# Commercial Chiller Service Toronto | RTU Toronto Pros

> Commercial chiller service Toronto: centrifugal, screw + absorption chillers, 100-2,000 ton. CRE-ticketed techs. Retubes $50K-$180K. 24-hour written quote.

URL: https://rooftopunitstoronto.ca/commercial-chiller-service-toronto/

![Centrifugal chiller in a downtown Toronto tower mechanical room](/images/misc/large-centrifugal-chiller-in-a-downtown-toronto-to.webp)

CRE-Ticketed | 100-2,000 Tons

# Commercial Chiller Service by CRE-Ticketed Techs, 100 to 2,000 Tons

Last updated: October 24, 2026

Centrifugal, screw and absorption chiller repair, retube and replacement by CRE-ticketed techs.

-   High approach temperature
-   Compressor surge
-   Scaled chiller tubes
-   Vibration trips
-   Oil loss
-   Refrigerant leak alarms

Book a Site Assessment

[/contact/ →](/contact/)

 

View Pricing

[#pricing →](#pricing)

24-Hour Written Quote

From $30,000 per chiller project

-   Parts, labour, crane, permit + HST on one line
-   2-4 hr on-roof emergency response, GTA core
-   Save on Energy rebate filed on qualifying work

Red Seal HVAC-RTSSA G1 + G2ESA + CRE$5M + WSIB

24/7 Dispatch (437) TBD

[tel:+14370000000 →](tel:+14370000000)

-   24-Hour Written Quote (not a sales pitch)
-   24/7 Emergency RTU Dispatch (2-4 hr on-roof GTA core)
-   Red Seal HVAC-R + TSSA + ESA + CRE Chiller
-   $5M Liability + WSIB + COI in 24 Hours
-   Save on Energy Rebate Filed on Your Behalf

1,800+

GTA installs

97%

Uptime

2-4 hr

On-roof, GTA core

48

Sites under contract

Symptoms first

## Is Your Equipment Showing These Signs?

High approach temperatures, surging, oil loss, scaled tubes or a vibration trip at 2am: our CRE-ticketed chiller techs handle centrifugal, screw and absorption machines from 100 to 2,000 tons, from eddy current testing through full retubes and replacements.

-   High approach temperature
-   Compressor surge
-   Scaled chiller tubes
-   Vibration trips
-   Oil loss
-   Refrigerant leak alarms

Seeing one of these? 

Book a site assessment

[/contact/ →](/contact/)

 or call dispatch for a 2-4 hour on-roof visit in the GTA core.

## What Your Chiller Is Telling You

Commercial chiller service starts with the symptoms your operators already see on the panel: approach temperatures creeping up, a compressor that surges at part load, oil level dropping, vibration trips in the middle of the night, or refrigerant leak alarms that will not stay cleared. Each one points to a different part of the machine, and each one gets more expensive the longer it runs.

Large office towers on Bay Street, condo towers in Yorkville and North York Centre, hospitals, schools and industrial plants across the GTA run on central chiller plants. When the chiller is down, the whole building is down. That is why chiller work needs CRE-ticketed techs who work on these machines every week.

## Types of Chillers We Service

### Centrifugal chillers

The workhorse of Toronto office towers, typically 200-2,000 tons. We service **Trane CenTraVac**, **York YK**, Carrier and **Daikin WMC** machines: bearings, impellers, guide vanes, controls, oil systems and the **shell-and-tube evaporator** and condenser. Retubes on 100-500 ton machines run $50K-$180K over 7-14 days.

### Screw chillers

Common in mid-size buildings and industrial plants, 100-800 tons, including air-cooled **Carrier AquaForce** units. Typical work: compressor rebuilds, oil separators, slide valves and controls. Full replacement of a 200-800 ton screw chiller runs $150K-$500K over 3-6 weeks.

### Absorption chillers (McQuay and others)

Absorption machines use heat instead of a compressor, and turn up in institutional and older plants. Typical problems are crystallization, solution contamination, vacuum loss and tube failures. A **McQuay absorption** or similar overhaul runs $30K-$150K over 2-4 weeks. We cover these as part of this page because they share the same CRE-ticketed crew and plant-level approach.

