Which Is Better Air Cooled Chillers or Water Cooled Chillers?

Air Cooled Chillers vs. Water Cooled Chillers

When researching a commercial HVAC system for your facility, you have many requirements to consider. As with facilities, chillers come in a variety of sizes, shapes and functions. Often we are faced with the question, which is better, air-cooled chillers or water-cooled chillers? Which system is the most energy efficient? Here is some information about air-cooled chillers vs water-cooled chillers for you to consider before deciding.

What Are Air-Cooled Chillers?  

Air-cooled chillers are refrigeration systems that use fans to draw ambient air across condenser coils to dissipate heat into the surrounding environment. This straightforward design eliminates the need for water-based cooling systems, making air-cooled chillers ideal for facilities with limited water resources or where cooling demands are moderate.

Advantages of Air-Cooled Chillers

- Simplified Installation: These systems do not require additional infrastructure like cooling towers, condenser water pumps, or piping, which simplifies installation and reduces setup time.  

- Lower Initial Investment: Fewer components and simpler design typically result in lower upfront costs compared to water-cooled alternatives.  

- Ease of Maintenance: With no water treatment requirements or pump systems to maintain, air-cooled chillers are generally easier to service and operate.

Disadvantages of Air-Cooled Chillers  

- Less efficient in high ambient temperatures: Air-cooled chillers work harder in warmer climates reducing their efficiency.  

- Louder operation: In sensitive environments such as laboratories, fans can make more noise. 

- Potentially Higher Operating Costs: In warmer regions, the reduced efficiency may lead to increased energy consumption over time, impacting long-term operational costs.

What Are Water-Cooled Chillers?  

Water-cooled chillers operate by absorbing heat from process water and releasing it through a secondary system—typically involving a cooling tower. In this setup, water circulates through the chiller to collect heat, which is then transferred to the cooling tower and dissipated into the atmosphere. These chillers are well-suited for large-scale or high-demand cooling applications.

Advantages of Water-Cooled Chillers  

- Greater Cooling Efficiency: Water has higher thermal conductivity than air, making water-cooled systems more efficient, especially in large-capacity operations.  

- Quieter Operation: As these systems typically do not rely on fans for heat dissipation, they operate more quietly—ideal for noise-sensitive environments such as hospitals, laboratories, and office buildings.  

- Consistent Performance in Hot Climates: Unlike air-cooled systems, water-cooled chillers maintain stable performance even in high ambient temperatures, making them a reliable choice in hot climates.

Disadvantages of Water-Cooled Chillers  

- Higher Installation Costs: These systems require additional components such as cooling towers, pumps, and extensive piping, leading to a more complex and expensive installation.  

- Increased Maintenance Requirements: Regular maintenance is necessary to ensure system efficiency, including water treatment to prevent corrosion, scaling, and biological growth.  

- Dependence on Water Supply: The effectiveness of water-cooled chillers relies on a continuous and sufficient water source, which can be a limiting factor in water-scarce regions.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Chiller

When selecting between air-cooled, water-cooled, or other types of chillers, it's important to evaluate several key factors:

Cooling Capacity Requirements: Water-cooled chillers are typically better suited for applications with higher heat loads, offering greater efficiency at larger capacities.

Space and Installation Needs: In settings where space is limited or external installation is required, benchtop chillers—usually air-cooled—are often the preferred choice due to their compact size and ease of placement.

Environmental Conditions: The local climate plays a crucial role. Air-cooled chillers tend to perform well in cooler environments, while water-cooled systems are generally more efficient in hot or humid conditions.

Long-term Operating Costs: Although air-cooled chillers may have lower initial costs, water-cooled systems can offer greater long-term savings through improved energy efficiency, especially in large-scale operations or applications requiring continuous cooling.

Money Matters

Seriously, money is one of the most important factors when considering what chiller to install. Initially, air-cooled chillers are lower than water-cooled chillers. Why? Water-cooled chillers require cooling towers, condenser pumps, and other related HVAC components. Air-cooled chillers do not require any of these additional components.

Many people find that water cooled chillers are more efficient. If you look at compressor costs, this is very true. However, depending on the technology in your system, an air-cooled chiller may be a better choice when considering overall operating costs.

 Air Cooled Screw Chiller   

Why choose an air-cooled chiller?

Air-cooled chillers have condensers that are cooled by ambient air. This is all that is necessary. Therefore, these are perfect for small or medium-sized installations. In some applications, space is also an important consideration. Meaning, the location where you intend to install the physical unit. Air-cooled chillers tend to utilize open spaces, such as parking lots, rooftops or ground level areas. The unit requires less functional space. Water-cooled chillers require a large physical space to install, including a mechanical room and a place for a cooling tower.

Why choose a water-cooled chiller?

If noise is the main issue, then water-cooled chillers are the way to go. They are much quieter. Noisy HVAC machines can be annoying, especially in buildings occupied by doctors' offices, call centers or other business offices. They're also popular in places where air recirculation is inadequate. Any obstruction can adversely affect the performance of an air-cooled chiller. Therefore, if you find that restricted airflow is a problem, consider a water-cooled chiller.

Water-cooled chillers are installed in buildings and are therefore protected by the components and have an extended life. Sometimes, it is the only option for larger installations and can provide better energy efficiency. Low pressure water coolers can significantly reduce emissions over the life of the system (compared to high pressure centrifugal chillers).

 Water Cooled Screw Chiller      

Which is better?

There is no single answer to this question. Water-cooled chillers offer longer life, higher efficiency, greater capacity and refrigerant containment. Air-cooled chillers are less efficient, but are getting better with advances in technology, lower maintenance costs and fewer installations. If you have specific questions about air-cooled chillers versus water-cooled chillers for your facility, please contact Huazhao.

Where To Buy Chillers?

Jiangsu Huazhao Refrigeration Equipment CO., Ltd. is one of the high-tech enterprises in Suzhou, and is a professional corporation engaged in developing, producing and trading refrigeration equipment.

Our company various industrial chiller with competitive price include: Air cooled chiller; Water cooled chiller; Low temperature glycol/brine water cooled chiller; Heat pump hot water chiller; Maglev inverter centrifugal water chiller; Oxidation dedicated water cooled chiller. For more information about the chillers for sales, welcome to contact us today or request a quote.