It could be helpful to familiarize yourself with this Industrial Chiller repairing and maintenance steps – How to Replace the 10 Main Components?
As much as we’d love our technology to run at maximum efficiency 100% of the time, regular wear and tear can lead to malfunctions. When it comes to processing chiller repair and maintenance, it is necessary to know and understand how to replace the main components of your industrial water chiller.
Here are a few helpful tips that can help keep your chiller running efficiently.
Before the industrial water chiller system is delivered to our customer for use, the entire system is commissioned.
The industrial chiller main components contain: Chilled water systems, cooling systems, terminal equipment, and air conditioning units, etc
1. Replacement of compressors
a) Check the refrigerant system and the wiring to try to identify the cause of the compressor burn-out.
b) To recover the refrigerant, relevant equipment and tools should be prepared before recovery, with special attention to keep the working environment well ventilated.
(Note: When replacing the compressor, the filter, separator, and reservoir must be replaced at the same time)
c) weld down all piping connected to the compressor, filter, gas-liquid separator, and liquid storage tank.
d) loosen the four fixing bolts securing the compressor, the gas-liquid separator, and the liquid storage tank.
e) Remove the compressor, filter, gas-liquid separator, and reservoir from the system.
f) replace new parts and re-bolt the compressor, gas-liquid separator, and reservoir.
g) Assemble and weld the pipelines connected with the compressor, filter, gas-liquid separator and liquid storage tank, fix the tubing with wire ties and rubber blocks, and pay attention to the protection of nitrogen filling during the welding process.
(h) Inspection and cleaning of the thermal expansion valve.
(i) Repeated flushing of the whole system by high-pressure nitrogen gas cleaning.
j) Vacuum the system, it is recommended to use 3 times vacuum method to reduce the system pressure to the appropriate value.
k) When charging the system with refrigerant, make sure not to open the unit before the refrigerant charge is lower than 60% of the rated charge of the unit, this can be achieved by raising the refrigerant cylinder at the beginning and pouring it backward.
l) After the machine is turned on, continue to charge the refrigerant until the rated charge is reached, if necessary, you can adopt the way of liquid irrigation, but pay attention to the point of liquid irrigation must be before the gas-liquid separator, preferably located at the inlet of the evaporator.
m) Allow the system to run for a further 48 hours, then take a small amount of compressor oil, check its taste and measure its acidity using pH paper, and replace the compressor oil if necessary.
n) After completing step 10, allow the system to continue to operate for 48 hours, and if all is well, replace the filter drier back to the unit’s original model.
o) After completing the above process, two weeks later, check the system again to ensure that the condition and operation of the unit meet the design requirements.
2 Replacement of the reservoir
a) Check the refrigerant system and try to find out why the reservoir is damaged.
b) Proper recovery of refrigerant, preparation of relevant equipment and tools, and keeping the working environment well ventilated.
c) Remove the connecting tube from the reservoir.
d) loosen the four fixing bolts of the reservoir and remove the reservoir.
(e) Cleaning of the system and replacement of reservoirs of the same type, as appropriate.
(f) Installing its fixing bolts.
(g) Assembling and welding of the reservoir’s connecting pipes, with attention to protection of nitrogen during the welding process.
(h) Maintaining pressure on the system to ensure that it is airtight.
i) Evacuate and re-charge the refrigerant.
3 Gas-liquid separator replacement
a) Check the refrigerant system and try to find out why the gas-liquid separator is damaged.
b) Proper recovery of refrigerant, preparation of relevant equipment and tools, and keeping the working environment well ventilated.
c) Before disassembling the gas-liquid separator, it is necessary to disassemble the external reservoir and the related pipeline to leave enough operating space, and the disassembly of the reservoir is detailed in the replacement of the reservoir.
d) Remove the insulation foam from the gas-liquid separator.
(e) Weld down the connection tube to the gas-liquid separator.
f) loosen the four fixing bolts of the gas-liquid separator and remove the gas-liquid separator.
g) Clean the system as appropriate and replace the gas-liquid separator with the same model.
(h) Installing its fixing bolts.
i) assemble and weld the connecting tube of the gas-liquid separator, paying attention to the protection of nitrogen filling during the welding process.
j) wrap the gas-liquid separator with new insulating cotton.
k) Maintaining pressure on the system to ensure its tightness.
l) Evacuate and re-charge the refrigerant.
4. Four-way reversing valve replacement
a) Check the refrigerant system and various wiring, try to find out why the four-way valve is damaged.
b) Turn off the power of the unit before replacement and properly recover the refrigerant.
c) The orientation of the four-way valve must be recorded before welding down the valve, and the dual-system unit cannot use the other system as a reference.
d) Clean the system as appropriate, using the same type of replacement four-way valve as the original, and keeping the piping connections consistent with the original four-way valve.
e) the four-way valve body should be wrapped with a wet cloth when welding to prevent the slider in the valve body from being burned out and to prevent water from flowing into the piping system.
f) when welding, pay attention to the protection of nitrogen filling.
g) Maintain pressure, evacuate the system, and re-charge the refrigerant.
