The Chiller Health Check, introduced by Wimbledon-based LH plc, uses the latest high-tech thermal imaging systems coupled with a new award-winning performance analyser called ClimaCheck. The technology can spot a range of problems in a working chiller, such as refrigerant loss, control faults and compressor wear or damage, causing serious underperformance and possible chiller failure in future.

“A test takes around an hour and could save the end user literally thousands of pounds in reduced energy bills and dramatically improve the performance of a building’s air conditioning,” says Andy Boatwright, who heads up the new service.

More than half of air conditioning chillers are believed to suffer significant underperformance. The most common causes are the wrong refrigerant charge – the system contains either too little or too much refrigerant; expansion valves incorrectly set; overall chiller controls wrongly set at the time of commissioning or arbitrarily or accidentally changed since; and compressor problems.

Once identified, faults can be quickly remedied resulting in an immediate and significant impact on performance and running costs.  “With energy prices rising, and evidence that the majority of chillers suffer serious underperformance, a small investment in a Chiller Health Check could result in a substantial return. It can pay for itself in the first few weeks. It’s a compelling argument”.

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