---
title: "Chiller checklist"
description: "A chiller checklist grouped by frequency, covering operating readings, strainers, tube testing, annual inspection, and the refrigerant leak records."
---

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# Chiller checklist

A chiller checklist grouped by frequency, covering operating readings, strainers, tube testing, annual inspection, and the refrigerant leak records.

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## Daily

| Task | Required | Photo required |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Before work | | |
| Before service, lock out all power, and discharge the capacitors and verify they are discharged. | Required | No photo required |
| Inspect | | |
| Check the overall condition, and that the safety systems are in place. | Required | No photo required |
| Check that the evaporator, condenser, oil-tank, differential-oil, and discharge-oil pressures are within the manufacturer's normal values. | Required | Photo required |
| Check that the oil level is visible in the sump sight glass while running. | Required | No photo required |
| Check that the setpoints are correct. | Not required | No photo required |
| For low-pressure chillers, check that the purge pump-out rate is normal. Trace frequent purging to an air or water leak. | Required | Photo required |
| Switch off or sequence the chillers that are not needed. | Not required | No photo required |
| Log | | |
| Complete the operating log. | Required | No photo required |

## Weekly

| Task | Required | Photo required |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Before work | | |
| Before service, lock out all power, and discharge the capacitors and verify they are discharged. | Required | No photo required |
| Performance | | |
| Assess evaporator and condenser fouling from the approach temperature. | Required | Photo required |
| Check that the compressor motor temperature is within the manufacturer's specification. | Required | Photo required |
| Check that the water quality is in chemical balance. | Required | No photo required |
| Leaks and controls | | |
| Check the compressor fittings, oil-pump joints, and relief valves for leaks. | Required | No photo required |
| Check that the insulation is sound, and that the controls, such as hot-gas bypass and liquid injection, work. | Not required | No photo required |

## Quarterly

| Task | Required | Photo required |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Before work | | |
| Before service, lock out all power, and discharge the capacitors and verify they are discharged. | Required | No photo required |
| Strainers | | |
| Clean the water strainers. | Required | No photo required |

## Semiannual

| Task | Required | Photo required |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Before work | | |
| Before service, lock out all power, and discharge the capacitors and verify they are discharged. | Required | No photo required |
| Settings | | |
| Check that vane control, motor load limit, load balance, and chilled-water reset match the manufacturer's settings. | Not required | No photo required |
| Lubrication | | |
| Lubricate vane linkage bearings, ball joints, pivots, and tang O-rings. Move the tang operators by hand. | Not required | No photo required |
| Vent lines | | |
| Drain the drip leg of the rupture-disk and purge vent lines into an evacuated container. | Required | No photo required |

## Annual

| Task | Required | Photo required |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Before work | | |
| Before service, lock out all power, and discharge the capacitors and verify they are discharged. | Required | No photo required |
| Shutdown and inspection | | |
| Shut the chiller down for the manufacturer's annual inspection list. | Required | No photo required |
| Inspect and clean the condenser and evaporator tubes. | Required | Photo required |
| Send a sample of the compressor oil and the oil filter for analysis. | Required | No photo required |
| Check the oil pump, seals, heater, thermostat, and strainers. | Required | No photo required |
| Have a qualified technician measure the motor winding resistance to ground. | Required | Photo required |
| Have a qualified service organisation leak-test the chiller. | Required | No photo required |
| Electrical and controls | | |
| Check that electrical connections are tight, and that alignment, seals, water flows, and the lockout setpoint are correct. | Required | No photo required |
| Verify the evaporator refrigerant temperature sensor in an ice bath. | Not required | Photo required |
| Refrigerant | | |
| Check the refrigerant level and condition. | Required | No photo required |
| While the chiller keeps losing refrigerant, inspect it for leaks each year. | Required | No photo required |

## Every 3 years

| Task | Required | Photo required |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Before work | | |
| Before service, lock out all power, and discharge the capacitors and verify they are discharged. | Required | No photo required |
| Tubes | | |
| Test the condenser and evaporator tubes with a non-destructive eddy-current test. | Required | Photo required |

## Each refrigerant addition

| Task | Required | Photo required |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Before work | | |
| Before service, lock out all power, and discharge the capacitors and verify they are discharged. | Required | No photo required |
| Refrigerant | | |
| Each time refrigerant is added, calculate the leak rate and record it. | Required | Photo required |
| Leave refrigerant additions and leak repairs to a certified technician. | Required | No photo required |

This checklist covers a chiller’s daily, weekly, quarterly, semiannual, annual, and three-yearly checks, with the refrigerant records. Where the chiller maker’s manual gives a different interval or value, follow the manual. Refrigerant rules set by the US Environmental Protection Agency govern the leak-rate records and repairs where they apply.

## Sources

- [Trane, *CVHE, CVHF, CVHG Water-Cooled CenTraVac Chillers IOM*](https://www.trane.com/content/dam/Trane/Commercial/global/products-systems/equipment/chillers/water-cooled/centrifugal-liquid/earthwise-ctv-simplex/CVHE-SVX02P-EN_10172019.pdf)
- [US Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program, *O&M Best Practices: A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency*](https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2020/04/f74/omguide_complete_w-eo-disclaimer.pdf)
- [US Environmental Protection Agency, *Fact Sheet: AIM Act Leak Repair Requirements for Appliances Containing HFCs and Certain Substitutes*](https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2026-01/er-r-fact-sheet-leak-repair-2026-01-13_1.pdf)
- [US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR 1910.147, lockout/tagout](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.147)

## Import it into FixAhead

Upload this file in FixAhead's maintenance procedure import, as a signed-in owner or manager. Each frequency loads as its own procedure, with its sections, tasks, and each task's Required and Photo required marks. If your account already has a procedure with the same name, this one is skipped and the existing one stays as it is.

Maintenance procedures are on the Pro plan, as [pricing](/pricing/) shows.

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