5. Replacement of shell and tube heat exchangers
a) Inspect the water system to confirm that the shell and tube heat exchanger is not damaged.
b) When it is confirmed that the shell and tube heat exchanger is damaged and needs to be replaced, turn off the power of the unit and recover the refrigerant.
(c) Loosen the water inlet and outlet connections.
d) weld the pipeline connected to the heat exchanger (different units may use different types of the heat exchanger, so when welding the connection pipeline, the respective connection position must be recorded, if the pipeline connection is wrong, it will cause the system gas string).
(e) Cleaning of the system, as appropriate.
f) remove the back panel and the two cover plate supports as shown below2
g) loosen the four bolts on the heat exchanger mounting bracket.
h) remove the shell and tube heat exchanger and replace it with a heat exchanger of the same type, and weld the piping.
i) and nitrogen protection during welding.
j）reattach the back panel support 2 and the rear panel.
k) Maintain pressure, evacuate the system, and re-charge the refrigerant.
6. Air-cooled condenser replacement
a) Turn off the power to the unit and recover the refrigerant.
b), Remove the panel shown by the arrow below (to replace the front condenser for example).
c), removal of the metal-air grate outside the condenser.
d) weld the inlet and outlet pipelines connected with the condenser, pay attention to control the direction of the welding torch flame to prevent the condenser fins and sheet metal parts of the unit from being burnt.
e) Remove the clamp that holds the dispensing head assembly in place.
f) weld down the two lowermost tubes of the condenser.
(g) Cleaning of the system, as appropriate.
h) Remove the fixing bolts between the condenser and the unit’s sheet metal parts, remove the condenser and replace it, then re-weld all the pipelines and re-fix the distribution head assembly.
i) and nitrogen protection during welding.
j) Maintain pressure, evacuate the system, and re-charge the refrigerant.
7. Replacement of thermal expansion valves
a) Check the refrigerant system and its various wiring to find out why the expansion valve is damaged.
b) After confirming that the expansion valve needs to be replaced, turn off the power of the unit and recover the refrigerant.
c) Remove the temperature sensing package from the expansion valve and record its position.
d) Wrap the thermal expansion valve body with a damp cloth, weld down the expansion valve inlet and outlet pipes, balance pipes, and remove the thermal expansion valve.
e) replace the thermal expansion valve of the same type, again wrap the thermal expansion valve body with a wet cloth, and weld the expansion valve inlet and outlet pipes and balance pipe.
f) pay attention to the protection of nitrogen filling when welding, and at the same time pay attention to do not let the water into the piping system.
g) Wrap the temperature-sensitive package of the expansion valve in the recorded position and wrap it with insulation foam.
h) Maintain pressure, evacuate the system, and re-charge the refrigerant.
8. Filter replacement
a) Check the refrigerant system and all the wiring to find out why the filter is damaged.
b) After confirming that the filter needs to be replaced, turn off the power of the unit and recover the refrigerant.
c) Wrap the filter with a damp cloth, weld down the filter inlet and outlet tubes, and remove the filter.
d) Replace the filter with one of the same types, wrap the filter again with a damp cloth and weld the filter inlet and outlet pipes.
e) pay attention to nitrogen protection during welding, while taking care not to let water into the pipeline.
f) Maintain pressure, evacuate, and re-charge the system with refrigerant.
9. Methodological guidance for on-site leak detection
A. Acoustic leak detection.
When the refrigerant temperature and pressure in the refrigeration system are high, sometimes there will be a faint hissing sound at the leak of the system, and the leak can be judged according to the sound part.
B. Visual leak detection
In some parts of the refrigeration equipment of the Freon system, if there is oil leakage, oil dripping or oil traces, it can be determined that there is a leak of Freon refrigerant.
C. Leak detection of concentrated soapy water
This is the current application that is a very common, and convenient and effective way. First, cut the soapy water into thin slices, soak in hot water, stir constantly to dissolve it, and then use it when it cools down into a thick light yellow solution when detecting leaks, first clean the oil stains on the inspected parts, use a clean white gauze cloth or brush to soak through the soapy water, smear on the leak detection place, wait for a few minutes and observe, if white bubbles appear on the inspected parts, then use the soapy water to soak through the soapy water.
or bubbles continue to overflow, which means the point is a leak.
10. Refrigerant Replenishment Guidance
a) locate the charging nozzle on the connection tube between the shell tube and the four-way valve and connect the refrigerant charge bottle.
b)start the water pump, the unit is running on cooling.
c) Open the valve on the refrigerant bottle, slowly charge the system with refrigerant, and check the suction and discharge pressures.
Lando Chillers Has Your Industrial Chiller Needs to be Covered
Lando Chillers has been at the forefront of industrial chiller manufacturing and maintenance for over two decades.
Our experienced and dedicated staff are always on hand to assist you with all industrial chiller needs.
We will be happy to work with you to determine which will best fit your requirements.
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