Usually, the causes of HVAC malfunctions in offshore rigs are very simple issues. But for people who are not trained in Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition maintenance, they are not always easy to find. If your appliance has been failing to ventilate parts of the rig or showing signs of damage from the water, then it is time to investigate a little further before you call the company for a unit replacement. Usually, there is a simple solution to this problem and your Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition system will be back to its former glory in no time.
Poor quality or restricted airflow
A lot of HVAC users are complaining that they are not receiving enough ventilation in some parts of the rig. If you are encountering a restriction in airflow, it could be due to some reasons. One common cause is a clogged air filter. These things are designed to collect and trap pollutants and dust particles from your Heating, Ventilation and Air-condition unit.
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But once the device has overloaded, they can limit the volume of air that passes through them. It can cause a drop in the unit's airflow. To avoid this problem, filters need to be switched regularly, at least once a month. If the airflow has not improved after you changed the filter, then the problem may have reached the internal components of the Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition sytem.
The evaporator coil that receives inadequate ventilation will freeze up and stop working correctly. If the issue with the unit persists, everything from inside out can suffer. Replacing the filters as well as defrosting the coil is sometimes the only way to solve this problem.
Leaking ducks and water damage
Usually, maintenance teams will be called to deal with the drain pans and the overflowing ducts. The drain pans are designed to deal with a lot of water, but it can quickly get overwhelmed if the humidity level is rapidly rising. In most cases, it is caused by melted is in the frozen components of the unit.
When your Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition system is shut down for a period of inactivity, the ice inside will melt and will start to flow out of the HVAC unit. If this process is left unchecked, then the excess water can start to affect the rig, especially your ceiling or your wall.
By the time you find out that the water damage occurs outside of the device, the situation has already gone out of control. To make sure that this will not happen, you need to regularly check your Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition system at least once a month. If there is excess water in the unit or any signs of a disconnected duct, call a property maintenance team or check out for repair.
The system is failing to provide cold air to the rig
This one is another common complaint that can be solved with a simple solution. During the warmer months of the year, when the air condition unit is running at full blast, it may come to your attention that it is no longer providing cold air. Usually, the reason for this is the low amount of refrigerant in the unit.
The refrigerant is a compound that draws the heat from the air when it passes through the Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition system. Without the coolant, the air condition unit can't do its job and will just expel the same air it takes in.
Running a full diagnostic will let the repair team know whether your unit needs additional refrigerant or not. But, coolant does not run dry on its own, that is why you have lost any of it, there is a big chance that there is a leak somewhere. The rig maintenance company can check for any leaks and make sure that your Air Condition does not continue to run sub-par.
Heat pumps are always running
While the extreme conditions in the offshore oil or gas rig might force the heat pump to run continuously if it is mild on the outside, there is a big chance that the problem is with its components. In most cases, the pumps can be fixed by removing any external influences like ice, or you can insulate the unit. But usually, you may need to call the offshore Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition company to solve the problem.