Chiller maintenance checklist
Version 1 · https://conformata.io/checklists/facilities/chiller-maintenance-checklist · Made with Conformata. Guidance, not legal advice; sources at https://conformata.io/checklists/facilities/chiller-maintenance-checklist/sources
Chiller maintenance checklist
Free chiller maintenance checklist: lockout, oil, water side and safety cutouts, plus EPA leak rate, leak inspection and record duties for large chillers.
How often: Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the chiller, or the interval set by your organization's maintenance plan. EPA's periodic leak inspections start only after a covered chiller exceeds its leak rate limit.
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Chiller number or asset tag *
Plant room, roof or yard where the chiller stands *
How the chiller rejects heat *
Water-cooled (condenser water from a cooling tower or other source)Air-cooled (condenser coils and fans)Other or evaporative
Compressor type *
CentrifugalScrewScrollReciprocatingOther
What the chiller cools, which sets its EPA leak rate category *
Comfort cooling of occupied buildingsIndustrial process refrigerationOther use
Number of independent refrigerant circuits on this chiller *
Refrigerant designation from the nameplate *
Full charge of this circuit *
lb
How the full charge was determined
The equipment manufacturer's determinationCalculation from component sizes, refrigerant density and piping volumeMeasured amounts added to or evacuated from the chillerAn established range, using its midpoint
Date of the maintenance visit *
Technician name and company *
Each person who may open the refrigerant circuit, repair leaks or carry out a leak inspection holds technician certification from an EPA-approved program *
YesNoN/A
Certification type and number of that technician
Chiller main power, starter or drive, and control circuits are locked out at every isolating device and proved dead before any panel is opened *
YesNo
Stored charge in the starter or variable-speed drive capacitors has been allowed to drain and tested safe before anyone touches internal parts *
YesNo
Before a water box, strainer or tube bundle is opened, the water side is valved off, drained to zero pressure and the pumps serving it are locked out *
YesNoN/A
The manufacturer's service manual and the chiller's operating log are at hand *
YesNo
Oil stains, frost or bubbling show at flanges, valve packing, sight glasses, relief valve outlets or the purge unit *
YesNo
Plant room refrigerant monitor shows a normal reading and its alarm test is within the interval your organization sets
YesNoN/A
Purge unit run time since the last visit (low-pressure chillers)
h
Pressure relief valves and rupture discs show no sign of lifting or corrosion, and their vent piping is intact and unblocked *
YesNo
Where an automatic leak detection system monitors the chiller instead of periodic leak inspections, it was audited or calibrated within the past year
YesNoN/A
Oil level in the sump or separator sight glass sits where the manufacturer specifies for the running or stopped state *
YesNo
Oil in the sight glass looks clear, not dark, milky or foaming *
YesNo
Net oil pressure
psi
Oil sample drawn for laboratory analysis when due under the maintenance plan
YesNoN/A
Motor current as a percentage of rated load amps (RLA)
%
Unusual noise, vibration or bearing heat at the compressor, gearbox or motor *
YesNo
Starter or drive cabinet shows no heat damage or loose terminations, and its cooling fans run with clean filters *
YesNo
Chilled water temperature entering the evaporator
°F
Chilled water temperature leaving the evaporator
°F
Evaporator approach: leaving chilled water minus saturated evaporator refrigerant temperature
°F
Condenser water temperature entering the condenser (water-cooled only)
°F
Condenser water temperature leaving the condenser (water-cooled only)
°F
Condenser approach: saturated condensing temperature minus leaving condenser water
°F
Chilled and condenser water flow switches or sensors stop the chiller when flow is lost, tested by the manufacturer's method *
YesNoN/A
Condenser and evaporator tubes were inspected and brushed or eddy-current tested when the maintenance plan called for it
YesNoN/A
Condenser water treatment readings, such as conductivity and inhibitor level, are inside the limits your water treatment provider set
YesNoN/A
Water strainers are clean and the pressure drop across each heat exchanger is inside the manufacturer's range
YesNoN/A
Air-cooled chiller: condenser coils are free of dirt and debris and every condenser fan runs
YesNoN/A
Controller alarm and trip history since the last visit was reviewed and the cause of each safety trip noted *
YesNo
Low evaporator pressure or freeze protection and high condenser pressure cutouts were proved using the manufacturer's procedure *
YesNoN/A
Temperature and pressure sensors agree with calibrated test instruments within the manufacturer's tolerance
YesNoN/A
Chiller starts, loads, unloads and stops normally and holds its leaving chilled water set point *
YesNo
Complete when refrigerant was recovered, added or removed on this visit. Otherwise mark N/A.
