When planning or purchasing chiller systems for your industry, an improper installation can reduce cooling efficiency and cause frequent downtime. Understanding how to do the chiller installation correctly is important for chillers’ long-term performance. In this article, we detail the key steps for proper chiller installation.
Step 1. Pre-Installation Preparation
Before the installation, you must prepare everything in advance, so you can complete the installation smoothly with high efficiency.
Site Preparation
You need to prepare a compliant place for your chillers.
- Foundation
The foundation should be sturdy and flat, usually made of a concrete base layer or a steel frame. You can pre-install shock absorbers, spring supports, or rubber pads to prevent noise.
- Space
To install an air-cooled chiller, you need to leave a space of at least 1.0 to 1.5 meters and a vertical spacing of 2.0 meters. For water-cooled chillers, you need to reserve a space that is long enough for pulling out pipes (about 1.5 times the length of the tube bundle).
- Safety
The installation site should be far away from fire sources or explosive materials. And good ventilation conditions are very important.
Utility Requirements
Utility requirements include electricity, water sources, and drainage systems.
- Electricity
The on-site power supply should be exactly the same as the parameters listed on your chiller unit’s nameplate. Industrial chillers typically use three-phase electricity, and you must have independent fuse protection and reliable grounding.
- Water
The pressure of the on-site water source needs to meet the requirements for system water replenishment, which is usually around 0.1 – 0.2 MPa. The coolant type should be carefully chosen. If the ambient temperature may be lower than 0°C, you need to prepare sufficient glycol antifreeze.
- Piping
There must be independent supports to bear the weight of the pipelines. And we recommend you install a bypass valve between the system inlet and outlet to facilitate pipeline cleaning in the future. At the return line of your chiller, you must reserve a position for installing a Y-type filter.
- Drainage
Prepare drainage floor drains near your chiller.
System Design
Many design factors should be taken into consideration, which means you should calculate the cooling capacity, ensure proper pump and head pressure (the pump curve should cover the pressure requirements at the farthest end of the system), and confirm the energy storage and volume. If your heat load fluctuates greatly, you may need to add a buffer tank into the design to increase the system’s thermal inertia and maintain a stable outlet water temperature.
Step 2. Position the Chiller
Handling
The installation starts with handling the chiller to the foundation. You must use the designated lifting holes on the unit chassis and never directly wrap the steel wire rope around the condenser fins, compressor, or pipes. If you prepare to use a forklift to move the chiller, the fork must be long enough. When forklift access is limited, a mobile gantry crane may provide an alternative for positioning larger chillers along a planned route.
Leveling
An unlevel foundation may cause poor oil pump return flow, accelerated bearing wear, and additional shear stress at the pipe connections. Therefore, after placing your chiller on the foundation, a level gauge can be used to measure the frames and ensure the chiller is level. The error should be controlled within ±3mm. If the foundation is uneven, you can use shims to adjust.
Securing
After confirming the level, you can tighten the foundation bolts. If you are fixing the chiller in an earthquake zone or for roof installation, you need to use shock-absorbing damping bolts.
Vibration Isolation
Install rubber shock absorbers or spring shock dampers between the chiller base and the foundation. This step is to largely reduce the noise of chiller operation.
Clearance Re-verification
You must confirm that all the surrounding maintenance spaces are proper.
For air-cooled chillers, you need to ensure that the intake side is far enough away from the wall (about one meter), and there are no obstructions above to prevent short-circuiting.
There should be enough space for personnel to operate the water valve from the side and check the wiring inside the electrical control box and also enough space to remove the fan cover or pull out the brush rod needed for cleaning the pipeline.
Remove Shipping Braces
Check if there are transport support frames beneath the compressor or water pump. If yes, you must take them down.
Step 3. Piping Connections
Whether the pipeline is installed well or not determines whether the refrigeration unit will leak, and it also influences the lifespan of the water pump.
It’s worth noting that you only need to connect the chilled water circulation pipe for air-cooled chillers, while for water-cooled chillers, you need to connect a set of cooling tower circulation pipes extra.
Accessories Installation
In piping connections, some accessories must be installed:
- You must provide independent support for all external pipes.
