Leak Detection Method for Chiller Maintenance

Because the leakage of the chiller system not only causes the refrigerant to leak or the outside air to penetrate, affecting the normal operation of the refrigeration device, but also causing economic losses and polluting the environment. Therefore, the tightness of the chiller system is usually an important indicator of the quality of the installation or manufacturing of the refrigeration device. However, due to the large number of welding points and joints in the installation or assembly process of large-scale chiller systems, leakage is inevitable. This requires commissioning personnel to carefully check the system for leaks, and find and eliminate each leak. Leak detection of the system is the main project in the entire debugging work, and it must be carried out carefully, meticulously and patiently. The Water Chilling Machine Manufacturer will share the methods below.

1. Pressure leak detection

Leak detection of chiller refrigeration system pressure is the most effective way to check and find leak points. Leak detection pressure in chiller refrigeration system is related to the type of refrigerant used, the cooling method of the chiller refrigeration system and the location of the pipe section. For high pressure systems, the leak detection pressure is approximately 1.25 times the design condensing pressure; the leak detection pressure for low pressure systems should be approximately 1.20 times the saturation pressure under summer temperature conditions. In this way, the refrigerating device can prevent the leakage of refrigerant whether it is running or stopped. For some refrigeration systems, if there are predetermined acceptance or leak detection standards, leak detection should be performed at the specified pressure. Obviously, the leak detection pressure cannot be arbitrarily increased, otherwise the equipment may be damaged and accidents may occur.

2. Vacuum leak detection

After the chiller system passes the pressure leak test, a vacuum leak test should be performed, because some components may have a one-way leak. Only after the vacuum leak test and pressure meet the requirements can the unit's tightness be ensured. In addition, the evacuation of the system can also remove moisture, especially the Freon system, because evacuation and drying is an important part of the debugging process of the refrigeration system. Refrigeration systems should be evacuated by vacuum pumps, especially chiller systems of hermetic compressors, which must be evacuated by vacuum pumps. This will not only make the system extremely low, remove air and moisture from the system, but also protect the compressor and motor. It must be pointed out that after long-term use of the vacuum pump, the water vapor in the unit may enter the lubricant of the vacuum pump, which will affect its evacuation capacity, so the lubricant in the vacuum pump needs to be replaced regularly.

3. Halogen lamp and halogen instrument leak detection

These are two special devices for inspecting Freon chiller systems. Because Freon refrigerants contain halogen components such as fluorine, bromine, and chlorine, when they encounter hot copper parts, they can produce flames of different colors, and we can find out the leak.

Air Cooled Chiller

4. Soap water leak detection

Water Chiller Machine For Factory's simplest and most practical method for leak detection is to choose soapy water leak detection. This is the most common leak detection method currently used, especially for medium and large chiller refrigeration systems that basically use this method to find leak points. Soapy water is usually made with soap or soap powder. The soap solution should not be too thick, otherwise it will be difficult to flow due to excessive viscosity, and the sensitivity of leak detection will be poor; but the prepared solution should not be too thin, otherwise it will not be easy to adhere to the surface of the device due to excessive fluidity. It is difficult to form bubbles. Soap water can be applied directly to the leaky area with a brush to observe whether the area is foaming. For parts that are not easy to observe directly, you can use specular reflection and flashlight to check. After the leak test is over, wipe off the soapy water to prevent corrosion.

6. Leak detection

This method is usually used for small Freon industrial chillers. When leak detection is used, equipment that does not allow water in the system should be removed. It is best to use clean warm water for immersion. The surface tension of warm water is less than cold water, and it is easy to form some bubbles. When we irradiate with a strong light source, the leak is easy to find. Immediately after leak detection by immersion in water, blow dry the surface of the equipment with compressed air to prevent corrosion of the surface metal.

The above points are the contents of chiller repair and leak detection introduced by Air Cooled Chiller Manufacturer. I hope it will be helpful to everyone when using the chiller. In addition, the chiller needs to be maintained during use, otherwise it will cause The chiller has some small problems or shortened its life.