Which EPA leak repair section covers this circuit
40 CFR 82.157: 50 lb or more of class I or class II refrigerant40 CFR 84.106: 15 lb or more of a regulated HFC or a substitute with GWP above 53Neither section
Refrigerant, liquid included, was evacuated into recovery equipment before any part of the circuit was opened *
YesNoN/A
No refrigerant was knowingly let out to the air from hoses, fittings or the purge during this visit *
YesNoN/A
The recovery machine carries certification for this refrigerant and appliance type *
YesNoN/A
Pounds of refrigerant added to this circuit on this visit
lb
Pounds of refrigerant removed from this circuit and kept in recovery cylinders
lb
Leak rate method used at this facility
Annualizing methodRolling average method
Leak rate calculated after this refrigerant addition
%
Leak rate is above the limit for the chiller's category: 10 percent for comfort cooling, 30 percent for industrial process refrigeration
YesNoN/A
Owner received a written note of this visit listing the chiller and where it is, the date, which parts were worked on and what was done to each, the technician's name, and the refrigerant type and pounds added
YesNoN/A
Owner's log for this circuit updated with its full charge, the leak rate and the method used to calculate it
YesNoN/A
Complete only when the leak rate of a covered circuit is above its limit. Otherwise mark N/A.
A technician holding EPA technician certification carried out a leak inspection to find where the chiller is leaking
YesNoN/A
Leak inspection record kept with the date, methods used, location of every leak found, and a statement that all visible and accessible parts were inspected
YesNoN/A
Repair deadline: 30 days after the refrigerant addition, or 120 days when an industrial process shutdown is needed
Initial verification test showed each repaired leak holds, done within the repair deadline and, for an evacuated chiller, before refrigerant was put back
YesNoN/A
Follow-up verification test done within 10 days of a successful initial verification test
YesNoN/A
Dates and results of both verification tests are on file
YesNoN/A
Periodic leak inspections are booked until the chiller has gone a year without leaking above its limit
YesNoN/A
Chiller condition after this visit *
Returned to service, no defectsReturned to service, defects to fixLeft out of service
Defects found, parts replaced, readings outside range and follow-up work
Next maintenance visit due
Photos of the nameplate, log readings and any defects
Use “Photo” below to add photos from this device.
Technician signature
Sign the printed copy, or sign electronically in Conformata.
I carried out the chiller maintenance recorded above on the date shown.
Signature
Name and date
Run it with your team in Conformata
- Schedule it per site and assign it to the right people.
- Turn every failed check into a corrective action that someone else verifies.
- Keep signatures, photos and the full audit history across sites.
Answers on this page stay on this device; they are not transferred.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a chiller be serviced?
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and your maintenance plan; the federal refrigerant rules do not set a routine service interval. What they do set is a leak inspection schedule once a covered chiller exceeds its leak rate limit [35]. For a comfort cooling chiller under 40 CFR 82.157 that means once per calendar year [37] until it has not leaked above the limit for one year [38]. Under 40 CFR 84.106 the yearly inspections run from the successful follow-up verification test [81].
Do EPA leak repair rules apply to my chiller?
It depends on the refrigerant and the full charge of each circuit. A circuit with 50 lb or more of class I or class II refrigerant falls under 40 CFR 82.157 [23]. A circuit with 15 lb or more of a regulated HFC or a substitute with a global warming potential above 53 falls under 40 CFR 84.106 [64] [65]. Each independent circuit counts as a separate appliance [6] [58].
What is the allowable leak rate for a chiller?
A chiller used for comfort cooling has a 10 percent limit [27] [71]; EPA lists chillers among comfort cooling appliances [7] [60]. A chiller that is industrial process refrigeration has a 30 percent limit [26] [70]. A chiller serving both counts as industrial process refrigeration when 50 percent or more of its operating capacity goes to the process [14].
What has to happen after a chiller leaks above the limit?
A technician holding EPA technician certification carries out a leak inspection to locate the leaks [29] [73], and the leaks are repaired within 30 days of the refrigerant addition, or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is needed [28] [72]. An initial verification test follows the repair [31] [75], and a follow-up verification test is done within 10 days of a successful initial test [33] [77].
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Guidance, not legal advice. It does not replace the law, the manufacturer's instructions or your organization's competent people, and completing it does not certify that work is safe.