- You need to install rubber flexible joints or stainless steel corrugated hoses at the inlet and outlet of the water chiller.
- The Y-Strainer should be installed on the inlet pipes to filter out these impurities.
- Both the inlet and outlet need a pressure gauge.
- A thermometer is needed to monitor the inlet and outlet water temperatures in real time.
- You must install a flow switch for your chiller and link it with your chiller’s electrical control system. It can provide a protective shutdown.
Valves Layout
For easier maintenance, we recommend you install some valves.
You can install isolation valves in both the inlet and the outlet, a bypass valve between the inlet and outlet (for the initial cleaning of the system), an automatic air vent valve at the highest point of your chiller system (to prevent air blockage), and a drain valve at the lowest point of the chiller system (to facilitate drainage and anti-freezing during winter shutdown).
Flushing and Leak Test
Before closing the pipeline, flush the external pipeline and ensure the dirty water does not flow through the chiller.
After completing the connection, you need to apply pressure for a leak test to ensure there is no leakage at all flanges and threaded connections.
Step 4. Electrical Installation
Electrical installations must be carried out by professionals who hold an electrician’s license. The power supply should be completely disconnected before any wiring operation is performed.
Power Supply Verification
Before connecting, you must confirm the on-site power supply matches the parameters specified on the chiller’s nameplate. This includes the voltage, frequency, phase, and FLA/MCA.
Circuit Breaker
Chillers cannot share circuits with other frequently started equipment (such as elevators and large welding machines), so you need to arrange an independent circuit breaker for every chiller.
Wiring
You should use copper-core cables that comply with industrial standards. The cables need to pass through a liquid-tight conduit and be connected to the electrical control box. This can prevent connection loosening caused by vibration.
Grounding
A reliable grounding is vital. You need to connect the ground wire to the dedicated grounding bolt, which is marked with a grounding symbol inside the electrical control box. Good grounding can prevent electric shock and reduce electromagnetic interference.
Phase Sequence Check
Before the first power-on, you should use a phase sequence meter to confirm if the phase sequence is right.
For three-phase electric compressors (especially vortex or screw type), if the phase sequence is reversed, the compressor will reverse. This can cause permanent mechanical damage to the compressor within a few seconds and may lead to an insufficient flow of the water pump.
Many modern chillers have a phase sequence protector. If the connection is incorrect, the display will alarm and prevent startup. If this happens, you should turn off the power supply and exchange the positions of any two live wires.
Step 5. Water Filling and System Check
This step is to remove the air from the system and ensure that the pipeline is tightly sealed.
System Flushing
Before filling the water, you must thoroughly flush the pipelines.
To flush the bypass, you need to close the inlet and outlet valves of the chiller and allow the water to circulate and flush out the welding slag, rust, and dust in the building pipes. To clean the filter, you need to remove the Y-type filter and flush it.
Filling the Coolant
When filling the coolant, you need to slowly open the water replenishment valve and inject water from the lowest point of the system to push the air upwards.
For different applications, you need to choose different coolant types.
A general application can simply use treated water. For low-temperature applications (< 5°C), you should add glycol in proportion to lower the freezing point. Some high-precision applications may need deionized water.
Bleeding Air
Air blockages can cause pump cavitation (loud noise, no pressure) or local freezing of the heat exchanger. So, properly bleeding air is core to successfully starting your chiller.
You can vent manually by opening the vent valves at the highest point of the system and the highest point inside your chiller. Or you can apply pump venting, which requires you to start the pump temporarily to allow the water to circulate and remove the bubbles from the pipe dead spots, then pass them through the vent valve again for discharge.
Leak Detection
After completing, you need to conduct leak detections. This includes a static pressure check and a dynamic pressure check.
Static pressure check refers to keeping the chiller stationary and observing whether the pressure gauge reading is stable. Dynamic pressure check refers to running the water pump for 15-30 minutes and checking for any leaks at all flanges, threaded connections, and flexible connections.
Step 6. Commissioning and Testing
Pre-Start Checklist
Large chiller units need to preheat for 12–24 hours after power is connected to evaporate the liquid coolant in the lubricating oil. And you should ensure that the inlet and outlet valves of the chilled water are fully open.
