Add Desuperheaters on New Installations

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Affordablity

Desuperheaters make the most economic sense when designed into a new installation of greater than 5 hp using multiple refrigeration circuits. A retrofit of an existing system is not generally economic.

Cost Savings

Cost savings come from three sources: elimination of domestic hot water heating, increased refrigeration efficiency and lower refrigeration maintenance costs.

Environmental Considerations

Desuperheaters re-use already generated heat to heat up water. This saves on natural gas or other energy needed for hot water heating, and increases the cooling efficiency of a refrigeration system. Improved efficiency saves energy – reducing the need for more energy generation facilities.

What you need to know

• Desuperheaters run a heat transfer liquid, typically glycol, over the condenser of the refrigeration units. The condensers are very hot as they are rejecting the heat "sucked" out of the freezers and coolers. The heat is transferred from the condenser to the glycol, cooling the condenser more efficiently than if the condenser were air-cooled.
• The "hot" glycol is then run through the hot water tank, much like a regular gas-fired hot water tank, to heat the water.
• With a desuperheater, you do not need additional energy inputs to heat your hot water, saving you money and saving resources as well.
• You will need sufficient space in the mechanical room for the hot water tank.
• Ideally the desuperheater should be located near the refrigeration condensing equipment.
• Specify the hot water demands and typical use pattern in your facility so your system designer can meet your particular needs.

FAQ

I get how free hot water is a big bonus, but how does a desuperheater make my refrigeration equipment more efficient?
All refrigeration equipment works by transferring heat from one place to another. Heat is transferred from the space inside the equipment to the refrigerant at the evaporator and from the refrigerant to the outside at the condenser. Typically, the condenser is in the air, so the heat is transferred between the refrigerant and the air.

A desuperheater surrounds the condenser with glycol, which is much more efficient at removing heat than air. As a result, two good things happen:

• The refrigerant is cooler when it returns to the evaporator, which means it can remove heat better from the air inside the equipment, resulting in the compressor running less of the time, thus saving electrical energy; and,
• Cooler refrigerant means that the pressure of the refrigerant is lower, which puts much less stress on the system, resulting in fewer repairs and longer lasting equipment.