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Air Chiller: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

Choosing the right air chiller can be an overwhelming task.

That’s why our guide will answer all questions you have been asking about these chiller systems – from design, parts, working principle, choosing the right size to the troubleshooting process.

You will find everything about air chillers here.

What is an Air Chiller?

Air chillers are refrigeration equipment that you can use in industrial and commercial applications to cool and dehumidify air and fluids.

How Does an Air Chiller Work?

Well, before you purchase an air chiller, you must understand how the air chiller works.

It works on a principle where the machine actively absorbs excess heat from the process water.

After that, it will transfer the heat it absorbs into the surrounding air.

Here is a step-by-step process on how the air chiller works.

Step One: Evaporation Process

The operations within the air chiller begin with the process of evaporation within the evaporator.

Normally, the evaporator has a special type of liquid refrigerant which usually flows over the bundles of the evaporator tube.

The liquid will evaporate due to the amount of heat that will automatically change its form to steam.

Step Two: Heat Absorption

As that occurs, heat is often absorbed from the chilled water which is always in constant circulation through the bundles.

After that, the compressor will pull the refrigerant vapor straight from the evaporator and pump refrigerant fluid to the condenser.

The condenser will reciprocate the process and increase the air pressure and temperature.

Step Three: Condensation Process

While in the condenser tube, the refrigerant liquid or fluid will condense.

This will result in the release of the internal heat to the cooling water or air.

After that, the high-pressure fluid will move into the evaporator from the expansion device.

As that happens, the pressure of the refrigerant will fall as well as the temperature.

The process will continue in a repeat fashion until it produces a chilling or heating effect in the room.

Air chiller working diagram

How Does an Air Chiller Compare to a Water Chiller?

The working principles of the air chillers and that of the water chiller are somewhat similar.

In both machines, you will find the compressor, evaporator, expansion valve as well as a condenser.

The main difference between the two types of chillers is the fueling or chilling agent.

Besides, the air chiller uses air as the main chilling agent or fueling agent to cause chilling or heating effects.

On the other hand, the water chiller uses water as the main fueling agent to cause a heating and chilling effect.

The air and water chillers system will require basic maintenance to help in increasing durability and performance.

On the same note, the air chillers are less costly and easier to maintain in comparison to the water chillers.

Apart from that, you will require a condenser water pup or cooling tower when operating the water chillers.

On the other hand, air chillers will operate efficiently without the condenser water pump or cooling tower.

In addition to that, the air chillers will consume more power approximately 10% more in comparison to the water chillers.

This is because the water chillers use wet surfaces to transfer heat thus making it more efficient than dry air surfaces.

Water chiller

Which Is the Most Appropriate Point of Installing the Air Chiller?

You should consider placing your air chillers in the mechanical room.

Apart from that, you can also place it next to the building or room that you intend to cool.

In most industrial settings, you will find the air chillers very close to the spot that requires cooling.

You can choose the spot for placing the air chiller by looking at the size of the compressor and chiller.

Depending on the size, you will place the big air chillers outdoor and the smaller ones inside the building.

You can get in touch with your supplier to help you determine the right spot for the air chillers.

What are the Benefits of Using the Air Chillers?

There are quite some benefits that you will enjoy by using air chillers.

Here are some of the advantages of using air chillers.

· Affordability

Air chillers are often very affordable to purchase and install since they have a few types of equipment.

· Occupy Less Space

In comparison to the water chillers, the air chiller will occupy very little space.

You can simply place them on the roof of your building with no need of constructing a mechanical room.

· Low Cost of Maintenance

You will also spend less in the process of maintaining the air chillers as it has very few parts.

The fewer the number of parts, the lower the cost of maintaining the air chillers.

· Simple Design

Air chillers have a very simple ergonomic design thus eliminating the need for extra sets of pumps for the condensers.

Do the Air Chillers Exhibit Any Form of Limitations?

Well, just like any other machine, you will have a few limitations on the air chillers.

Here are the main limitations or disadvantages of using air chillers.

· Noisy Machine

Air chillers often produce noise that may disturb the neighbors.

