Protecting Your Chilled Water System for Maximum Efficiency

Time to install a new chiller

For buildings that require the use of chilled water systems for air conditioning and refrigeration, maintaining the efficiency and performance of the chiller is crucial. You need to be sure there is enough and continuous volume of cold or chilled water to provide the desired temperature and meet the demands of your operation.

Maintaining the efficiency of your system is a way to get the most out of your investment and reduce the risks of operational downtime and unhappy customers or building occupants.

Is it (Really) Time to Install a New Chiller?

Apparently, your existing chiller has been meeting the demands and requirements of your daily operation for years. However, a closer look at your system may reveal that at certain times of the day, your chiller is cycling. An energy evaluation of your building needs may reveal that at certain times of the day, when most of the building is vacant the chiller is in fact too big for the efficient operation. This partially used building may result in the decision to install a new smaller chiller for operating in these low load situations. Assess the situation before taking out a big chunk from your budget. It may be more beneficial to incorporate an AQUAZONE Thermal Buffer Tank.

Do you really need a new chiller? Why not look for an alternative solution. A buffer tank, for instance, can provide the extra storage capacity your system requires in the low load cycle allowing you larger chillers to be kept off for these time periods. Once the building is close to full operation, then the chillers switch on.

What Happens When Your Chiller Can’t Keep Up?

The need for chilled water increases as your building demands changes, such as tenant changes, refurbishments and extensions. If your system lacks the extra storage space, you are likely to experience problems, such as poor temperature control, inconsistent system operation, and excessive chiller cycling. Your chiller will turn on and off more frequently to maintain the required temperature. This can cause increased wear and tear, lubrication problems, and premature component failure.

How Does a Buffer Tank Solve the Problem?

A chilled water buffer tank helps eliminate these problems by adding the necessary capacity to support your existing chilled water system. You do not have to worry about the limited capacity of your chiller because a properly sized buffer tank can accommodate the extra water volume required for efficient system operation.

Chilled water systems play a big role in ensuring a comfortable environment, which is why they need to work as efficiently as possible. As your dedicated HVAC equipment supplier, Masterflow Solutions will help you choose the right type and size of the buffer tank, whether is be to increase buffer as described above OR as Thermal Buffer as described in the first section of this article. Contact us so we can get started immediately.