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Chilled water air conditioners are cost-effective and energy-efficient systems that can cool or heat your building. They use less refrigerant than traditional HVAC systems do, making these units enticing for residential homeowners.
Chilled water systems provide cooling to a building by using chilled water to absorb heat from the building’s spaces. At the heart of the water chilled system, a chiller removes heat from water by means of a refrigeration cycle.
Unlike conventional air conditioning systems which use refrigerant to cool the air, chilled water systems cool the air by circulating low-temperature water through cooling coils. As each air handler circulates air through their cooling coil, the room is cooled and dehumidified.
Chilled water systems - In a chilled-water system, the entire air conditioner is installed on the roof or behind the building. It cools water to between 40 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 and 7.2 degrees Celsius). The chilled water is then piped throughout the building and connected to air handlers.
Chilled water cooling is quite different from the typical freon-based residential air conditioner. In a conventional home air conditioner, refrigerant is circulated through a furnace with an evaporator coil or a coil equipped air handler to remove heat from the indoor air.
A chiller is made up of the 4 major components required for the refrigeration process which are: a) compressor, b) condenser, c) evaporator and d) expansion valve. To produce chilled water, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the water and thus, chilling the water to about 6.7°C (44°F).
While both systems provide effective air cooling, they have different components and key benefits. An air conditioning system operates by circulating a refrigerant such as Freon through a set of coils, while a chilled water system utilizes a network of pumps and pipes, and a chiller to cool the air.
The chilled water circulates through a chilled water loop and through coils located in air handlers. Chilled water systems include other HVAC equipment designed to exchange heat such as computer room air conditioners.
The foundation of HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) cooling systems are chilled water systems. Chilled water systems are primarily used in industrial settings due to the lower cost of using water for chilling.
You may already know that chilled water is the icy lifeblood of the HVAC system. But why is it so important? And which parts of the system need special attention? How does one keep the installation healthy and in good shape, preventing problems? Here’s what you need to know.