If the discharge pressure of the condenser water pump is significantly lower than normal, which action would you avoid taking?

• A. Put on an additional surface condenser pump and lower the chilled water set point
• B. Increase condenser water flow
• C. Inspect for leaks and clean heat exchanger
• D. Check the thermostatic expansion valve setting

Answer: (A)

When condenser water discharge pressure is too low, the condenser isn’t being cooled enough to reject heat properly. The appropriate fixes focus on increasing the condenser’s ability to transfer heat and ensuring the water circuit and controls are clean and correct. Adding another condenser pump could help by boosting water flow, and inspecting for leaks or fouling of the heat exchanger helps restore proper flow and heat transfer; checking the thermostatic expansion valve setting can rule out refrigerant-side issues that affect pressures.

Avoid lowering the chilled-water set point while also adding a second pump because reducing the set point increases the cooling load the system must handle. That extra load makes the condenser work harder to reject heat, which can worsen the low discharge pressure rather than fix the problem.