When Should a Winery Replace a Chiller - and When Is Maintenance and Repair Enough? February 23, 2026 Start with Age — But Don’t Stop There For most wineries, the chiller is one of the hardest-working pieces of equipment on site. It protects fermentation, stabilizes storage, and safeguards product quality year-round. But every winery eventually faces the same question: Do we keep maintaining and repairing this system — or is it time to replace it? The answer isn’t always obvious. Here’s how to evaluate the decision strategically. Evaluate Age — But Look Deeper Chillers typically have a service life of 10–15 years, depending on usage, environment, and maintenance history. Under 8–10 years old: Preventative maintenance and minor repairs are usually the most cost-effective path. 10+ years old: It’s time to evaluate performance, efficiency, and risk exposure more closely. Age alone doesn’t dictate replacement — but it should trigger a deeper assessment. When Maintenance and Repair Still Make Sense Continuing to maintain and repair your existing system is usually the right choice when: Compressor runtime hours are within expected limits Repairs have been minor and infrequent Energy consumption is stable The system has adequate capacity during peak harvest Refrigerant and replacement parts are readily available Preventative maintenance and timely repairs — including coil cleaning, refrigerant checks, electrical inspections, and control calibration — can significantly extend system life and preserve reliability. When Replacement Becomes the Smarter Decision There are clear indicators that a chiller is approaching the end of its practical lifecycle. 1. You’re Operating at Maximum Capacity During Harvest If your chiller runs continuously during peak fermentation with no margin, you’re operating without redundancy. That increases production risk. 2. Major Components Are Failing Repeated compressor replacements, electrical failures, or refrigerant leaks over a short period often signal declining system integrity. 3. Energy Costs Are Climbing Older equipment typically operates less efficiently. Modern systems can offer meaningful gains in energy performance and part-load efficiency. 4. Your Production Has Expanded If tank volume or storage has increased but cooling capacity hasn’t, the system may simply be undersized for current operations. 5. Refrigerant Phase-Out Concerns Legacy refrigerants can become expensive or difficult to source. At some point, maintaining compliance becomes less economical than upgrading. “The biggest mistake we see wineries make is waiting for a failure to force the decision. By the time a chiller goes down in peak fermentation, you’re already in crisis mode. A planned upgrade protects both production quality and peace of mind.” — Andy Backer, North American Sales, G&D Chillers The Real Question: What Is Downtime Worth? The cost of a chiller failure during peak fermentation often exceeds the investment required for a planned replacement. Waiting for failure shifts the timeline from controlled capital planning to emergency response — which typically costs more and introduces operational disruption. Planned replacement allows for: Proper load calculations Right-sizing for current and future growth Improved energy efficiency Consideration of redundancy strategies A Practical Evaluation Strategy Before making a decision, wineries should consider: A performance assessment before peak season A load analysis based on actual tank and facility volume An efficiency comparison between current and modern systems A review of maintenance and repair history Sometimes the right answer is ongoing maintenance and repair. Sometimes it’s strategic replacement. The key is evaluating your system before it becomes a production liability. Don’t wait for harvest to test your system. Contact G&D Chillers for a pre-season cooling assessment and capacity review. .