Since it sits outside, the compressors and rotating fans will generate a lot of noise that causes a great disturbance.

You should think of measures that will reduce the noise of the air chillers thus making them more efficient.

· Short Service Life

Typically, the air chillers have a very short life of service due to exposure to the sun and other weather characteristics.

The weather agents that bet upon the materials of the air chiller often deteriorate the service life of the equipment.

· Ability to Breakdown

You should also be on the lookout for damages that might occur on the air chillers.

You might also experience other problems such as blockage as well as issues with recirculation.

How Does an Air Chiller Compare to an Air Conditioner?

When you think about cooling off the rising temperatures, you might think of the air chillers or air conditioners.

Well, to help you choose between the two, here is a comparison between the air chillers and air conditioners.

· Air Chillers

Air chillers depend on the absorption refrigeration cycle to absorb heat from a particular surrounding.

You can keep the air chillers outside your building thus giving you more room space within the house.

It has a chiller that is responsible for eliminating the heat from the air before releasing it.

· Air Conditioners

You will use the air conditioner to manage the temperatures within the room.

Implying that you can use it to either increase or reduce the temperatures within the room.

It has the capability of absorbing hot air and eliminating the heat before releasing it to the surrounding.

It comes complete with a condenser that will help in eliminating the heat from the system.

What is the difference between the Air Chillers and the Air Handlers?

You might also wonder why there is a difference between the air handlers and air chillers.

To clear the doubts you are having, here is a comparison between the air handlers and air chillers.

Air Handlers

You will use their handlers or handling units to circulate air as part of the HVAC system.

It comes complete with a blower, cooling and heating elements, filter chambers, dampers, and sound attenuators.

You will connect the air handlers to ductwork that will distribute conditioned air within the entire building.

It will also ensure that it returns the air to the air handlers’ unit.

Air Chillers

Air chillers depend on the absorption of heat from the system of air flowing through a tube before circulating it.

The cool airflow through pipes and coil units thus dehumidifying and cooling the entire building.

It has fan-driven air that will help in cooling off and eliminating heat from the flowing air.

You will place the air chillers outside the building thus consuming very little space within the building.

How Many Types of Air Chillers Do You Supply?

There are four basic types of air chillers that you can choose from.

Here are the main types of air chillers that you can choose from.

Reciprocating Air Chillers

It has an intake valve that will draw the refrigerant into the compressor.

Apart from that, it has internal pistons that compress the refrigerant.

Due to high pressure, the refrigerant will flow into the system through pipes thus causing a cooling effect.

At the same time, it absorbs enough heat from the system thus cooling the room.

It is capable of accommodating loads ranging from 30 tons to about 150 tons.

You can also use multiple units thus allowing proper flexibility of the entire system.

It is a very affordable type of air chiller but you will pay more when it comes to proper maintenance.

Apart from that, it produces a lot of noise through vibration and also consumes quite a lot of energy.

Rotary Screw Air Chillers

It has helical rotors that are responsible for the compression of the refrigerants thus forcing it in spaces within the helical screws.

It is capable of handling between 20 to 1000 tons of load thus placing it within the mid-range capacity.

The screw chiller has very few moving parts and a high ratio of compression thus making them quite smaller.

It is a quiet type of machine that does not vibrate with high levels of reliability and efficiency.

The cost of maintenance is also very low even though it is costly on the first purchase.

Screw chiller

Centrifugal Air Chillers

The Centrifugal chiller has an impeller that wheel that will force the refrigerant against the cylinder wall chambers.

After that, it will exhaust the refrigerant thus leading to a continuous colling process.

It has the capability of handling very high volumes of refrigerants with relatively small compressive forces.

It has the largest load capacity of about 2000 tons thus requiring load applications of about 300 tons or more.

In full mode operation, the centrifugal air chillers are the most efficient thus meeting low-cost value.

You might experience surge issues when you operate the machine at low operational capacities.

Centrifugal chiller

Scroll Air Chillers

This is the smallest air chiller with the capability of handling between 5 and 150 tons of load.

The scroll chiller has two spiral disks with one in constant rotation while the other is stationary.

