Service Overview
- Installation Type: Absorption refrigeration chillers
- Service Area: Nairobi and surrounding areas
- Installation Duration: 2-5 days depending on capacity and complexity
- Typical Cost Range: KES 150,000 – 500,000+ (labor only, varies significantly by size)
- Best For: Large commercial buildings, hospitals, industrial facilities, hotels
- Cooling Capacity: Units typically range from 100 to 1,500+ refrigeration tons
- Warranty: Most installations include 1-2 year workmanship guarantee
Absorption chillers represent sophisticated cooling technology increasingly adopted in Nairobi’s large commercial and industrial facilities. Unlike conventional chillers using electric compressors, absorption chillers use heat energy to drive the refrigeration cycle, making them ideal for facilities with waste heat availability or steam generation capacity. Their installation requires specialized expertise and careful planning.
Pre-Installation Assessment
The installation process begins with comprehensive engineering assessments. Mechanical engineers evaluate the facility’s cooling requirements, calculating total cooling loads for the building or process applications. They assess available heat sources to power the absorption chiller, whether waste heat from industrial processes, steam from boilers, or hot water from cogeneration systems. In Nairobi’s context, some facilities explore solar thermal heat as a driving force for absorption chillers.
Structural engineers assess the installation location, typically mechanical rooms or rooftop equipment areas. Absorption chillers are significantly larger and heavier than equivalent-capacity electric chillers, often weighing several tons. They evaluate floor loading capacity, ceiling height for equipment clearance, and accessibility for delivery and future maintenance. The assessment includes planning for auxiliary equipment like cooling towers, pumps, and heat exchangers.
The team evaluates existing building systems including chilled water distribution, cooling tower capacity, and electrical infrastructure for pumps and controls. They review water quality requirements, as absorption chillers have specific water treatment needs for optimal performance and longevity.
Preparation and Rigging
Preparation involves extensive coordination and specialized equipment. The installation site is prepared with structural reinforcements if needed, including concrete pads with vibration isolation or rooftop support frames. Access routes are planned and cleared, as absorption chillers may require removing windows, cutting wall sections, or using cranes for rooftop installations.
Rigging specialists coordinate the delivery and positioning of the chiller unit. In Nairobi’s high-rise buildings, this often involves crane operations with road closures and safety coordination with building management and local authorities. The chiller is carefully lifted and positioned on its prepared foundation, with precision alignment ensuring proper leveling for internal fluid distribution.
Technicians prepare connection points for all utilities including heat source piping, chilled water supply and return, cooling water connections, and condensate drainage. They install vibration isolation pads or springs beneath the chiller to minimize noise and vibration transmission through building structures.
Core Installation Process
Installation begins with connecting the heat source to the absorption chiller’s generator section. For steam-driven units, this involves installing steam supply piping with appropriate pressure-reducing valves, steam traps, and condensate return lines. For hot water-driven units, technicians install supply and return piping with control valves and flow meters. All connections are made with proper expansion compensation and insulation.
Chilled water piping connections are installed, linking the chiller’s evaporator to the building’s chilled water distribution system. Large diameter pipes, typically ranging from 4 to 12 inches depending on capacity, are connected using flanged or grooved fittings. Flow meters, temperature sensors, and isolation valves are installed for system monitoring and maintenance.
Cooling water piping connects the chiller’s absorber and condenser sections to cooling towers. This circuit requires careful sizing and installation, as absorption chillers reject significantly more heat than conventional chillers. Technicians install strainers, flow meters, and control valves to manage cooling water flow rates.
The electrical installation connects power to auxiliary equipment including solution pumps, refrigerant pumps, and control systems. While absorption chillers use much less electricity than conventional chillers, they still require power for pumps and controls. Technicians install motor starters, variable frequency drives where applicable, and control panels.
Vacuum equipment and charging systems are prepared for the chemical charging process. Absorption chillers use lithium bromide solution and water as the refrigerant pair, or ammonia and water for industrial applications. This requires specialized handling and charging procedures.
Testing and Commissioning
After installation, the system undergoes extensive commissioning. Technicians evacuate air from the chiller system using vacuum pumps, achieving deep vacuum levels necessary for proper operation. They charge the unit with precise quantities of refrigerant and absorbent solution according to manufacturer specifications.
The chiller is started gradually, with careful monitoring of all parameters including solution concentrations, temperatures, pressures, and vacuum levels. Initial operation requires several days of monitoring and adjustment to achieve stable operation. Technicians tune control systems, calibrate sensors, and optimize heat input for efficient operation.
Water treatment systems are commissioned, ensuring proper chemical treatment of cooling water and chilled water circuits. This is critical in Nairobi’s water conditions to prevent scaling, corrosion, and biological growth that can severely impact chiller performance.
Performance testing verifies the chiller achieves rated capacity and efficiency under design conditions. The team measures cooling output, heat input, electricity consumption, and coefficient of performance. They test all safety systems including low-temperature protection, solution crystallization prevention, and emergency shutdown systems.
The installation team provides comprehensive training to facility engineers on absorption chiller operation, monitoring procedures, water treatment requirements, and maintenance schedules. They supply detailed documentation including system schematics, operating parameters, troubleshooting guides, and maintenance protocols. Professional absorption chiller installation provides Nairobi’s large facilities with efficient, sustainable cooling leveraging waste heat or alternative energy sources.
