The Importance of Maintenance for Industrial Water Chillers and Compressed Air Solutions for Extreme Temperature Reliability

Maintaining your compressed air equipment and cooling water plants is vital for reliable performance, especially when faced with extreme temperatures. Whether it's freezing cold or scorching hot, these systems require regular maintenance to ensure efficient operation.

In this article, we will delve into the significance of maintenance for compressed air and cooling water plants in extreme temperatures and provide expert tips to optimise their reliability.

Effects of Extreme Temperatures on Compressed Air Systems

Extreme temperatures can significantly impact compressed air systems. In freezing conditions, moisture in the air can freeze, leading to blockages and pressure drops. Conversely, during scorching summers, heat load increases, resulting in reduced efficiency and potential equipment overheating. Regular maintenance is crucial to mitigate these issues.

Summer Maintenance Tips for Air Compressors

During summer, protecting air compressors is paramount. Overheating is a common concern, so regular inspecting and cleaning of cooling fans, air filters and radiators to maintain adequate airflow is crucial for optimal performance. In line with this, we also highly suggest monitoring and adjusting oil quality and the total oil levels throughout the system in order to prevent system failures caused by excessive heat.

Summer Maintenance Tips for Cooling Water Plants

Cooling water plants, particularly chillers, face unique challenges in hot weather.

In the summer months it is important to constantly ensure your cooling system is running correctly. To ensure your system is continuously running smoothly, your condenser coil should be kept clean and free of any debris, such as dust, leaves and feathers. When cleaning these coils, use of the appropriate chemical cleaning systems is important, as just a small build-up of debris can lead to a detrimental impact on the water-cooling solution’s performance, or even nuisance trips / alarms.. Regular maintenance will also ensure that any minor changes such as increased pressure drops on the water/glycol side, or any refrigerant leaks are found out and rectified before failures happen.

Winter Maintenance Tips for Compressed Air Systems

To address challenges posed by low temperatures for your compressed air equipment, proper ventilation and insulation in and around the area your equipment is stored is a vital to ensure longevity. Additionally, locating your compressors cold air intake away from exhaust vents and drafts helps prevent freezing and condensation.

At Maziak we offer routine inspections for air leaks, worn-out components, and frozen condensate as necessary services which serve to avoid damage and maintain your compressor’s reliable performance.

Winter Maintenance Tips for Cooling Water Plants

Addressing changes in temperature in the winter is crucial to maintain a cooling water plant effectively. Firstly, ensure the chiller has the appropriate glycol mixture by referring to glycol charts and using a refractometer to check levels. Ensuring the chiller condenser coils and fans are, kept free from snow and ice helps to prevent damage to fan blades and maintain proper airflow as this is another key requirement for maintaining optimal industrial chiller performance.

Planning ahead is essential, so ensure your chiller is suitable for winter conditions and perform maintenance checks in advance to address any necessary corrections.

The importance of consistent compressor maintenance is emphasised as we move into summer and our wonderful British weather blesses us with warmer temperatures. 

Extreme temperatures can have a significant impact on the reliability and performance of compressed air and cooling water plants. Proper maintenance is crucial to mitigate the effects of freezing cold and scorching heat. At Maziak we ensure that your application is kept running at top performance to make the most of your investment!