Starting with the Right Sequence
- Turn on the external circulation water pump.
- Check the flow meter or pressure difference to ensure the flow rate reaches the minimum rated value required by the chiller.
- Start the controller. The chiller usually has a few minutes of delay timing.
- Start the compressor.
Collect Operating Data
After running for about 30 minutes, you need to record some data, including water temperature, exhaust pressure, suction pressure, and operation current, and check the sight glass to ensure there are no bubbles.
Test Safety Trip
Before the final handover, you must test the safety trips, including the flow switch and the anti-freeze protection setting value. To check the flow switch, you can slowly close part of the return water valve to confirm whether the flow switch shuts down the chiller and reports an error.
Final Handover
Finally, your chiller must have a trial operation. When running, you need to refill water if the water pressure drops, and we recommend that you clean the Y-type filter again to deal with the residual impurities flushed out.
Record all the operating parameters, including voltage, pressure, and water temperature, as the comparison data for future maintenance of your chiller.
Then, the chiller can be completely put into your production operation.
Common Mistakes of Chiller Installation
Knowing some common mistakes in chiller installation can help you troubleshoot your chiller when something goes wrong.
- Unlevel foundation: An unlevel foundation can lead to poor oil pump return flow, accelerated bearing wear, and additional shear stress at the pipe connections.
- Reversed Flow: When the water pipes are connected to the wrong ports, there will be a reversed flow, which will lower the chiller heat transfer, affect sensor data, and increase pressure drop.
- Undersized Piping: Too-small pipes will result in excessive pressure loss.
- Short-Cycling: If the total water volume of the chiller system is less than the cooling capacity, the chiller will heat up quickly and stop working for minutes. This can damage the compressor within several months.
- Dead Legs: If you leave long sections of capped-off piping without water circulation, they will become breeding grounds for Legionella and sulfate-reducing bacteria, leading to pitting corrosion.
- Inadequate Water Treatment: Starting without a chemical treatment procedure may lead to blockage and pipe corrosion.
- Recirculation: If you place an air-cooled chiller too close to the wall, it will reintake its own heat emissions, which will lead to high temperatures.
- Undersized Wiring: Using wires that cannot withstand MOP (Maximum Overcurrent Protection) will result in voltage drop, overheating of the wires, and frequent circuit breaker trips.
FAQ
How Long Does Chiller Installation Take?
Generally, installing a new chiller takes 1 to 2 weeks, and replacing a chiller may take only 1 to 3 days. However, the time is influenced by the chiller system’s size and complexity.
Should I Install a Chiller Myself?
Whether you can set up a chiller yourself or not is decided by the chiller unit scale and your internal expertise. Usually, you can try to install a small plug-and-play chiller yourself, but for a large industrial chiller, it’s better to ask professional suppliers or contractors for installation.
How to Choose the Right Chiller Supplier?
A good chiller supplier should not only provide the chiller but also provide technical expertise from sizing through years of service.
First, it should have proven technical expertise in providing chiller service for your industry. Second, it must have a complete after-sales service. It’s better for you to choose a supplier that can provide on-site service. Third, you can browse its company introduction and customer reviews to assess if it is reliable. Fourth, make sure its products have compliance and a warranty.
Can My Chiller Be Installed Outdoors?
Yes, but your chiller must be suitable for outdoor use, which means its IP rating should at least be IP54 or better, and it must have a weatherproof enclosure.
How Much Does It Cost to Install a Chiller?
Installing a chiller costs from $25,000 to $120,000, largely depending on the chiller’s size, type, and location, piping distance, electrical infrastructure, site preparation, labor, custom system integration, and any additional components.
Can I Relocate the Chiller After Installation?
Yes, but relocating a chiller requires careful disassembly, transportation, and reinstallation. It’s recommended to seek professional support.
Final Thoughts
A proper installation is the foundation of a reliable cooling system. Every step can affect chiller efficiency and long-term performance. Therefore, when you are choosing a chiller, you are also choosing the supporting services. As a chiller manufacturer for over 20 years, Chillerone has rich experience and always provides a comprehensive chiller installation manual and guidance for you. Contact us, and you can get a smooth installation guide and stable operation of chillers.
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