Filling the water system – ClimaCool IOM AR2 SERIES User Manual
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Filling The Water System
FILLING THE WATER SYSTEMS
It is imperative that the water systems are free from debris
prior to initial operation . See the Water Treatment section for a
comprehensive list of precautions .
Filling, Purging and Leak Testing the System
After the water systems have been properly installed a visual
inspection should be made to all joints for tightness . If the chiller
is to be installed in an existing system, the cleanliness of the
existing system can be judged from the operating conditions of
the present machines . The cooling tower in particular, should be
inspected and cleaned if required . It is a good practice to at least
flush the existing system and ideally, to acid wash the system
before connecting a new chiller .
We recommend the following sequence to fill and leak check the
water systems:
1 . Close all isolation valves inside each modular chiller .
2 . Ensure that all drain valves are closed and that all water main
isolation valves are opened .
3 . The system should be filled with clean water send through a
strainer and the system checked for leaks .
4 . Once the main water lines and the chiller headers are filled
with clean water, purge and repeat the filling process several
times .
5 . Open the isolation valves inside each modular chiller and
repeat the filling process, this time also checking for leaks
inside each module .
6 . Following the final filling and leak checking procedure, air
should be purged from the system .
Cleaning the System
We recommend the following sequence to properly clean the
water systems:
1 . If possible, install a temporary bypass line between the supply
and return water lines of both water systems prior to cleaning
the system .
2 . Close all isolation valves inside each modular chiller before
engaging the main water pumps .
3 . The pumps should be run with the strainer in place (see the
Starting the Pumps section for proper pump startup) . All
external hydronic branches should be open to all devices in
the system .
4 . After several hours of operation, the strainer should be
isolated and cleaned .
5 . Step 4 should be repeated until there is no more debris being
collected by the strainer .
6 . Finally, open all isolation valves inside each modular chiller
and repeat step 4 and 5 .
If it is not possible to install the bypass line in step 1 above, it is
recommended to drain out the initial fill of water to help flush out
debris . The chiller isolating valves should be closed to prevent
debris from being washed into the chiller as the water drains out .
Before refilling and purging the system again, the strainers should
be removed and cleaned . This action should be repeated until
there is no more debris being collected by the strainer .
Starting the Pumps
Follow manufacturer’s recommendations when starting the
pumps for the first time . The system should be checked for leaks
and air purged with the pumps in operation . The pressure drop
across the heat exchangers will give a good indication of flow
through the system (see page 35) . This should be immediately
checked against the expected pressure drop for the flow rate
required . If the pressure drop begins to fall and the flow rate is
falling, this could indicate the need to clean the strainers .