Glycol Chiller Service for Long-Draw Beer Systems in Chicagoland
In a glycol beer system, a chiller, often called a glycol power pack, keeps a bath of glycol solution cold and pumps it through tubes bundled alongside the beer lines. That is what keeps beer at cooler temperature on its way from a basement or back-of-house walk-in to a bar that may be well away from it.
When the chiller falls behind, the first sign is usually warm, foamy beer at the tap. We provide glycol chiller service for bars, restaurants, hotels, taprooms and venues in Chicago and the suburbs, so the system holds temperature through a busy shift.
What glycol chiller service covers
- Checking glycol concentration and bath temperature.
- Cleaning condenser coils so the chiller can shed heat.
- Inspecting the pump, glycol lines and connections for wear and leaks.
- Topping off or replacing glycol.
- Checking beer temperature at the faucet, and looking for sweating, icing or damaged insulation along the trunk line.
Signs a glycol system needs attention
- Beer pours warm or foamy at the tap.
- The chiller runs constantly or sounds louder than usual.
- Ice builds up on the chiller or the trunk line.
- The trunk line sweats or drips where it runs through walls or ceilings.
- The glycol level drops between checks, or sticky residue appears around fittings.
Glycol chiller repair
Glycol chiller repair often starts with the simple causes: a dirty condenser, glycol that is low or mixed too weak, a pump that is wearing out, or a leak in a glycol line. We take care of those, replacing pumps, fittings and glycol lines as needed and bringing the glycol back to the right mix.
If the fault is inside the refrigeration system itself, such as a refrigerant leak or a failed compressor, it needs a refrigeration technician certified to handle refrigerant. We will tell you when that is the case.
Glycol and the Illinois cleaning rule
Illinois counts glycol systems among the systems designed to limit buildup, which may be cleaned every two weeks instead of weekly, provided the system is checked weekly to make sure it is operating properly. Keeping the chiller in good working order is part of that.
Related services
Where we work
We work on commercial draft systems in the City of Chicago and suburban Cook, Lake, DuPage and McHenry counties.
Common questions
What kind of glycol goes in a beer chiller?
Food-grade propylene glycol, mixed with water to the concentration the chiller manufacturer specifies. The mix matters: too weak and the solution can freeze on the cooling coil, too strong and it carries heat less efficiently.
Why is our trunk line sweating or icing up?
Sweating usually means the insulation around the trunk line is damaged or wet, so cold is escaping into the room. Icing can mean the same thing, or that the glycol is running colder than it should. Both waste cooling and can affect beer temperature at the tap.
Do you service chillers on systems you did not install?
Yes. We service glycol chillers and long-draw systems regardless of who installed them.
Get in touch
Tell us about your bar, restaurant or venue and what your draft system needs.