LH PLC New High-Tech Approach To Chillers Spots Problems Before
Breakdown And Cuts Energy Bills
A new diagnostic test for building chillers – equivalent to a CAT
scan for the human body – can spot under-performance in seconds and
diagnose problems that could lead to future breakdown.
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.
“In the majority of cases, we can guarantee lower running costs,
reduced carbon emissions and a cooler, more productive working
environment for building occupants.”
More than half of air conditioning chillers are believed to suffer
significant underperformance. Recent research in Scandinavia
suggests the figure could be as high as eight out of ten, with plant
wasting an average of 10 to 20 per cent of energy consumed.
Some chillers have been found to waste in excess of 50 per cent of
the energy used, resulting in excessive power bills.
“With energy prices set to rise for the foreseeable future, this is
a colossal waste of money – and entirely avoidable. A quick
diagnostic check will tell you where the problem lies, and what
needs to be done to put it right,” says Mr Boatwright.
The most common causes of chiller underperformance 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.
“What is different about our approach is that we find and cure the
source of the problem, rather than just treating the symptoms. The
savings can be astronomical.”
He adds: “A chiller is the equivalent of a human heart in a
building. If it is compromised or underperforms, it can seriously
affect the functioning and productivity of the whole building. A
complete breakdown is like a heart attack – everything stops.”
A nationwide project carried out for a leading UK bank proves the
effectiveness of the approach. The organisation had a repair call
out rate at its branches of up to six times a year, due to poor
maintenance over a number of years.
Following chiller diagnostic health checks and a period of regular
preventive maintenance, the average call-out rate has been cut to
less than one a year, delivering substantial savings in on-going
energy and service costs.
Once identified, faults can be quickly remedied resulting in an
immediate and significant impact on performance and running costs.
Thermal imaging cameras are used to spot areas of heat loss or poor
insulation. The infra-red images show up hidden problems in the
chiller itself or associated pipework.
The ClimaCheck performance analyser is hooked up to key points on
the chiller’s refrigeration circuit, in much the same way a patient
in hospital is monitored for vital biometric data on their life
functions. From four or five key parameters, it works out the
chiller’s coefficient of performance and highlights areas in need of
attention.
It spots hidden problems such as wear or damage to compressors and
malfunctions in heat exchangers and control system, that may not be
visible but which, if left untreated, could result in serious loss
of performance or sudden catastrophic breakdown.
“The ability to identify hidden problems that could affect plant
reliability is particularly important in critical applications, such
as food storage facilities, data centres and financial dealing
rooms,” he says. “In such applications, breakdowns can result in
significant stock loss and building downtime that may cost the user
millions of pounds. The Chiller Health Check is a small investment
to ensure reliability and optimum performance.”
The check includes a legal compliance survey to ensure clients are
complying with the latest legislation. This includes the F-Gas
Regulations, Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and
relevant health and safety laws.
Andy Boatwright says: “Unlike most general building assessments, the
chiller check is specific to the requirements of air conditioning
installations; it homes in on the detailed requirements that general
surveys miss. It provides real assurance for owners that everything
is in order, and all legal bases covered.”
The client report highlights issues that need attention, and makes
recommendations for optimising chiller performance. This includes
no-cost or low-cost measures for improving energy efficiency.
“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.”
Email:
Andy@lh-plc.co.uk
Ardex Floor leveling compound Flooring products Cement sand screed News 070610
Siemens Cpd seminars Fire detection systems Fire protection systems News 070610
Honeywell Energy efficient heating Heating controls Installer training courses News 090610
Ideal Standard Bathroom ideas Bathrooms design Bathroom manufacturers Shower enclosures News 070610
SSQ Slate roofing Natural slate roofing Slate roof tiles News 070610
Versaperm Gas permability Water vapour instrument Permability testing equipment News 070610
Ukhomeinteriors Wall paneling Wood wall panelling Oak wall panelling News 030610
BSW Timber cladding Wood cladding Larch cladding Cladding products News 070610
LH plc Air conditioning check Climacheck Chiller performance analyser News 070610
Reynaers Window systems Aluminium curtain walling Curtain walling systems News 070610
IntaEco Energy efficient heating Plumbing equipment Green plumbing technology News 070610
Rockwool Loft insulation Roof insulation Building insulation Insulation manufacturers News 070610
Leaderflush Shapland Doorsets Steel doorsets Internal doorsets Fire doorsets News 080610
Armstrong Heat pumps Renewable technology Heat exchangers Speed pumps News 080610
Eaton Energy monitoring systems Home automation Main isolator switch News 080610
Steadmans Roofing manufacturers Insulated panels Cladding manufacturer Roof cladding News 080610
Ideal Standard Bathroom designs Bathroom ideas Showers enclosures Bathroom manufacturers News 080610
Action Storage shelving Shelving systems Stockroom shelving Storage equipment News 080610
Altecnic Thermostatic mixing valves Plumbing equipment Heating equipment manufacturer News 080610