It compresses the refrigerant at the center of the machine before pushing it back into the system.

They have a compact design thus making them the most efficient and low maintenance cost air chiller.

Scroll chiller

What is the Difference Between the FCU Air Chillers and the AHU Air Conditioners?

Air handling units (AHU) and Fan Coil Units (FCU) are two different types of air chillers.

AHU air chillers circulate and conditions air through the ducts of a building.

It comes complete with different parts which include sound attenuators, heating, and cooling coils, and blowers.

On the other hand, FCU air chillers are simple machines that are capable of circulating air without ducts.

AHU has the capability of absorbing air from the outside while FCU will use the air within the system.

You will use the FCU to help in heating air within smaller buildings while AHU is good for air circulation in large buildings.

FCU air chillers are cheaper to acquire and install in comparison to the AHU air chillers.

Do You Offer a Valid Warranty for All the Air Chillers you Provide?

Absolutely, we do offer a valid warranty for all the air chillers we supply.

We believe in the long service life of our products and in case of any hitches we can take responsibility.

You must, however, note that the duration of the warranty usually depends on the type of air chiller.

Apart from that, our warranty will only cover the issues that the manufacturers might overlook in the production process.

How Does an Air Chiller Compare to a Refrigerant?

Air chillers and refrigerants are two different substances that work together to balance the temperature conditions.

You will use the air chiller as a device that controls the extraction of heat from the air thus cooling the room.

On the other hand, the refrigerant is the substance that you will use in air chillers to create a cooling effect.

Since we are addressing an air chiller, you will use the refrigerants such as ammonium to create the chilling effect.

Which Industries Require the Services of Air Chillers?

You can use the air chiller in different applications to create a chilling effect thus controlling temperature.

Here are some of the industries that will require the services of air chillers.

· Construction Industry

You will need the air chiller to provide enough warmth as well as chilling effects within different types of buildings.

In many cases, you will find the air chiller on top of different buildings or within a mechanical room.

· Manufacturing Industry

You will use the air chillers in the manufacturing industry to cool the environment that would suffocate from excess heat.

Most manufacturing industries have air chillers on the outside to blast considerable amounts of cool air.

· Medical Industry

The medical industry requires the services of air chillers to help to cool off the interiors of the hospital buildings.

It makes the hospital buildings to be as cool as possible thus increasing the comfort of the patients.

· Warehousing Industry

Well, you will need the air chillers in warehouses to control the temperature conditions for the storage of different products.

It creates a cool atmosphere that is favorable for the storage of different types of goods within the warehouses.

Air chiller is Widely Used in the Manufacturing Industry

Which Environmental Installation Considerations Should You Look At?

There are general installation rules that you need to apply when setting up the air chillers.

Here are some of the environmental considerations that you need to take care of.

· Indoor Areas

When installing the air chillers within a room, you must have proper ventilation that leads to the outside of the building.

It should have enough make-up air that will help in the maintenance of suitable temperatures within the indoor area.

· Outdoor Areas

Air chillers are the most suitable types of chillers that you will install outside of a building.

It has proper conditions that help in the dissipation of heat from the condensers to the air outside the building.

You must, however, have proper configurations of the electric panels based on the environmental conditions.

· High-Temperature Environments

You should avoid installing air chillers in high-temperature environments because it will suffocate the room.

Apart from that, there will be little airflow thus hindering proper working conditions for the air chillers.

· Water Scarce Environments

In areas that have a limited supply of water, the best type of chillers to install are the air chillers.

It does not use water but depends on air to effectively chill the building or warehouse.

How Much the Air Chillers Cost?

The cost of air chillers usually varies in terms of the type as well as the size of the air chillers.

More technologically advanced types of chillers will cost more.

Apart from that, the larger the air chillers, the more you will pay to purchase them.

The cost of the air chillers will range between 2000 to 200,000 US dollars.

The cost might even be more depending on the custom requirements of the air chillers.

What are the Main Components of an Air Chiller?

Air chillers have different components that enable proper mechanical operations to produce the chilling effect.