## How We Diagnose Chiller Problems

We start with your logs and trends: approach temperatures, condenser pressures, oil analysis history, vibration data and alarm records. Then we test:

1.  **Eddy current testing** on evaporator and condenser tubes to measure wall loss
2.  Oil analysis for wear metals, acid and moisture
3.  Refrigerant leak testing and charge analysis
4.  Vibration analysis on compressor and motor
5.  Controls and safeties review

> **Retube or replace?**
> 
> If the compressor, motor and shell are sound, a retube often buys 15-20 more years at a fraction of replacement cost. If the machine runs on an outdated refrigerant like R-123 with a failing compressor, replacement with an R-513A or R-1234ze machine may make more sense. We write up both.

## How Much Does Chiller Service Cost in Toronto?

| Scope | Price | Timeline |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Centrifugal retube (100-500 ton) | $50K-$180K | 7-14 days |
| Screw chiller replace (200-800 ton) | $150K-$500K | 3-6 wks |
| Absorption overhaul | $30K-$150K | 2-4 wks |
| Mechanical room retrofit | $75K-$300K | 4-8 wks |

Seasonal startup, layup, tube cleaning and testing are quoted per plant. Chiller replacements and VFD retrofits often qualify for Save on Energy incentives; see 

VFD upgrades

[/vfd-upgrade-commercial-hvac-toronto/ →](/vfd-upgrade-commercial-hvac-toronto/)

 and 

Save on Energy retrofits

[/save-on-energy-retrofit-toronto/ →](/save-on-energy-retrofit-toronto/)

.

## Seasonal Startup and Layup

Toronto chiller plants typically start in April and lay up in October. Startup covers controls, safeties, oil, refrigerant, flow and coordination with the 

cooling tower

[/commercial-cooling-tower-service-toronto/ →](/commercial-cooling-tower-service-toronto/)

. Layup covers tube cleaning, eddy current testing on schedule, oil changes and freeze protection. Bundling both with tower work under one contract means one report and one accountable crew.

## Working in Occupied Towers

Downtown chiller work is as much about logistics as mechanics. Tube bundles and compressors move by crane or hoist, which means City of Toronto permits, rigging plans and early-morning lifts. Condo and office towers need tenant notices and board updates. On the Bay Street retube, we handled all of it, and the building went back on primary inside the 9-day window. For the rest of the plant room, see 

high-rise mechanical room HVAC

[/high-rise-mechanical-room-hvac-toronto/ →](/high-rise-mechanical-room-hvac-toronto/)

.

We service chiller plants across 

Downtown Toronto

[/service-areas/toronto/ →](/service-areas/toronto/)

, North York Centre, Markham office parks and Mississauga industrial sites, alongside the 

commercial rooftop units and cooling towers

[/ →](/)

 on the same buildings.

Published pricing

## How Much Does Chiller Service Cost in Toronto?

Ranges from recent GTA jobs. Your written quote lands within 24 hours with parts, labour, crane, permit and HST on one line, and rebate-net pricing where the work qualifies.

25/50/25 payment on installs: 25% at order, 50% on install day, 25% on commissioning sign-off. Net-30 for commercial and PM accounts. 

See all pricing

[/pricing/ →](/pricing/)

.

### Chiller Service pricing

CAD + HST

| Service | Price | Timeline |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Centrifugal retube (100-500 ton) | $50K-$180K | 7-14 days |
| Screw chiller replace (200-800 ton) | $150K-$500K | 3-6 wks |
| Absorption overhaul | $30K-$150K | 2-4 wks |
| Mechanical room retrofit | $75K-$300K | 4-8 wks |

Case study | Financial District, Toronto | Bay Street towers

## 42-storey Bay Street tower chiller retube

A 42-storey Bay Street tower needed its chiller rebuilt with CRE-ticketed techs and crane permits on one of the busiest streets in the city. We ran the project end-to-end, including permits, rigging, tube removal and installation, and condo board communication. The retube finished inside a 9-day window and the building went back on primary as promised.

