Consider these factors when sizing up a potential upgrade. In addition, pick up a few easy tips for maintenance in the meantime. You can’t necessarily buy time, but you can get in front of a worst-case breakdown scenario.
According to the ASHRAE systems handbook, HVACR machines will last 15 to 18 years, provided that a median level of preventive care is performed throughout its life cycle. Although having blanket guidelines by credible resources such as ASHRAE is helpful, it does not reflect reality in many cases. In the area of process chillers for mission critical applications such as MRI, CT, PET, and LINAC systems, customers these days make the choice to replace over repair when poor reliability (in the form of repeated breakdowns) starts registering on their bottom line. After peeling away the fact from fiction, it almost always comes down to deferred maintenance or lack of training on behalf of service personnel.