In a mechanical air chiller, we have four main components which include:

· Evaporator

You will use the evaporator within the air chillers to heat the air within the system to create enough pressure.

The machine requires pressure to push the cooling air all through the air chilling system within the building.

· Compressor

You will also need the compressor to help in creating enough pressure within the air chiller systems.

The compressors will exert enough force on the air thus creating a pushing effect with enough pressure.

· Condenser

The condenser will help in controlling the refrigerant and reducing it to its normal state after heat absorption.

· Expansion Valve

The expansion valve will help in expanding the air while releasing it from the air chiller system.

It helps in creating or maintaining a continuous flow of air through the entire air chilling system.

Air chiller compressor

How Do You Maintain an Air Chiller?

You need to maintain the industrial air chillers to maintain peak performance at all times.

Proper maintenance is a guarantee that your air chiller will serve you for a very long time.

In that case, you must have a proper schedule that you need to follow to maintain the air chillers.

Basically, your maintenance schedule will detail the time intervals for cleaning and lubricating the air chillers.

You need to clean the air chillers to get rid of the dust that might clog the systems regularly.

Apart from that, you have to lubricate the moving parts regularly to reduce friction and damage.

Finally, you should inspect the air chillers regularly to identify broken parts for replacement purposes.

Lubricate the moving parts regularly to reduce friction

Can You Use an Air Chiller for Heating Purposes?

Yes, you can also use the air chillers to heat a room.

This will work perfectly in a condition where you program the air chiller to reduce the absorption of heat.

In turn, it will emit heat that will increase the temperatures of the air circulating within the system.

This will allow the hot air to heat the room accordingly.

How Do You Select a Good Air Chiller?

You have to do a proper selection of your air chillers to have proper ventilation within your industrial application.

This is possible only with a proper selection guideline when choosing an air chiller.

Here are the fundamental steps that you have to look at when selecting a good air chiller.

Of course, good quality air chillers are designed and manufactured by a high reputation air chiller factory.

TopChiller is a professional air chiller manufacturer and supplier who can design and make all kinds of air chillers to meet your cooling demands suitable for your applications.

· Determine the Load of Heat

First, you should identify a load of heat within the application settings before choosing a chiller.

The greater the heat load within your application settings, the bigger the type of air chillers you need.

· Determine the Type of Coolant

You should pay close attention to the type of coolant you will use in the cooling process within the air chillers.

In this case, the type of coolant that we will use is air which will help in the transfer of heat through the system.

· Determine the Installation Environment

You will choose the air chiller installation environment by looking at the access to the proper air ventilation.

In many cases, you will install it outside the building for proper access to free-flowing air.

In case you have a mechanical room, then you must have proper ventilation that allows the free flow of air.

· Look at Chiller Performance Curves

In addition to the above, you should also look at the performance of air chillers before you make a choice.

You will relate the performance curve to the application requirements to have proper estimates of its efficiency.

· Final Selection

With all the above factors under consideration, you will go ahead and choose the type of air chiller you need.

Air chiller heat load calculation

How Do You Fill Refrigerant into the Air Chiller?

With proper tools and safety materials, filling gas within the air chillers is a very simple process.

The process begins by checking the air levels within the system to determine the amount of air to add.

After that, you will locate the suction valve which you will use to fill enough air into the air chiller system.

As soon as you have it, you should proceed to open the suction valve and purge the system of the air inside.

You will do this by connecting different colors of tubes to the designated points to perform different functions.

You have to be very careful not to allow entry of moisture as that might cause serious damages.

After that, you should ensure that you close all the valves on the AC manifold gauge.

Connect the yellow hose to the inlet of the refrigerant and ensure that the pipes do not have air within.

With that in check, you will proceed to open the gas cylinders to allow entry of air into the air chillers.

Finally, you will carefully remove the connections and close the valves.

Air chiller refrigerant filling

How Do You Troubleshoot an Air Chiller?

You might experience a few technical hitches in the operations of the air chillers.

You will identify the problems by troubleshooting the machine and looking for proper solutions.

Here are some of the problems that you might identify and their possible causes.

