Why must the HVAC Industry Prioritize Condenser Maintenance for Chillers?

Why must the HVAC industry prioritize Condenser Maintenance for chillers?

January 1, 1970 | Blog

Condenser tube cleaning is an important aspect of the smooth operation of your HVAC systems. Even though the condenser is one of the components within chillers, its maintenance has a huge effect on the overall efficiency of the entire system. With condenser tubes playing such a vital role in overall unit efficiency, it is very crucial to frequently clean condenser tubes.

The whole purpose of the condenser tube cleaning is to move heat out and replace it with cool air. Clean condenser tubes keep systems operating cool, which is important for compressors to operate efficiently and allows the unit to maintain the proper temperature. Condenser tubes that are not cleaned regularly will cause the compressor to overheat which then creates higher temperatures in the HVAC system and can lead to heat and energy loss.

However, it is easy to be fooled by tubes that look clean on the surface but are dirty or plugged on the inside. Condenser coils are usually stacked, meaning they have multiple layers in which dust and grease can get trapped. Grease, dust and items blocking airflow will all cause issues for condenser coils and in turn, could cause compressor damage.

This can lead to compressor failures which account for large expenses in the HVAC system operation. The failure can usually be traced back to condenser coil issues. Keeping up with regular condenser coil cleaning and maintenance can help avoid such issues. Regular condenser tube cleaning can help you steer clear of these problems while ensuring that the chillers are operating closer to the desired output.

Here are 3 reasons why condenser tube cleaning is important:

1. For optimum performance:

Your HVAC system is a complex machine that is composed of several parts. Your condenser is one of the most important parts that work like the heart of the system. If it doesn’t work well, then the whole system will be affected. Residue and debris in condenser tubes can impede the efficiency of your chillers. That’s why it is important to have regular tube cleaning from time to time to make sure that the chillers are performing at their best.

2. To reduce zero heat loss:

One large potential challenge to desired chiller performance is to prevent heat loss from condenser tubes. HVAC system efficiency deteriorates as tubes become fouled, when mud, algae, sludge, scale or contaminants accumulate on the waterside of heat-transfer surfaces. Chiller performance and efficiency relate directly to its ability to transfer heat, which begins with clean evaporator and condenser tubes. Large chillers contain several miles of tubing in their heat exchangers, so keeping these large surfaces clean is essential to reduce heat and energy loss through condenser tubes.

3. Extent life cycle with no downtime:

Regular maintenance is the best way to maximize the life of your air conditioner. It extends chiller life and increases ROI because the compressor never operates beyond its design limits and condenser tube corrosion is eliminated. The automatic tube cleaning system keeps the condenser tubes permanently clean while the chiller is operating thus eliminating the need for manual cleaning while lowering your maintenance and energy bills.

Given the current economic situation of the HVAC industry today, companies need to be investing in solutions that can increase profitability with sustainability. Estimates have shown that additional revenues from annual cleanings of the main condenser can net upwards of $250,000 per year.

Automatic Condenser Tube Cleaning (ACCS) is clearly one of the maintenance solutions that can quickly and easily clean the condenser tubes. Therefore, it is important to regular and automated clean condenser coils…even if they may seem clean, dirt and grease are building