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Chiller quarterly maintenance checklist

A quarterly chiller round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone — every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against ASHRAE guidance — confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Items
6
Photos required
8

Who runs it

The chiller service tech on the contracted quarterly visit.

When in the schedule

Every quarter, with readings taken under load so the numbers mean something — not at standby.

The checklist

Every item, and the photo that proves it

The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as-is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.

01

Operating readings

  • Full operating log taken under load

    Pressures, temperatures, amps and approach values recorded and compared against the commissioning baseline.

    2 photos
  • Approach temperatures within normal range

    Evaporator and condenser approach values not trending up — the early signal of fouling or low charge.

    1 photo
02

Leak and moisture check

  • Chiller and fittings checked for refrigerant leaks

    Leak check at joints, valves and the purge unit; any oil trace investigated, not wiped off.

    2 photos
  • Sight glass and moisture indicator read

    Indicator shows dry, flow visible where the design provides a glass.

    1 photo
03

Water side

  • Water treatment current for both loops

    Treatment test results logged, strainers checked, no signs of scale or biological fouling.

    1 photo
  • Flow devices and safeties verified

    Flow switches and freeze protection proven to trip, not assumed from last year's test.

    1 photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

  • Readings logged from the display without comparing them to what the sensors should be saying.
  • Approach temperatures creeping up quarter over quarter with no one trending the log.
  • Refrigerant sight glass checked for presence of flow, not for moisture indication.

Run it with the Photo Gate

A checklist nobody can submit half-finished

Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 8 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.

Submission state

Mandatory items answered6 of 6
Photos attached5 of 8
Submit locked — 3 photos missing

The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.

Verified against

Common questions

What does this chiller quarterly checklist cover?
6 items across 3 sections — operating readings, leak and moisture check, water side. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
Who should run this inspection?
The chiller service tech on the contracted quarterly visit.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?
Every quarter, with readings taken under load so the numbers mean something — not at standby.
Why does every item ask for a photo?
8 of the 6 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
What most often fails a chiller quarterly inspection?
Readings logged from the display without comparing them to what the sensors should be saying. Approach temperatures creeping up quarter over quarter with no one trending the log. Refrigerant sight glass checked for presence of flow, not for moisture indication.
Can I use this checklist in RTI?
Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.