Water Cooled Chiller vs. Air Cooled Chiller: Which System is Right for Your Facility?

A water cooled chiller works by circulating chilled water through a closed loop system to absorb heat from a process or building. 

The heat absorbed by the water is then transferred to the refrigerant in the chiller’s evaporator, which turns it into a gas. This gas is then compressed, raising its temperature and pressure, and directed to the chiller’s condenser. In the condenser, the hot gas is cooled and condensed back into a liquid by the flow of cool water through the condenser tubes. The cooled refrigerant is then pumped back to the evaporator to begin the cycle again. 

In contrast, an air cooled chiller works by blowing air over the chiller’s condenser coils to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the surrounding air. The cooled refrigerant is then pumped back to the evaporator to absorb more heat from the process or building.

Essentially, the two systems serve the same purpose, but use a different medium to reject heat. So which is better for your specific application?