How To Size a Water Chiller

Water Chiller Sizing Calculator

The importance of selecting a correctly sized chiller cannot be downplayed. An undersized chiller will always be a problem' never able to properly cool the process equipment. An oversize chiller will never be able to run at it's most efficient level. Identify the correct size chiller and rely on years of continuous, efficient cooling for your application. If you would like help, feel free to give us a call. We do this all the time.

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1. Calculate the 'delta T', the change in temperature, between the inlet and outlet water. Measuring the 'delta T' requires a thermocouple or thermometer. Check the water temperature of the water inlet line and the water outlet line, and subtract the numbers to compute how much heat the equipment is adding to the water.
2. Rate of flow in gallons per minute (GPM). To measure the flow rate of the water place a flow meter on the outlet line of your equipment. If one is not available, simply measure the time it takes for the outlet flow to fill a five gallon bucket, and then compute your gallons per minute (GPM) of flow.
3. Now that you have these two figures, calculate how many BTU's (British Thermal Units) your equipment puts off.

# BTU/ hour = 500 x GPM x Temperature Difference (delta T)

Repeat this for all the equipment you have, and add up the total BTUs. Now that you have the BTUs, compute the total tons of cooling you need from a chiller.
For example, 1 Ton of cooling is 12,000 BTU/hours

# Tons = (BTU/hr) / (12,000)

This is the size unit you should need. There may be other circumstances, like planning for expansion, that would lead you to buy a different size unit.

Gallons per Minute

Change in temperature (degrees F)

BTU/hr

Tons

Warning: It is very important that you do not guess at any of the numbers you are providing. A difference of just one degree in temperature could give you the wrong system.

How Do I Choose a Chiller?

Make sure you compare apples to apples!

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Industrial Chiller Supplier. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

1. • Is the chiller ARI Rated?
     • The ARI (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute) sets the national standards for how to rate BTU's in the chiller industry, just as UL (Underwriter's Laboratories) sets the standards for the electrical industry. The ARI National testing standard is 44°F chilled water, tested at 95°F ambient temperature. Some chiller manufacturers rate their chillers at their own standards of 50°F or higher chilled water temperatures.

1. • Is the system Contaminate Free?
     • Having a contaminant free 'closed loop' system will increase your chiller's efficiency and lengthen it's life.

Why Do I Need a Water Chiller?

The quality and reliability of a chiller will protect your capital equipment investment, improve productivity, and save you considerable downtime & money. We are proud to provide superior water chillers (standard and custom) that meet a variety of cooling applications.
When you consider the savings in water, sewage, and equipment costs, a chiller makes good business sense and positively effects your bottom line.

Tonnage Explained

A Historical Custom

Why are chiller sizes listed according to tons? Well, the answer lies in the cooling practices of yesteryear. Before the age of electronic air conditioners, here in North America especially, blocks of ice were harvested from frozen lakes and rivers and used to cool homes during the summertime. 1 ton of cooling power was the amount of heat transfer needed to melt 1 ton of ice blocks in a 24 hour period. As cooling technology advanced, we began to shift from stored ice to mechanical chilling. In today's measurements, 1 ton of cooling power = 12,000 btus per hour. Just like we still measure engines according to 'horsepower', the historical practice of using 'tons of refrigeration' stuck around.

Pumps and Compressors

A chiller works by using transferring heat between 2 different circuits: the fluid circuit and the refrigeration circuit. The fluid circuit moves unwanted heat into a process fluid, and the refrigeration circuit takes that unwanted heat and disperses it into the ambient air. Both circuits work together continuously to remove excess heat. The fluid circuits uses a pump to keep things flowing, and the refrigeration circuit uses a compressor. The fluid pump and the compressor are the dual engines that keep the chiller running.

Great care is used when selecting the type of pump and compressor used in our chillers. Power, flow rate, efficiency, durability, and noise levels are all taken into consideration for every chiller we offer.

Volts Vs. Amps

Units of electricity can be measured in a few different ways. 2 of the most basic electrical units are used to measure the voltage (volts) and the current (amps). An easy way to understand the difference is to compare electrical flow to water flow. Imagine an electrical wire as a pipe. The voltage (volts) would be the same as measuring the water pressure, and the current (amps) would equal the amount of water in the pipe.

The Formula

Regardless of what you are cooling, this formula will determine your needed chiller size. Before jumping in, identify the following variables:

• Incoming water temperature
• Required chilled water temperature
• Flow rate

To illustrate how this formula works, let's say we need to cool 4 GPM (gallons per minute) from 85 °F to 75 °F. This makes our incoming water temperature 85 °F, the required chilled water temperature 75 °F and the flow rate 4 GPM.

Step One: Calculate Temperature Differential (ΔT°F)

Step Two: Calculate BTU/hr.

Step Three: Calculate tons of cooling capacity

Step Four: Oversize the chiller by 20%

Most likely, your 'Ideal Size in Tons' is not going to come out to an even 1 ton, 5 tons, 20 tons, etc. Rounding up will also help you be prepared for any unforeseen heat sources that are present in your setup.

We hope this was helpful! Of course, if you have any questions or would like us to size your chiller for you, please give us a call at (866) 826- or [ protected]

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