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How to Select Air Cooled Chiller and Water Cooled Chiller？and Different？

Do you know the differences between air-cooled chillers and water-cooled chillers? How do you choose?This article will introduce them from the aspects of components, cost, installation, capacity, efficiency, location, noise, maintenance, etc. Let’s take a look!

Chillers Components

There are differences between air-cooled chillers and water-cooled chillers in some special accessories.

• Air-cooled chiller- Air-cooled chillers require a fan on the condenser side, which uses flowing air to remove heat.

• Water-cooled chiller-You have to install a water tower, a water pump, and pipes to transport the water. The cooling water that has absorbed the heat of the refrigerant will be pumped back to the water tower and recycled after the heat is dissipated.

Chiller Efficiency

Water-cooled chillers have higher cooling efficiency! Why?

• Air-cooled chiller–It needs to dissipate the temperature of the refrigerant into the environment, so the ambient temperature greatly affects its cooling efficiency. If the ambient temperature is high, the fan will circulate the air faster to ensure the condenser works efficiently.

• Water-cooled chiller–The ambient temperature is often higher than the cooling water temperature. This difference is very obvious in summer. The lower the condensing temperature, the less work the compressor has to do. In addition, the specific heat capacity of water is higher than that of air, so water can take away more heat at the same temperature difference.

Chiller Capacity

• Air-Cooled Chiller–Its capacity is generally 7.5~500 tons.

• Water-Cooled Chiller–The capacity is usually 10~4000 tons.

If you want a large capacity chiller system, a water-cooled chiller is suitable for you.

Chiller Locations

Which chiller is more suitable for your region and application scenario? You should pay attention to these factors!

• Air-Cooled Chiller-As we said before, it requires good ventilation and suitable ambient temperature. So, you should use it in a well-ventilated place. Moreover, you need to pay attention to the local summer temperature. If the temperature is too high, it may affect the work efficiency. However, the advantage is that its overall footprint is relatively small, and it has no requirements for water sources, so it is also applicable to places with water shortage or poor water quality.

• Water-Cooled Chiller-To prevent impurities from contaminating the pipes, you need to use clean plant water. If your area cannot provide it, you cannot use a water cooling system. In addition, it must be equipped with equipment such as a water tower, and the overall area is relatively large. You need to consider whether your site is suitable. Because there is no requirement for ambient temperature, you can even install it in a poorly ventilated basement.

Chiller Installation

• Air-Cooled Chiller-The air cooling system is generally modular in design, . After you receive the equipment, you only need to connect some necessary pipes and turn on the power to use it.

• Water-Cooled Chiller-Although the water-cooled chiller is also an integrated device, it needs to be connected to cooling water pipelines, water towers, etc., and its installation is more complicated than the air-cooled system.

Chiller Maintenance

You need to regularly maintain the major components and unique parts of both air-cooled and water-cooled chillers.

• Air-cooled chiller-You should check the fan’s operation regularly and clean the dust from the fan blades and condenser fins. If you use a filter, clean or replace it as well.

• Water-cooled chiller-It requires clean cooling water, so you need to regularly test the cooling water quality, check the water pump and clean the water tower. The water in the water tower will evaporate, and you have to replenish the cooling water. And if you use a shell and tube heat exchanger, its inner wall is prone to fouling, so you also need to clean it regularly.

Chiller Life Expectancy

• Air-cooled chiller-Its service life is generally 15 to 20 years.

• Water-cooled chiller-The average life of a water-cooled chiller is usually 20 to 30 years.

Chiller Cost

The cost of a chiller includes purchase cost, operation cost, and maintenance cost. If you are also concerned about the price of a chiller, then you must read on.

• Purchase Cost-From the perspective of the initial investment in purchasing a chiller, the main unit price of an air-cooled chiller is higher than that of a water-cooled chiller. However, a water-cooled chiller requires additional investment in pipes, water towers and other equipment. Overall, the investment in a water-cooled system may be higher.

• Operating Cost-Water cooling is more efficient than air cooling systems, so it consumes less electricity. Moreover, the energy efficiency ratio of water cooling is higher than that of air cooling. However, from the perspective of water treatment, you need to spend money on water quality testing every year. More importantly, water cooling systems have a longer service life and longer operating time. Therefore, you need to consider these factors in combination with your cooling requirements.

• Maintenance Cost-The maintenance of a water-cooled chiller will definitely include the maintenance of the cooling tower, water pump, pipes, and cooling water, so it often has a higher maintenance cost.

In general, if your project is short-term and the budget is limited, the air-cooled system is suitable for you. If you need a large cooling device that can run for a long time, the water-cooled chiller is a better choice.

Need Air Cooled Chiller or Water Cooled Chiller?

LNEYA offers you free guidance on choosing the right chiller, along with a wide range of air-cooled and water-cooled chillers with different performance options.

Customize a chiller system tailored to your unique application—start here!

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