Chiller Bypass Line

Our client in Walhalla, South Carolina has a new chiller bypass line for their cooling system. JDI Industrial Services continues to work on upgrading their operations and recently met to plan a day for this system upgrade.

Their system needs to be able to run continuously, so JDI was able to quickly take the system offline so that the installation could happen in a timely manner.

Our pipefitter and mechanical team installs the system in less than 24 hours, and gets the plant’s productions back online and the bypass working perfectly.

While water-cooled chillers exhibit enhanced efficiency under low condenser water temperatures, there’s usually a lower limit, often around 15-18°C .

Our piping and mechanical team sent two of our finest to fabricate the carbon piping for the chiller bypass lines. Their knowledge of the plant’s system and great workmanship made the client glad to have JDI’s skillful tradesmen at the ready.

The bypass line is crucial for their productions. While water-cooled chillers exhibit enhanced efficiency under low condenser water temperatures, there’s usually a lower limit, often around 15-18°C .

The chiller bypass line, despite its simplicity, is a fundamental cog in the well-oiled machine that is any open or closed hydronic system. Ensuring its proper design and sizing is pivotal as many performance issues within chilled water systems can be traced back to inappropriately sized bypasses.

Achieving a quick-turnaround is made more difficult due to the welding constraints of the area. This results in JDI’s team having to use TIG welding.

Problems resulting from bypass size discrepancies are often difficult to diagnose and, consequently, easy to overlook. As such, an inadequate bypass can silently impair system efficiency, posing continuous, unseen threats to performance and equipment longevity.

The team finish the chiller bypass section, and then have to bolt together the section to the existing piping. This allows the manufacturer’s maintenance team to perform in-service repairs and replacements without shutting down the cooling water system.

This requires the team to have made sure that all measurements have minimal error, low stress, and will be capable of fitting before the welding even occurs. Now that the section is ready, all the team has to do is use a scissor lift to reach the piping and begin connecting.

We connect the system together, make sure that everything is sealed and as tight as necessary, then communicate with the engineers to restart the chiller system. JDI’s mechanical and piping team ensure that there are no leaks and leave the work area pristine.

• 4 inch Diameter Carbon Piping
• Flanges and Collars
• 45 and 90 Elbows
• Aalberts Apollo® Butterfly Valves
• TIG Welding
• Pressure Valves
• Cooling System Tie-In, Start and Process Run

In essence, bypass installation is not just a technical requirement, but a design that demands meticulous attention to detail. Bypass lines and chilled water systems in general stand as a testament to the impact that even seemingly minor components can have on the overall functionality and efficiency of a system.

Therefore, a deep understanding of bypass sizing and operation is integral to the successful design, operation, and maintenance of chilled water systems. By completing this bypass project, JDI helps the customer maintain production schedule by being able to keep the machines cool during future pump service and repairs.

Our expertise is not just in the welding, but also understanding the engineers and maintenance teams’ goals and needs. JDI Industrial Services continues to be called to work on projects like the chiller bypass line because we align with the manufacturing plant teams at all times.