Types of Chillers: Complete HVAC Chiller Types Guide

There are several types of chillers used in HVAC and industrial cooling. Each type suits different operating requirements. The right type depends on cooling capacity, heat-rejection method, operating conditions, efficiency requirements and the application. This guide explains the main chiller types and points you toward deeper guides for each technology.

What Are the Main Types of Chillers?

Chillers are commonly classified by how they reject heat and by the compressor or refrigeration technology they use. The two basic heat-rejection categories are air-cooled chillers and water-cooled chillers. Within those categories, chillers may use scroll, screw, centrifugal or other compressor technologies.

Air-Cooled Chillers

Air-cooled chillers reject condenser heat directly to outdoor air and generally do not require a cooling tower. They can suit projects where water availability, plant simplicity or installation constraints are important. See our detailed guidance on air-cooled chiller systems before selecting a model.

Water-Cooled Chillers

Water-cooled chillers reject heat through a condenser-water circuit, normally connected to a cooling tower. They are widely considered for larger centralized cooling plants where efficiency and continuous operation are important.

Jaideo supplies Daikin water-cooled chillers and maintains manufacturer documentation in the technical downloads section.

Types of Chillers by Compressor Technology

Scroll Chillers

Scroll chillers use scroll compressors and are commonly considered for smaller and modular cooling applications. Read our scroll chiller guide for working principle, applications and comparison with other compressor types.

Screw Chillers

Screw chillers use rotary screw compressors and are commonly applied to medium and large commercial or industrial cooling requirements. The dedicated guide covers screw chiller working principle, air-cooled and water-cooled configurations, applications and selection considerations.

Centrifugal Chillers

Centrifugal chillers use dynamic compressors and are generally associated with large-capacity centralized cooling plants. The dedicated guide covers centrifugal chiller operation, water-cooled systems, applications and comparison with screw chillers.

Magnetic Bearing Centrifugal Chillers

Magnetic bearing centrifugal chillers use oil-free magnetic bearing technology. They are a specialized development of centrifugal chiller technology and deserve separate consideration where efficiency and oil-free compressor operation are project priorities.

Variable Speed Drive Chillers

VSD chillers use variable-speed compressor control to match cooling output to load. VSD is a control technology that can be applied to screw or centrifugal chiller systems rather than being a completely separate refrigeration family.

Heat-Pump Chillers

Heat-pump chillers can provide heating and cooling from the same water-based system. They should be evaluated according to the project’s simultaneous heating and cooling requirements, source temperatures and operating profile.

Air-Cooled vs Water-Cooled Chillers

The choice between air-cooled and water-cooled chillers depends on the project rather than on one universal preference. Consider cooling load, climate, water availability, cooling-tower requirements, plant space, energy targets, maintenance requirements and lifecycle cost.

Which Type of Chiller Is Used for Different Applications?

  • Commercial buildings: scroll, screw or centrifugal systems depending on cooling load.
  • Hotels and hospitals: centralized chilled-water systems selected according to load profile, redundancy and efficiency requirements.
  • Large campuses and data centres: high-capacity screw or centrifugal systems may be considered.
  • Industrial process cooling: selection depends heavily on process temperature, load profile and required continuity.
  • Projects requiring both heating and cooling: heat-pump chiller configurations may be considered.

How Do You Choose the Right Chiller Type?

Start with the required cooling load and operating conditions. Then compare the heat-rejection method and compressor technology. Also consider entering and leaving water temperatures and part-load performance, energy efficiency, available plant space, water availability, redundancy and maintenance requirements. For commercial procurement, the final selection should be based on the project’s technical specification and manufacturer data.

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Chiller Product Enquiries

For a chiller requirement, share the required capacity, application, preferred configuration, project location and any available technical specification. Jaideo Automation supplies HVAC products from established brands and can provide product information and quotation support based on the requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chiller Types

The two basic heat-rejection categories are air-cooled chillers and water-cooled chillers. Compressor technologies such as scroll, screw and centrifugal can be used within these broader categories.

Common chiller types include air-cooled, water-cooled, scroll, screw, centrifugal, magnetic-bearing centrifugal and heat-pump chillers. Variable-speed drive is a control technology used with some chiller compressor types.

Air-cooled chillers reject heat directly to outdoor air, while water-cooled chillers use condenser water and normally a cooling tower. The appropriate choice depends on project load, water availability, plant space, efficiency targets and operating conditions.

Screw chillers use rotary screw compressors and are commonly used across medium and larger cooling applications. Centrifugal chillers use dynamic compressors and are commonly considered for large-capacity centralized plants. Compare the dedicated screw chiller and centrifugal chiller guides for more detail.

Start with cooling load, entering and leaving water temperatures, operating hours and load profile. Then compare air- or water-cooled heat rejection, compressor technology, efficiency, plant space, water availability, redundancy, maintenance requirements and lifecycle cost using manufacturer data.

Jaideo maintains a downloads section containing available brochures, catalogues and technical datasheets from the brands and products it supplies.