Free checklist
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.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo evidence it needs
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.
Operating readings
Full operating log taken under load
Pressures, temperatures, amps and approach values recorded and compared against the commissioning baseline.
Approach temperatures within normal range
Evaporator and condenser approach values not trending up, since a rising approach is the early signal of fouling or low charge.
Controller alarm and trip history read before clearing
Alarm and shutdown history on the chiller controller logged before anything is reset, repeat trips reported to the owner.
Oil level and pressure checked on oil-lubricated compressors
Oil level in the sight glass and oil pressure at the controller within the manufacturer's range, oil-free machines noted.
No photo
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.
Sight glass and moisture indicator read
Indicator shows dry, flow visible where the design provides a glass.
No photoRefrigerant log reviewed for charge added since last visit
Log kept by the certified refrigerant technician checked, any charge added matched to a leak found and repaired.
No photo
Water side
Water treatment current for both loops
Treatment test results logged, strainers checked, no signs of scale or biological fouling.
Flow devices and safeties verified
Flow switches and freeze protection proven to trip, not assumed from last year's test.
Evaporator water pressure drop read against design
Pressure drop across the evaporator, and the condenser on water-cooled machines, read on the gauges and compared to design flow.
Machine and starter
Starter or drive cabinet checked from outside while running
Cabinet fans and filters clear, no heat, odor or buzzing at the doors, starter display free of faults.
Insulation on the evaporator and cold piping intact
Insulation and vapor barrier on the evaporator, suction line and chilled water connections unbroken, no sweating or ice on the surface.
Close-out
Chiller left in automatic with the owner's setpoint
Controller back in automatic, chilled water setpoint as the owner set it, any panel opened during the visit closed.
Quarterly log filed and deficiencies reported
Readings filed against the chiller serial number, open deficiencies and recommended actions sent to the owner.
No 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.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this chiller quarterly checklist cover?
- 14 items across 5 sections, covering operating readings, leak and moisture check, water side, machine and starter, and more. 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 do these items ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 12 photos in all. 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.
Related checklists
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 12 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.