The Ultimate Guide to Choosing 100 Ton Water Cooled Chiller

Author: Ada

May. 26, 2025

The Complete Guide to Water-Cooled Chiller Systems

Water-cooled chiller systems are widely used in commercial, industrial, and institutional settings to provide cooling for buildings and processes. These systems offer efficient and reliable cooling by using water as a medium to remove heat from the system. In this guide, we will explore the components, operation, advantages, and maintenance of water-cooled chiller systems.

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Components of a Water-Cooled Chiller System:

A typical water-cooled chiller system consists of the following components:

  • a. Chiller Unit: The chiller unit contains the compressor, condenser, evaporator, and expansion valve. It is responsible for removing heat from the process or building and transferring it to the cooling water.

  • b. Cooling Tower: The cooling tower is a heat rejection device that removes heat from the cooling water. It works by allowing the water to come into contact with ambient air, which causes evaporation and dissipates the heat.

  • c. Water Pumps: Water pumps circulate the cooling water between the chiller unit, cooling tower, and the process or building being cooled.

  • d. Water Treatment System: A water treatment system is often included to maintain the quality and cleanliness of the cooling water. It helps prevent scaling, corrosion, and biological growth in the system.

  • e. Controls and Instrumentation: Controls and instrumentation monitor and regulate the operation of the chiller system, including temperature, flow rates, and pressure.

 Water-Cooled Screw Chiller          

Operation of Water-Cooled Chiller Systems:

The operation of a water-cooled chiller system involves the following steps:

  • a. Refrigeration Cycle: The refrigeration cycle starts with the compressor, which compresses the refrigerant gas, raising its temperature and pressure. The high-pressure gas then flows to the condenser, where it releases heat to the cooling water and condenses into a high-pressure liquid.

  • b. Heat Rejection: The high-pressure liquid refrigerant flows through the expansion valve, which reduces its pressure. This causes the refrigerant to evaporate in the evaporator, absorbing heat from the process or building being cooled. The low-pressure gas returns to the compressor to start the cycle again.

  • c. Cooling Water Circuit: The cooling water circuit involves the circulation of water between the chiller unit, cooling tower, and the process or building being cooled. The cooling tower removes heat from the cooling water, which is then circulated back to the chiller unit to absorb heat again.

Advantages of Water-Cooled Chiller Systems:

Water-cooled chiller systems offer several advantages:

  • a. Efficiency: Water-cooled systems are generally more energy-efficient compared to air-cooled systems. The use of water as a cooling medium allows for better heat transfer, resulting in lower energy consumption and operating costs.

  • b. Space Saving: Water-cooled chiller systems require less space compared to air-cooled systems since there is no need for large condenser fans. This makes them ideal for installations where space is limited.

  • c. Quiet Operation: Water-cooled systems are typically quieter than air-cooled systems because the major noise-producing components, such as condenser fans, are located in the cooling tower, which can be positioned away from occupied spaces.

  • d. Flexibility: Water-cooled chiller systems can handle a wide range of cooling loads, making them suitable for various applications, from small buildings to large industrial processes.

    For more information, please visit 100 Ton Water Cooled Chiller.

CHOOSING A CHILLER: 5 FACTORS TO CONSIDER

CHOOSING A CHILLER: 5 FACTORS TO CONSIDER

When it comes to chillers, figuring out where to start is the tricky part. Air-cooled or water-cooled? Used or new? What size do you need? The experts at Cold Shot Chillers cover all of these questions and more in today’s article.       

What Are Industrial Chillers?

An industrial chiller is a refrigeration system that keeps equipment and materials cool, allowing operations to run smoothly. Air Conditioners dehumidify air while water chiller systems cool down fluids that can be used to condition spaces or cool processes, simply by removing heat. However, these units are not “cooling” or “chilling” anything; they simply remove heat.

Factors to Consider for Your Chiller Choice

There are a few general rules of thumb to keep in mind when selecting a new cooling system. Keep reading to gain a better understanding of the different chiller types available on the market.

1. Size

Size is one of the biggest factors to consider when buying a chiller. Selecting a correctly sized chiller is paramount. A chiller that is too small won’t properly cool your equipment or materials. On the other hand, a chiller that is too large will work just fine, but providing excess capacity will over time fail prematurely due to short cycling. In addition, you’ve spent more money than you needed to. So how do you know what size chiller you need?

Industrial chillers come in a variety of sizes, ranging from ¼ ton to thousands of tons in capacity. We recommend you use a chiller size calculator to determine what size chiller you need for your application. Below are some examples of chiller sizes based on industry standards.

