How to Extend the Life of Data Center Chillers

Data center Chillers are a critical piece of infrastructure, as they prevent overheating which can cause damage and equipment failure. It’s not a surprise that in order to avoid these issues data center operators err on the side of caution and run chillers more than may be necessary to prevent overheating. While this is a generally safe plan, it causes the water chillers to work too hard, use far more energy (cost more $), and can shorten their lifespan. Recently, the water chiller market has been affected by supply chain issues and it’s taking a year or more in some cases to receive a new chiller. In a data center environment, waiting a year for a new chiller isn’t an option.

This is where Flexim’s non-intrusive and precise ultrasonic flow meters can help. They provide accurate, repeatable, and reliable water flow data without the need for complicated installation. The meters clamp directly on the outside of your pipe and provide you with data that is typically more accurate than insertion and turbine-type meters without the risk of leak points. By getting a clear picture of the flow to and from your chillers, you can make more educated decisions about minimizing the operation of your chillers. If you are running secondary and tertiary backup systems you can make sure you aren’t running them unnecessarily, saving them for when they are really needed – potentially extending their life and saving you money in operating costs. If one of your chillers happens to go out or is down for maintenance, accurate flow information will tell you precisely how much chilled water is running through your system.

In addition to helping extend the life of your existing chillers, Flexim flow meters can help you save on energy by only using what you need and reducing water loss due to evaporation. Because chillers use an incredible amount of water even a 1% loss due to evaporation can equate to around eight gallons per minute. At this rate, a Flexim flow meter can quickly pay for itself.

If you’d like to learn more about how Flexim flow meters can help improve the operation of your data center reach out to our team of flow experts. We work with a number of large data centers to help them save money and extend the life of their equipment. Check out this case study to see how we helped one data center significantly improve its efficiency.