Compressor Lubrication System
The chiller lubrication system consists of the oil pump,
oil filter, oil cooler and all interconnecting oil piping
and passages.
The submerged oil pump (oil sump) takes suction from
the surrounding oil and discharges it to the oil cooler
where heat is rejected. The oil flows from the oil cooler
to the oil filter. The oil leaves the filter and flows to the
emergency oil reservoir where it is distributed to the
compressor bearings. The oil lubricates the compressor
rotating components and is returned to the oil sump.
Changing the oil, of course, is critical to operation, perhaps more so than it is to efficiency; analyzing it once a year is equally important. That determines the frequency of future oil changes, and may alert you to other problems in the system that can be addressed during planned maintenance rather than emergency downtime.
“Do an oil and filter change after the first year of operation,” “then do a yearly oil analysis. If that’s clear, you can go do an oil change, in some cases, up to every five years.” If the oil is dirty, of course, it needs to be changed more often. Particle size can indicate if it’s from a compressor wear problem or normal wear and tear. Regardless, “Change the oil filter on a yearly basis,”