Get The Most Out Of Your Rented Chiller With Preventative Maintenance
One of the biggest perks of renting a chiller versus owning one is that you are not stuck with costly upgrades. You can ship it back to the manufacturer before anything major gets too outmoded to work for you. You even have back up from the manufacturer’s experts in case you need technical help. However, even minor hiccups in a crucial bit of machinery such as a chiller can disrupt your business, even if you do rent from folks with a helpline and certified technicians who can fix the problem quickly. It would be better to simply avoid any hassles by taking a few preventative measures. Here are few steps that will make sure that you will get the most out of your chiller for the entire time that you are renting it.
Inspections
Your chiller has a few things that need to be checked every several days. The first one is the condenser, which can catch little things in its coils overnight or through the work day. Besides, condenser towers are often outside, which leaves it exposed to debris brought in on the wind. It should be easy to wipe away any obstructions. Give your chiller a visual once-over while you are there to make sure all the connections and pipes look right. It is easier to fix things if you catch them when they are little and before the business of the day begins. If your condenser has a filter pad, inspecting that routinely will help you keep it clean.
Use The Right Cooling Media
Each chiller is designed to work best with a certain blend of glycol. If you are using the chiller for making food or for medical purposes, the type of chiller you get will be designed to run on Propylene glycol. For other chiller types, you will probably need Ethylene glycol mixtures. It is best to buy them pre-blended so that you don’t have to guess how much of each material you need to make the appropriate cooling media blend. Be sure to find out what the appropriate percentages are and stick to them, unless the manufacturers recommend changing it.
Also, avoid automotive glycol. It is not the same formula as standard glycol. It contains silicone, which can cling to the pipes and cause problems over time.
Check The Glycol Reservoir
Just as your car works best if all the reservoirs are filled up, your chiller works best if all of its reservoirs are full. Make sure that it is at least 80-95% full by the end of the week, and top it off when it threatens to get lower.
Monitor The Ambient Temperature
Temperature fluctuations aren’t just bad for your business. They are a sign of chiller trouble. Remember that many types of chillers work best above 50 degrees Fahrenheit unless you add glycol. Keep an eye on the glycol inlet and outlet temperatures so you can catch the problems early and maintain the optimal operating temperature.
Clean Your Chiller Regularly
All machinery collects dust overtime, and this is especially true of hardworking equipment such as chillers. It will work best if you regularly clean the exposed parts of the chillers and arrange for the filters to be changed so that nothing will clog the working parts. You don’t have to do this too often, maybe 4 times a year if you use your chiller all year, or twice a year if you only use it half of the year.
When your company needs to rent a chiller or you have questions about the one you are renting, contact us. Our family-owned business has been working with chillers since 1956, and we are anxious to help you with your rental chillers.
