions.
0161 237 3727
service@maximuschillers.com
Evaporators
Eddy Current Inspections by Chiller Maintenance Company
At periodic intervals according to the maintenance schedule, the end plates are taken off the evaporators and the tubes are inspected. We have calibrated eddy current instrumentation to assess the integrity of the evaporator tubing. This equipment uses electromagnetic coils to produce eddy currents, the electrical impedance is then measured. It picks up any cracks, pitting or corrosion. The conclusions are mapped onto a chart showing the tubes which are likely to fail. These tubes can be taken out of operation to prevent catastrophic system failure in the future. The system can then be pressure tested in accordance with F-gas leak testing requirements to prove the integrity of the system. Just part of the joined up, forward thinking of Maximus Chillers.
Chiller Maintenance Company Lagging
On our maintenance visits, one of a long list of checks is to check the insulation and vapour seal. If the lagging is not in place correctly, moisture from the air forms as condensation on the steel shell. This is not visible, so the condition of the steel can deteriorate dramatically over time. Where the lagging is in good condition, industry guidance states that it should not be removed to inspect. Where the lagging is in poor condition, however, it should be stripped back to the location of a good seal to inspect the integrity of the shell. For low temperature glycol or brine applications, rapid deterioration occurs as the shell is defrosting and re freezing between production cycles or defrost cycles. We heat treat the steel to remove all the moisture, then grind off any rust, before adding a two kinds of specialist paint available for sale at Maximus Chillers. We then match into the old lagging for a good join with our off the shelf varieties of lagging. The lower the temperature of the application, the greater the thickness of the lagging supplied.
Related Articles:
Air Cooled Chiller Planned Maintenance
Process Chiller Maintenance Visit
Chilled Water System Maintenance
Centrifugal Chiller Maintenance
Industrial Chiller Maintenance
Air Cooled Chiller Condenser Maintenance
Preventative Chiller Maintenance
To read more about chiller diagnosis hit the Tag below.
Further reading on F-gas enforcement reforms at RAC Magazine