Archive
2023 Chill-Pro® Winter Claims Highlights
6-year-old Magnetic Bearing Chiller. Cause of Loss: Bearing failure
DESCRIPTION: Magnetic bearings for the compressor would not levitate. The compressor was not field
repairable. Compressor was replaced with remanufactured one from the vendor. It appears that cost for
new Mag Bearing compressor of same size cost as much as a new one. No overtime cost associated with
compressor repair.
10-year-old Centrifugal Chiller. Cause of Loss: Circuit Board failure
DESCRIPTION: During service call chiller was found to be inoperable. Troubleshooting procedure revealed
failure of 4 printed circuit boards. Cause of failure unknown. Replaced circuit boards and restarted 450-
ton X Centrifugal Chiller. No further maintenance performed.
18-year-old Screw Chiller. Cause of Loss: Compressor shorted, contacts welded
DESCRIPTION: Our investigation found that on the date of loss, X technicians were called out to
troubleshoot the 215-Ton X Screw Chiller. Initial inspection found the chiller offline on a high amp alarm.
Technicians found that the new compressor that was installed earlier in the year had shorted to ground
and the contacts had welded together. This compressor was still under warranty from the manufacturer.
Technicians removed the refrigerant charge from the compressor. During this process, they tested the
refrigerant to make sure they could reuse in the new compressor. Testing of the refrigerant found a
significantly high acid content. The contamination happened when the compressor shorted, which made
the refrigerant unusable. 240 lbs. of R-22 refrigerant was purchased for the replacement compressor.
Once the new compressor was received, technicians reinstalled and tested operation. After a successful
re-start and verification of proper operation, the chiller was returned to service.
1 Year old Centrifugal Chiller. Cause of Loss: Water Pump failure
DESCRIPTION: Loss submitted Chiller water pump found leaking. Further investigation revealed that
pump had cracked seal and damage to the pump shaft. The shaft was resurfaced, seal replaced, and
pump returned to service.
7-year-old Centrifugal Chiller. Cause of Loss: VFD failure
DESCRIPTION: Our investigation discovered that on the date of loss, technicians were called out to
diagnose the 700-Ton X Centrifugal Chiller that had stopped working on an Over-current Alarm. Initial
inspection found that the compressor motor on the chiller would not start back up after a restart
attempt. A more thorough inspection, which tested the compressor motor and all components
connected to it, found that the Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) that helps control the chiller motor was
not operating properly. Testing of the VFD found that one phase had shorted to ground and the second
phase would not modulate the correct voltage. Technicians replaced and reprogrammed the VFD on the
compressor motor, then re-started the chiller. After monitoring operations, technicians returned the
chiller to service.8 Costly Estimating Mistakes (and how CHILL-PRO® fixes them!)
- Not conducting a site visit
- Unknown site conditions can cause unexpected, and expensive issues
- Equipment access and specialty lift requirements should be noted
2. Inaccurate Takeoffs
- If you miss items during takeoff estimating, or do not get accurate equipment data, you’ll
either overestimate the project and not win the bid or you’ll underestimate and risk profits.
*CHILL-PRO® has over 30 years of equipment actuarial data and provides accurate, and affordable
rates for all types of commercial HVAC equipment!
3. Not Reviewing Your Work
4. Not Reviewing Subcontractor Estimates
5. Inaccurate Labor Costs
- Focus on determining how many labor hours it takes to perform a task to use as a guide
when estimating labor costs - Don’t forget prevailing wages, overtime labor, or specialty outsourced labor costs
*CHILL-PRO® reimburses your repair labor costs, with options to include overtime labor and
outsourced labor costs!
6. Material and Supply Costs
- Material prices can fluctuate dramatically from the estimate to service commencement.
- Costly delays caused by techs not having the materials they need will hurt your bottom line
*CHILL-PRO® reimburses your replacement parts costs including freight, shipping, and overhead!
7. Failing to Assess Risks & Creating Contingencies
- The bigger the risk, the more time you should spend on determining ways to mitigate them
and how that could impact your costs - You won’t be able to recoup the losses that occur should an unforeseen issue/ breakdown
occur
*CHILL-PRO® covers your biggest breakdown risks and recoups your repair costs. We turn around
quotes in less than 24 hours!
8. Making Uneducated Guesses
*CHILL-PRO® takes the guesswork out of selling profitable comprehensive HVAC service agreements!
