Horizontal chillers are typically used on rooftops, mainly to be hidden from view. Most businesses that are within city limits are required to have a parapet to conceal rooftop equipment. Because fast food and other businesses began installing so many remote condensers and large HVAC RTUs it was making commercial roof-lines very unattractive. The top three reasons to use a horizontal chiller rather than a vertical chiller are:
- They are below the parapet in most cases (often a city code requirement).
- We recommend spanning as many roof support trusses as possible, making the lower, wider footprint an advantage as it allows the weight to be disbursed over a wider area and may help span additional trusses.
- Ease of service on a rooftop: it's riskier for service technicians to be on a ladder on a rooftop edge with no safety harness or net below, and it's much easier to change a condenser fan motor on a horizontal unit when on the roof.
- Mobility! If you're considering a trailer mounted / mobile chiller, horizontal is the way to go! The protective panels and uni-body frame of horizontal units help protect sensitive components and avoid flex of refrigerant lines.
