Compressor Failures

Compressor damage is rarely sudden.

It is typically caused by:

• Oil degradation or poor oil return

• Prolonged high discharge temperatures

• Repeated short cycling

Refrigerant loss causing low suction pressure

These conditions can be identified long before catastrophic failure.

Replacing a compressor is expensive. Preventing failure is significantly cheaper.

High and Low Pressure Trips

Pressure faults are often symptoms of developing system issues rather than isolated events.

Common underlying causes include:

• Fouled condensers or restricted airflow

• Scaling in water-cooled systems

• Gradual refrigerant loss

• Blocked expansion devices

• Poor flow across the evaporator

Repeated HP or LP trips increase mechanical stress, destabilise process temperatures and can accelerate compressor wear.

Identifying the cause early prevents escalation into emergency shutdown.

Flow Faults and Process Instability

Flow issues commonly develop from:

• Pump wear or cavitation

• Blocked strainers

• Air ingress into the system

• Incorrect glycol concentration

Flow instability often presents as intermittent alarms before full shutdown.

Early intervention prevents nuisance trips turning into production loss.

Efficiency Drift and Rising Energy Costs

A chiller can appear to be running correctly while performance gradually declines.

Dirty heat exchangers, incorrect refrigerant charge and sensor drift can increase operating costs without triggering alarms.

Maintenance protects reliability and long-term operating efficiency.