Pros and Cons of Water-cooled Chiller
It is clear that the water cooled chiller has been developed as a more efficient alternative to air-cooled systems. The following points are indicated as the advantages of such a scheme:
- Compared to air cooling, water cooling allows reducing the heat exchange area. Therefore, to reduce the size of the condenser itself, which makes the chiller design more compact.
- When installing a recuperation system, the water heated in the condenser can be used as an additional heat carrier. For example, for heating rooms, which allows more economical and efficient use of energy.
- Thanks to their more compact dimensions, water-cooled chillers can be installed indoors. It is especially important in situations where there is a lack of outdoor space for installing units on the roof of a building.
However, such a scheme also has disadvantages, among which it is worth mentioning the following main ones:
- Water cooling requires the installation of additional equipment. It greatly complicates the system and requires extra space for placing a dry cooler or cooling tower.
- The water recirculation system requires an additional power supply for the fans to operate.
It is obvious that water cooling of a chiller implies regular maintenance of such systems. Only a trained specialist knows how this equipment works. Therefore, the service of such installations should be carried out by suppliers or companies providing the corresponding service.
Due to the higher density and heat capacity of water compared to air, a water-cooled chiller has a smaller heat exchanger, and therefore it’s own. It is installed indoors and is able to function all year round using heat recovery. The water chiller can be equipped with a remote condenser cooled by an outside air stream. In the presence of a reverse mode, it can be used to heat the room.