Equipment

Centrifugal chiller, full retube

Size

42-storey tower plant

Turnaround

9-day window

Price

$148K

Why property teams pick us

## Why Choose Rooftop Units Toronto Pros for Chiller Service?

### CRE-ticketed techs

Chiller work by CRE-ticketed technicians on centrifugal, screw and absorption machines from 100 to 2,000 tons.

### Tested, not guessed

Eddy current testing tells us which tubes are thinning, so you do not retube a bundle that has years left.

### Outage windows kept

Our Bay Street retube ran inside a 9-day window and the building was back on primary as promised.

### Board + tenant comms

We prepare notices, schedules and board updates for condo and office towers so the PM is not the go-between.

### Every major brand

Trane CenTraVac, Carrier AquaForce, York YK, Daikin WMC and McQuay absorption machines.

### Plant-wide view

Chillers, cooling towers, pumps and VFDs handled by one crew, so the plant is tuned as a system.

What to expect

## How Does Our Chiller Service Work?

1.  01
    
    ### Plant review
    
    Logs, approach temperatures, oil analysis and vibration history reviewed with your operators before we open anything.
    
2.  02
    
    ### Testing
    
    Eddy current tube testing, refrigerant leak checks and compressor inspection to measure condition, not guess it.
    
3.  03
    
    ### Written scope
    
    Repair, retube, overhaul or replace, with price, outage window and rebate options in writing within 24 hours of the assessment.
    
4.  04
    
    ### Planned outage
    
    Work scheduled around tenant load and weather, with crane permits, rigging and board communication handled.
    
5.  05
    
    ### Startup + handover
    
    Commissioning readings, controls checks and a written report. The plant goes back on primary as promised.
    

Field photos

## Our Chiller Service Work

Recent GTA rooftops and mechanical rooms. Click any photo to enlarge.

### Before + After

![Scaled chiller condenser tubes before retube](/images/cards/heavily-scaled-chiller-condenser-tubes-with-minera.webp)

Before

![New chiller tube sheet after a full retube](/images/cards/clean-new-chiller-tube-sheet-after-a-full-retube-w.webp)

After

Bay Street 42-storey tower: chiller retube with crane permits, $148K, 9-day window.

Client Records

## What Clients Say About Our Chiller Service

> "Our 42-storey Bay Street tower chiller rebuild needed CRE-ticketed techs + crane permits. Ran end-to-end including condo board comms. $148K retube, 9-day window, back on primary as promised."

JLJennifer L.Building Ops, Bay Street

> "Eddy current results showed only one bundle needed retubing. That saved us from replacing a chiller that had another ten years in it."

MOMartin O.Chief engineer, North York office

> "The Forest Hill school penthouse retrofit ran over the summer break and the plant was back online before staff returned. Clear weekly reports to our facilities office."

GWGrace W.Facilities lead, Forest Hill

> "Our screw chiller kept tripping on oil loss. They found a failing oil separator and had the machine back in service in two days."

HYHassan Y.Plant manager, Mississauga

> "Spring startup and fall layup on our condo chiller and tower are now one contract with one report. No more finger-pointing between trades."

ERElaine R.Property manager, Yorkville

## RTU offline or chiller alarm?

Red Seal tech on the roof in 2-4 hrs across the GTA core. Call (437) TBD.

(437) TBD

[tel:+14370000000 →](tel:+14370000000)

 

Emergency Service

[/emergency-rooftop-unit-repair-toronto/ →](/emergency-rooftop-unit-repair-toronto/)

Buyer questions

## Chiller Service FAQs

Still have a question?

A Red Seal lead answers, not a call centre. Written quote within 24 hours.

Book a Site Assessment

[/contact/ →](/contact/)

(437) TBD

[tel:+14370000000 →](tel:+14370000000)

### How much does commercial chiller service cost in Toronto?

Chiller projects range widely by type and scope. A centrifugal retube on a 100-500 ton machine runs $50K-$180K over 7-14 days. Screw chiller replacement at 200-800 tons runs $150K-$500K over 3-6 weeks. Absorption overhauls run $30K-$150K over 2-4 weeks, and full mechanical room retrofits run $75K-$300K over 4-8 weeks. Seasonal startup, layup and testing are quoted per plant. Our Bay Street 42-storey retube came in at $148K over a 9-day window. Every project gets a written scope and price within 24 hours of the plant assessment.

