Problem
The site had rising energy bills, low-level vibration complaints from occupied floors, and reduced chilled water flow at the AHUs. Site inspection found the existing pump running 30% above the actual system head — a typical result of original oversizing with a full safety margin, never corrected after commissioning.
Engineering review
FlowCore reviews the actual chilled water or condenser water system head using as-installed pipe data, identifies the operating point on the existing pump curve, confirms where BEP sits relative to the actual duty, and evaluates whether a replacement pump or VFD on the existing unit delivers better running value.
- Actual system head from pipe sizing and valve losses — not original design estimate
- Existing pump operating point vs BEP — how far off and what that costs annually
- VFD retrofit vs replacement: depends on how far the pump is from BEP
- Replacement pump selection: sized to the actual system curve, not the original specification
- Commissioning record: pressure, current, vibration baseline for future maintenance
Solution approach
A replacement pump sized to the actual system curve, selected to operate at or near BEP under normal building load, with VFD control where the load profile justifies it. Current draw and vibration recorded at commissioning as a maintenance baseline.
What this project confirms
HVAC pump replacement is an energy audit opportunity. Installing the same oversized pump again repeats the same annual energy waste. The system curve should be recalculated from actual installed pipe data before specifying the replacement.