·         Failure to Power Up

This might be a result of loss or incorrect connections, or blown circuits and power switched off.

You can sort this out by ensuring that you correct all the connection problems and replacing the blown circuits.

After that, you should switch the power to allow the power to flow.

·         Insufficient Flow of Fluids thus Limited Pumping

The reason behind this can be attributed to insufficient fluid in the reservoirs, and fluctuating voltage lines.

It might also occur due to pump failure, process restrictions, smaller process pipes, and blockage of fluid filters.

You can sort this out by hiring an expert to clean the whole system on regular basis and fix the broken parts.

Air chiller troubleshooting

How Do You Size a Good Air Chiller for Your Applications?

You can size an air chiller by using the air chiller sizing calculator.

During the calculation process, you must have the following information.

• Flow Rate of Air
• Incoming Air Temperatures
• Required Chill Air Temperatures.

This information will automatically determine the right size of the air chiller that you need.

What is the Process of Diagnosing the Air Chiller Life Cycle?

Diagnosing the air chiller life cycle will assist in determining the durability of the air chillers.

The durability of the air chiller will depend on the type of air chiller as well as the maintenance routine.

Proper maintenance of the air chillers will allow you to properly use the air chillers for almost 25 years.

How Can I Increase the Efficiency of the Air Chillers?

You can increase the efficiency with which the air chillers work by looking at particular factors.

Here are some of the factors that you can consider to increase the efficiency of the air chillers.

Consider the Variable Retrofit Speed

You should consider the variable retrofit speed to help in the provision of energy-saving opportunities.

You must, however, be careful with the other parts of the system to ensure there are no damages.

In addition to that, it is important to check on the variable flow capabilities of the chiller to improve efficiency.

Run Multiple Parallel Devices

Running the air chiller components in parallel will help in saving enough energy thus increasing the machine efficiency.

Some of the systems that you can pipe in parallel include system pumps and cooling fans.

Running more of the equipment will help in maximizing the surface area of heat transfer at the operating points.

Increase Temperatures of Supplies

You can as well increase the temperatures within the supply system to increase the dehumidification process.

It will also help in saving air chiller energy consumption thus making the operations less expensive.

Which Chiller Safety Controls Must You Consider When Using the Air Chillers?

When using the air chiller, it is important to have a look at the safety of the air chiller components.

Implying that you should protect the air chiller components from low refrigerant temperatures, high condensing, or low oil pressure.

Some of the safety controls that you should be aware of include:

Capacity Controls

It is responsible for the maintenance of temperatures, especially of the chilled water.

Refrigerant Flow Controls

You will set it in correspondence to the pressure you are using within the air chiller components.

Apart from the two, you must also have a look at the other types of mechanical controls for increased safety.

In addition to that, the system can automatically shut down in case the above safety features fail to work.

The automatic machine shutdown will prevent the machine from being damaged as well as the health of the people surrounding it.

How Do You Test Air Chillers?

You should consider testing the performance of the air chillers on an annual basis to determine their efficiency.

The testing procedure involves taking samples for tests based on particular set standards.

During the test, you must have particular factors on location as well as witnesses to see the testing process.

You must make sure that you test all the main features of the air chiller to know the efficiency of the system.

To assist with the testing procedure, you must have a proper testing kit in place.

You must also record the key details for proper reference when making maintenance decisions.

What are the Quality Standards for Air Chillers?

Well, there are particular standards that the air chillers must meet in terms of quality assurance.

Here are the main quality standards that the air chillers must adhere to:

• AHRI Quality Standards
• ISO/TC Quality Standards
• EN 12309-2 Quality Standards (for gas-fired absorption and adsorption air conditioning)
• DIN 33830-4 Quality Standards (for heat pumps)
• JIS B 8622:2009 Quality Standards (for refrigeration system)
• ANSI/AHRI 560 Quality Standards (for air chilling and heating systems)

Clearly, there are several factors you must consider before choosing air chiller systems.

At TopChiller, we strive to give you high-performance and reliable chiller systems.

Contact us today for any inquiries and free consultations on air chillers.

100% quality tested air chiller