### Do you service chillers and cooling towers, or only rooftop units?

Yes to all three. CRE-ticketed chiller techs handle centrifugal, screw and absorption chillers from 100-2,000 ton. Cooling tower work includes fill replacement, basin cleaning and water treatment. Chiller retrofits range $50K-$500K.

### What is eddy current testing and why does it matter?

Eddy current testing passes a probe through each heat exchanger tube to measure wall thinning, pitting and cracks. It shows which tubes are near failure, so you can plug a few, retube one bundle or plan a full retube based on data. It usually happens during annual teardown or layup.

### What does high approach temperature mean?

Approach is the difference between the refrigerant temperature and the leaving water temperature. When it creeps up, the tubes are usually fouled or scaled, the refrigerant charge is off or there are non-condensables in the system. High approach means the chiller works harder for the same cooling, and it is one of the first signs a cleaning or retube is due.

### Why does my centrifugal chiller surge?

Surge happens when the compressor cannot push refrigerant against the condenser pressure, often from high condenser water temperature, fouled tubes, low load or control problems. Repeated surge damages bearings and impellers, so it should be diagnosed quickly.

### Should I retube or replace my chiller?

If the compressor, motor and shell are sound, a retube often gives 15-20 more years at a fraction of replacement cost. If the machine runs on a phased-out refrigerant, has a failing compressor or is badly oversized for today's load, replacement with a modern unit can make more sense, often with Save on Energy support. We write both options up.

### Do you service absorption chillers?

Yes. Absorption chiller overhauls, including McQuay and other brands, run $30K-$150K over 2-4 weeks. Common work includes solution management, crystallization recovery, tube work and burner or steam controls.

### What refrigerants do your techs handle?

R-134a, R-123, R-513A, R-1234ze and other chiller refrigerants, with recovery and handling to Ontario rules. Refrigerant changes during retrofits are part of the written scope.

### Can the building stay cool during chiller work?

We schedule outages for shoulder seasons when possible and plan around tenant loads. When work has to happen in summer, we plan temporary chiller capacity or stage work on multi-chiller plants so one machine stays on line.

### Do you do seasonal startup and layup?

Yes. Spring startup and fall layup, including tube cleaning, oil analysis, controls checks and coordination with the cooling tower, can be bundled into an annual plant contract.

### Do you handle crane permits for chiller work downtown?

Yes. Tube bundles, compressors and replacement machines often need crane or hoist work. We file City of Toronto ROW and street occupancy permits and plan rigging with building management.

### Can you communicate with our condo board during the project?

Yes. We prepare scope summaries, schedules and tenant notices, and attend board meetings when asked. The Bay Street retube ran with full board communication handled by our team.

Keep the whole roof covered

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Details + pricing

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## Don't See Your GTA City?

Coverage from Toronto to Pearson, Mississauga to Markham. Call 

(437) TBD

[tel:+14370000000 →](tel:+14370000000)

 for a 24-hour written quote.

All Service Areas

[/service-areas/ →](/service-areas/)

 

Get a Written Quote

[/contact/ →](/contact/)

![Packaged rooftop units on a Toronto commercial roof at dusk](/images/misc/toronto-commercial-rooftop-at-dusk-with-a-row-of-p.webp)

24/7 dispatch | 2-4 hr on-roof GTA core

## Ready to Book Chiller Service?

Site assessment, then a written quote within 24 hours. Parts, labour, crane, permit and HST on one line.

Book a Site Assessment

[/contact/ →](/contact/)

 

Call (437) TBD

[tel:+14370000000 →](tel:+14370000000)

-   24-hour written quote
-   Save on Energy filed for you
-   Red Seal + TSSA + ESA + CRE
-   $5M liability + WSIB