Protect Your Fleet with Proper Winterization

Throughout the warmer months, air handling units and chillers use water to create cold air for temporary fluid cooling solutions – relieving you of the strong, summer heat.

During the off-season, residual water is often left inside of these pieces of equipment. When temperatures drop throughout the winter, the residual water that is left inside of a chiller or air handling unit can freeze. Once the water turns to ice, it expands within the internal component of the equipment, causing severe damage.

As we experience below freezing temperatures, we need to ensure our chillers and air handling units are properly winterized to avoid the formation of ice and ultimately, freeze damage.

The following steps will take you through the winterization protection process:

• Drain all residual water
• Close all valves
• Attach a pump to the fresh water fill inlet
• Fill the unit with a propylene glycol solution to protect against freeze damage
• Connect hoses and open valves to a closed loop circuit
• Run the unit to circulate the propylene glycol throughout the unit
• Close all valves to keep the propylene glycol solution inside the unit
• Place the unit in a suitable location for winter storage

Propylene glycol (mentioned in numbers four, six, and seven) is a food grade product that works in chillers and air handling units in the same way that anti-freeze works in your car’s radiator and engine.  This product is essential in the winterization process.

Freeze damage can occur in all regions, regardless of your location. When temperatures are expected to drop below 32⁰F, proper winterization should be followed.

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