A chiller maintenance checklist is the record of one preventive maintenance visit to a commercial chiller: the room or pad it sits in, the condition of the machine, the operating readings written into the log, a refrigerant leak check, the condenser, the pumps that move water through it, the controls and safeties, and the water treatment that keeps the tubes clean. This one works for air-cooled and water-cooled machines of any compressor type, shows only the parts your chiller has, and turns anything at risk into a finding with a recommendation. Fill it in here and download a PDF without an account, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
The log readings are the maintenance
A chiller rarely fails without first drifting. A fouled condenser shows up as a rising condenser pressure and a widening gap between the refrigerant and the water leaving the condenser. A low refrigerant charge shows as a falling evaporator pressure while the chilled water struggles to reach set point. An oil problem shows in the oil pressure and temperature long before a bearing goes.
So the heart of this form is the operating log: entering and leaving chilled water, condenser water or outdoor air, both refrigerant pressures, compressor load and amps, oil level, pressure and temperature, run hours and starts. Type them as read from the panel or gauges. Their value comes from comparing them with the last visit and with the maker's normal operating range.
Air-cooled or water-cooled changes the visit
The first choice on the form is the chiller type. A water-cooled machine brings condenser water temperatures, condenser tube condition, the condenser water pump and the cooling tower into the visit. An air-cooled machine swaps those for coil cleanliness, fan operation and the clearance around the unit. Compressor type — centrifugal, screw, scroll or reciprocating — and the refrigerant are typed in, so the form fits whatever machine you service.
Refrigerant: the check, the record, the rule
Every visit should include a leak check of joints, valves, flare fittings and sight glasses, with the method recorded. If refrigerant is added, the form records how much, what type, and who did the work. In the United States, refrigerant handling on this equipment falls under EPA Section 608, which sets technician certification, leak repair and record-keeping requirements. The form records what was done and that the service record was updated; it does not decide whether your system meets those rules.
Water quality keeps the tubes clean
Scale and biological growth on the water side quietly cost efficiency and, left long enough, damage tubes. The form asks for the chilled loop and condenser water treatment checks — inhibitor level, conductivity, glycol strength where used — and whether the treatment log is current. If the chiller rejects heat to a cooling tower, it asks for the tower checks that affect the chiller and points the full tower program to its own record.
From findings to recommendations
Each check marked At risk or No becomes a finding in the report. The close-out turns them into recommendations with a priority — urgent, within the month, or at the next shutdown — and records how the chiller was left. In the ReportWalk app, Start a re-inspection turns the findings into a checklist for the follow-up visit, so the next technician checks exactly what was flagged.
Common questions
How often should a commercial chiller be maintained?
Most operators take log readings daily or every shift, do a fuller check monthly or quarterly, and carry out a major annual service with oil analysis, safety control tests and, on water-cooled machines, condenser tube cleaning or inspection. The maker's manual and your service agreement set the real intervals; this form records any of those visits.
Which readings matter most?
Leaving chilled water temperature against set point, evaporator and condenser refrigerant pressures, condenser water or outdoor air temperature, compressor amps or percent load, and oil pressure and temperature. The approach temperatures worked out from them are the clearest early sign of fouling or a low charge.
Does this checklist make my refrigerant records compliant?
No. It records the leak check, any refrigerant added and that the service record was updated. Whether your records and repairs meet EPA Section 608 depends on the system and the current rule, and stays with the certified technician and the owner.
Can I use it for a seasonal start-up or shutdown?
Yes. Choose the visit type at the start and fill in the sections that apply. Safety control tests and the cooling tower checks are optional, so a start-up or a lay-up visit shows only what you actually did.
Should the cooling tower have its own inspection?
Yes. This form covers only the parts of the tower that affect the chiller — water temperature, flow and treatment. Tower cleaning, drift eliminators and a water management program for Legionella belong in their own records.