Welding Cooling: Water-Cooled vs. Air-Cooled Chillers

Tips & Advice

Not sure whether a water-cooled chiller or air-cooled chiller would be better for your welding cooling applications? We want to help demystify some of the pros and cons of both of these options for you to help you find the right fit and the right equipment to invest in for your long-term needs. Below are some key things you should know about each type of chiller.

Water-Cooled Chillers

  • Better for large capacity equipment and applications
  • Require less energy consumption
  • Ideal for plant temperatures above 90 degrees
  • Require a water source (tower or well) of high quality water
  • May produce more dust and other particles and require extra cleanup
  • Require more maintenance overall because the water they use needs to be treated to reduce mineral buildup
  • Can weigh up to 9,000 tons
  • Usually work for a greater number of years with regular maintenance because of their indoor storage

Air-Cooled Chillers

  • Do not require a large water supply, and the water they use does not have to be high quality
  • Consume more energy, sometimes making costs of operation higher
  • Ideal for plant temperatures below 90 degrees
  • Require much less maintenance than air-cooled chillers overall
  • Usually weigh less than 500 tons
  • Easier to set up and use due to fewer number of parts
  • Often need to be replaced sooner than water-cooled chillers, despite their relatively low maintenance during the time they are used
These are the essential ways water-cooled chillers and air-cooled chillers differ. Keep in mind that both options come with their own unique advantages and disadvantages and are better for certain applications, as mentioned above.

Be sure to check out the welding equipment on Eiffel Trading to see if we have what you’re in the market to buy!