Chiller/water cooler info
Chiller/water cooler info
(OP)
Our company presently utilizes 20 ton commercial HVAC units to "try" and moderate temperatures in a 500K facility in the deep south. These units are working constantly, consuming massive power, and only make a 5 degree cooler workplace. I am looking into possibly going to chiller type unit. Any suggestions or comments?





RE: Chiller/water cooler info
What do you mean by commercial HVAC units? Do you mean split or window type air conditioners?
By 5 degrees, do you mean 0C or 0F?
What temperature do you exactly require to maintain?
By deep south I don't mean Antarcitica (no pun intended
Anyhow if you are using freon directly to cool the air, that is the better option for your capacity. (because you are avoiding three tier inefficiency viz., air or cooling water to freon, freon to chilled water and chilled water to air)
If you find this post to be incompetent skip it and pardon my ignorance.
By the way what is a 500K facility?
Best Regards,
RE: Chiller/water cooler info
20 ton rooftop A/C w/ gas heat package units. The largest Rheem makes. 5 deg. F cooler than the norm outside temp of 95 - 100 deg in our 500 K sq. ft. facility located in central Alabama. Anartica would work better for us. Just crack the windows!
Since the HVAC systems in the plant are being replaced on average of 6 per year, just trying to explore alternative methods of keeping this plant cooled to a bearable temperature of around 75 - 80.
RE: Chiller/water cooler info
RE: Chiller/water cooler info
RE: Chiller/water cooler info
Also, six units per year replaced indicates an average useful life of less than 13 years for each. I tend to think you'd be better served by having a central chiller and boiler plant and eight well-made AHUs (~100,000 cfm variety each) serving the space.
These are initial thoughts; the best-fit depends largely on the plant processes and needs, as well as the company's performance and stability.
RE: Chiller/water cooler info
Pick a "large tower" to allow cool condenser water to be produced, this will allow the chiller to operate at very efficient kW/ton.
Your bills must be truly enormous, but I am certain you can cut them in half, which producing better cooling especially during peak ambient temperatures (where capacity of air cooled units falls off quickly, and the kw/ton increases rapidly also, by the way.)
With the costs you are talking about, it is certainly justifiable to hire an energy consultant / HVAC engineer
Other option -- move to Hawaii
Pacific Steve
RE: Chiller/water cooler info
PWI Energy
327 N. 17th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone 215-241-9100
RE: Chiller/water cooler info
If this is a manufacturing facility, you probably have a lot of equipment that generates heat. Some of it may be aircooled (like a radiator on a hydraulic press) or you actually have small air cooled process chillers. It may be worth it to make some of that equipment water cooled with a central process chiller that is outside. This might help reduce the cooling load to the space.
The BTU's are the same whether or not you cool the air heated by the machinery or the machinery directly, but it would probably be more efficient and give you better control. THe cost to retrofit equipment to water cooled woould be kind of pricey though.
Good Luck.
Clyde
RE: Chiller/water cooler info
hvacservice@juno.com
RE: Chiller/water cooler info