  • Medical Chillers – 7 ½ ton and 5-ton chillers; or 12 ½ and 15-ton chillers for cooling multiple medical devices simultaneously
  • Welding Chillers – it’s advised to have at least 1-ton of chilling capacity for 100KVA of welder capacity
  • Winery Chillers – typically, a 2-ton air cooled chiller is sufficient for most winery applications
  • Waterjet Cutting Chillers – common sizes are 2 and 3 ton
  • Hydroponic Chillers – sizes generally range from 1.5 to 100 tons
  • Flower Chiller – sizes range typically from 2-100 tons

Keep in mind that these sizes are only based on industry standards. Manufacturers like Cold Shot Chillers can design and build custom units of virtually any size. We highly recommend using a chiller sizing tool with exact measurements for the most accurate estimation. You can also reach out to our experienced team for additional help with sizing requirements or general questions.

2. Application

Chillers have various applications for all types of industries. For example, they are used for medical applications such as radiotherapy, PET scans, laboratory operations, and even blood bank refrigeration. In addition, MRI chillers and CT chillers are used frequently in the healthcare sector.

Food processing chillers serve a variety of applications in the food and beverage industry. Depending on your specific setting, you can choose from bakery chillers, winery glycol chillers, brewery glycol chillers, dairy milk chillers, and even commercial yogurt machine chillers.

Metal finishing chillers can be beneficial for paint and powder coating, anodizing, die casting cooling, furnace cooling, quench cooling, and more.

Explosion-proof chillers are commonly used in chemical processing plants, coal plants, oil and gas refineries, and other work environments that interact with flammable gases and vapors.

Cold Shot Chillers offers additional industry-specific chiller types, including laser chillers, plastic processing chillers, government and municipal chillers, welding chillers, and more. 

3. Type

Industrial chillers can be categorized in a few different ways. Let’s take a look at five types of chiller classifications.

  • Air Cooled Chillers – Air-cooled systems are generally cheaper than water-cooled chillers. However, they tend to release significant amounts of heat, so these chillers are best-suited for facilities where heat is not an issue.
  • Water Cooled Chillers – Water chillers are typically quieter and more efficient than air-cooled chillers. Therefore, they are suitable for commercial-scale and small-scale facilities.
  • Portable Chillers – In this case, the term “portable” does not refer to the mobility of the chiller. Instead, it means that a chiller contains all the system’s basic components in a single footprint.
  • Stationary Chillers – Chillers that are “stationary” do not include a tank or pump. Instead, they are stand-alone units that must be connected to a reservoir and pump to function.
  • Central Chillers – These chillers are used to cool several processes. They can have a portable or stationary configuration, and they can be air-cooled or water-cooled.

4. Pricing

Industrial chillers can range in price anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars. As mentioned before, water chillers are typically more expensive than air-cooled chillers. In addition, different chiller manufacturers all design and price their systems uniquely, so make sure to carefully compare prices and weigh your options before making a purchase.

5. Manufacturer

Always familiarize yourself with the manufacturer and their policies ahead of time. Ask the following questions and more before choosing a chiller:

  • Do they offer a chiller warranty?
  • What’s the turnaround time?
  • How are new chillers tested?
  • Do they offer chiller accessories and tools?
  • How is the chiller prepped for shipment? 
  • Has the company been around for a while? The longer a company has been in business chances are good the company is reputable and trustworthy.
  • Does the chiller design use any proprietary components? That replacement part might carry a high price tag since these types of parts are generally used to control the chiller. Over time these items become obsolete and no longer supported.
  • How easy is it to reach a live person? Can you get technical and commercial issues resolved over the quickly?
  • Has the chiller manufacturer built a chiller handling the same type of application or something similar?
  • Does the chiller company make it easy to do business with? Can you discuss your application with a knowledgeable technical representative? Can you get a quote issued for your project quickly? Does the submittal information include everything you need about the chiller you are considering?
  • Deal directly with the manufacturer to cut out the middleman. This will alleviate any confusion on how your chiller should be configured and possibly save some time and money.

Looking to buy a new or used chiller? Look no further! Cold Shot Chillers is a Houston-based industrial chiller manufacturer with decades of industry experience.

Finding the Right Chiller for Your Company

We hope that you’ve learned some valuable information here that will help you make the best purchase. We’re confident that we can find a solution for you, no matter what you’re looking for!

The company is the world’s best 200 Ton Water Cooled Chiller supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

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