Tarkett Sports floor Safety floors Vinyl floor Wood floors News 090610
Chloride Ups systems Uninterruptible power supply Energy efficiency calculator News 090610
Socomec Static transfer system Uninterruptible power supplies Switchgear manufacturers News 090610
Sureset Paving slabs Resin bound surfacing Permeable paving slabs News 090610
SIG Green roof membrane Green roof systems Living walls News 090610
Terrys Fabrics Pvc fabric Ready made curtains Waterproof table cloths News 090610
Q Lawns Sedum roofs Green roofing materials Green roof services News 090610
Schueco Aluminium doors Commercial doors Industrial doors Custom doors News 100610
JS Humidifiers Steam humidifiers Heat exchangers Commercial humidifiers Air handling News 100610
Flowcrete Floor screed Floor levelling Resin floor Garage flooring News 100610
Formica kitchen worktops Laminate kitchen worktops Axiom worktops News 100610
NDT Insulation boards Timber cladding Sustainable homes Sustainable construction News 100610
Prater Building contractor Seam roofing system External building envelope News 100610
Vent Axia Energy efficient solutions Mrhr systems Low-carbon technology News 100610
John Brash Red cedar cladding Timber facades Rainscreen cladding systems News 100610
City and County Restoration experts Conservation experts Building skills Traditional training News 100610
CP Electronics Lighting controls Lighting systems Luminaire lighting School lighting News 100610
Flowcrete Factory flooring Industrial flooring Seamless floors Epoxy flooring News 110610
Osram Energy efficient light Osram led lighting Lighting solutions News 110610
Dimplex Solar pv Heat pumps Solar thermal water heating News 110610
Elliott Modular buildings Steel frame systems Modular steel buildings News 110610
Knuaf Insulation products Energy efficient insulation Roof insulation materials News 110610
Ventrolla Casement windows Sash window renovation Sliding timber windows News 110610
Amalgamated Lifts Lift maintenance Lift installation Lift install Lift providers News 110610
Cosentino Kitchen worktops Ornamental stone Quartz surfaces Quartz worktops News 110610
Flowcrete Isowarm underfloor heating Floor screed Floor levelling screed News 140610
Riegens School lighting Suspended lighting Blocks luminaires Architectural lighting News 14061
Andrews Water heaters Storage water heaters Commercial water heaters News 140610
Baxi Commercial boilers Commercial water heaters Water heating appliances News 140610
SSP Childrens play areas School play areas Artificial grass News 140610
Xtralis Detection systems Detection security systems Fire detection systems News 140610
Amtico Commercial flooring Floor tiling Floor finishes Flooring manufacturers News 140610
Tridonic Led lighting Spot lights Lighting systems Commercial lighting News 140610
Hitachi Air conditioning systems Refrigeration systems Air conditioning units News 140610
Foamglas Floor insulation Cellular glass insulation Floor insulation materials News 140610
TPS Cctv cameras Security monitoring systems Technical alarm systems News 140610
UPS Power protection Modular ups Uninterruptible power Ups systems News 150610
Airedale Air conditioners Modern refrigeration Chiller solutions R22 chillers News 150610
Leaderflush Shapland Steel doorsets Commercial doors Metal doors School doors News 150610
Cooper Lighting manufacturer Energy efficient lighting Lighting products company News 150610
Dulux Paint manufacturer Trade paints Natural paints Paint systems News 150610
Flowcrete Epoxy floor coating Specialist flooring Eco-friendly floors News 150610
Carlo Gavazzi Home automation systems Automation controls Smart-house system News 150610
Delta Steeplejacks Chimney maintenance Chimney inspections Steeplejack services Lightening protection News 150610
Stirling Lloyd Green roofs Living roofs Waterproofing membrane Waterproofing systems News 160610
UPS Ups systems Uninterruptible power supplies Standby power generators News 160610
Flowcrete Factory flooring Hygienic flooring Flooring products Floor screed News 160610
Mitsubishi Air conditioners Cooling systems Air curtains Heating systems News 160610
Armstrong Heat pumps Condensing boilers Speed drives Space heating News 160610
Eaton Power distribution products Power distribution Industrial automation products News 160610
Dimplex Heat pumps Ground heat pumps Low carbon heating News 160610
Dulux Dulux paint Eggshell paint Trade paint Spray paint News 160610
Tarkett Vinyl flooring Linoleum flooring Safety flooring Flooring specialists News 170610
Twyford Bathroom furniture Bathroom showers Moda bathrooms Stylish bathrooms News 170610
Flowcrete Floor screed Underfloor heating Sustainable flooring Floor technology News 170610
Heat Mat Underfloor heating systems Underfloor heating thermostats Slimline thermostats News 170610
Safety Letterbox Company Secure mailing systems Safety letterboxes Lockable mail boxes News 170610
SIG Roofing products Single-ply roofing membrane Green roofs News 170610
Super E Zero carbon homes Greener homes Social housing providers News 170610
Ancon Cavity wall ties Wall ties Ancon wall ties News 180610
Britannia Kitchen ventilation Commercial kitchen ventilation Kitchen ventilation systems News 180610
Tarkett Safety flooring Sports floor Floor coverings Flooring specialists News 180610
Marshall Tufflex Cable trunking Cable tray trunking Cable management trunking News 180610
Terrys Fabrics Ready made curtains Curtain fabric Curtain fabric wholesalers News 180610
SIG Roof membrane Roofing systems Green roofs Green walls News 180610
CP Automated Lighting control systems Automated lighting Energy efficient lighting News 180610
Arundel Jones Associates Ltd Registered in England and Wales No.
07334149 Hill Farm, Linton Hill, Maidstone, Kent ME 17 4AL Tel : 01622 745333
email copyright all rights reserved
News Categories : Air conditioning check
Climacheck
Chiller performance analyser
|