Carrier AquaEdge 19MV

Oil-free magnetic-bearing centrifugal chiller, 150-700 tons, for data centers and hospitals

Carrier AquaEdge 19MV is one of 5 chillers tracked in the SecondWatt catalogue, each with specifications, lead times and indicative secondary-market pricing.

Chilled water is only the upstream half of a high-density cooling loop: once heat is picked up at the die rather than in the room, the plant feeds coolant distribution units and immersion tanks tracked under liquid cooling, which run off the same chilled-water supply as the units on this page. The catalogue entries closest to that decision are GRC ICEtank Immersion Cooling and Vertiv Liebert XDU Coolant Distribution Unit.

Carrier AquaEdge 19MV oil-free magnetic-bearing chiller: verified specs, vintage-dependent refrigerant GWP position, inspection checklist, and pricing status.

The Carrier AquaEdge 19MV is a water-cooled, two-stage centrifugal chiller with magnetic-bearing, oil-free compressors, per Carrier's literature. It spans 150-700 tons (527-2,461 kW) per Carrier's U.S. spec page, though a 2024 Australian catalogue states 200-700 tons for the same family. Full-load efficiency reaches 0.52 kW/ton (6.8 COP) and IPLV 0.31 kW/ton (11.3 COP), with Carrier claiming 10% better than ASHRAE 90.1-2019 Path B. It launched in the U.S. in December 2021 for data centers, hospitals, and offices, not industrial process refrigeration. Buyers conflate it with AquaEdge siblings that share the name but not the bearing design. The 19DV uses ceramic, refrigerant-lubricated bearings on R-1233zd(E), not magnetic. The 19XR/19XRV is oil-lubricated, with a documented oil pump, filter, cooler, and reclaim system the 19MV lacks. Even "19MV" is no guarantee: the 19MVR variant swaps in oil-lubricated bearings on the same shell, and the smaller 19PV (100-350 tons) is magnetic and oil-free but ships on legacy R-134a. Refrigerant is the decisive commercial fact, and it is vintage-dependent, not fixed by the model name. At its December 2021 launch the 19MV shipped on R-513A or R-134a, the latter at GWP 1,430, above EPA's 700 GWP comfort-cooling limit (Jan 1, 2025). Carrier added R-515B (GWP 293-299) in February 2023 and R-1234ze(E) (about 1.37 GWP) in July 2024; current sheets list only those two plus R-513A. A used 2021-2023 unit may still carry R-134a with the same exposure as any legacy machine; only the nameplate and build date settle it.

Who buys it

Data centers, hospitals, and commercial offices specify the 19MV where continuous, near-full-load operation and rapid recovery after a power event outweigh price. Carrier markets a 150-second restart to full capacity, 10% minimum load without hot-gas bypass, and a 40-95F condenser-water range tolerant of cooling-tower upset. On the secondary market, only 2023-or-later units on R-515B or R-1234ze(E) suit a buyer needing a clean refrigerant-compliance path for relocation.

Role in the data center

In a data center chiller plant, the 19MV sits as the primary water-cooled centrifugal machine feeding the chilled-water loop to CRAH units or CDUs, sized for the plant's continuous near-full-load profile rather than the diurnal swing a comfort-cooling IPLV curve assumes. Its stated ability to hold 10% load without hot-gas bypass and restart to full capacity within 150 seconds targets N+1 or 2N redundant plant configurations where a unit may cycle in response to a partner unit's fault or a utility interruption.

Key specifications

Technical summary

Capacity range (US): 150-700 tons (527-2,461 kW) Refrigerant (US current): R-513A, R-515B, R-1234ze(E) Full-load efficiency: 0.52 kW/ton (6.8 COP) IPLV: 0.31 kW/ton (11.3 COP) Compressor: One two-stage EquiDrive semi-hermetic centrifugal Bearings: Magnetic, oil-free standard; oil-lubricated on 19MVR option Sound level: below 80-82 dBA at AHRI conditions Min. entering condenser water: 40F (4.4C) Min. stable load: 10% without hot-gas bypass Restart to full capacity: 150 seconds Electrical supply: 380V/416V/460V-3ph-60Hz, 400V-3ph-50Hz

Configurations and options

Refrigerant is a build-time configuration choice among R-513A, R-515B, and R-1234ze(E) on current U.S. units. Bearing type is likewise a build option: standard magnetic, oil-free, or the oil-lubricated 19MVR variant on the same shell. Electrical supply options span 380V, 416V, and 460V at 60 Hz, or 400V at 50 Hz. Frame sizes, documented as 21, 23, 31, 33, 41, 43, 51, and 53, set the physical envelope and tube-bundle length within the 150-700 ton range.

Compatibility and dependencies

The 19MV pairs with a condenser-water loop and cooling tower rated for its 40-95F entering condenser water range, and marine waterboxes rated to 150 psig set the piping-side pressure ceiling. SmartVu is the onboard control platform; building-automation integration depends on its firmware and communication-card revision, which should be confirmed directly with Carrier on any used unit. Dual electronic expansion valves provide cold-weather redundancy, but both must be functional for the full 40F low-ECWT range to be usable.

Pricing and availability

Trend: flat

Common failure points

• Magnetic bearing position sensor/controller — Vibration alarm, active fault code, or a logged backup-bearing touchdown event in the SmartVu history
• Refrigerant-cooled semi-hermetic motor winding — Insulation resistance under 10 Mohm on megger test, or motor amp draw above nameplate at design load
• Evaporator/condenser tube fouling or wall loss — Condenser approach temperature drift above 3F over baseline, or capacity shortfall at design condenser water temperature
• Dual electronic expansion valve — Reduced low-ECWT capacity, or erratic superheat control at part load
• Refrigerant charge and seal integrity — Annual loss approaching or exceeding the EPA 10% comfort-cooling leak-rate threshold
• SmartVu controls-board obsolescence — Firmware revision no longer current, or a network communication card incompatible with the buyer's building automation system
• Refrigerant identity mismatch at relocation — Nameplate refrigerant differs from the seller's verbal description, most likely on 2021-2023-vintage units originally sold on R-134a

Inspection checklist

Nameplate refrigerant verification — confirm the charge is R-134a, R-513A, R-515B, or R-1234ze(E); a 2021-2023-vintage unit (GWP 1,430 if R-134a) carries different relocation exposure than a 2023-or-later unit Refrigerant charge quantity — confirm against nameplate; factory charge on documented sample frames runs 508-855 kg depending on tonnage (200-600 ton range) Eddy-current tube test — demand the most recent dated evaporator and condenser tube report; annual testing is standard industry practice per ASME/AHRI guidance Motor winding insulation (megger) test — insulation resistance above 100 Mohm is healthy per IEEE 43; below 10 Mohm is a documented action threshold on the refrigerant-cooled motor Full-load efficiency verification — run at design conditions and compare to the factory 0.52 kW/ton (6.8 COP) rating; a material shortfall signals fouling or wear IPLV verification — compare logged part-load performance across at least two load points to the factory 0.31 kW/ton (11.3 COP) rating Minimum-load stability test — confirm the unit still holds 10% load without hot-gas bypass; failure indicates control-loop or expansion-valve drift Restart-time test — time a full power-cycle restart against the factory-stated 150 seconds to full design capacity Sound-level check at 1 m — factory rating is below 80-82 dBA at AHRI conditions; an elevated reading flags aerodynamic surge or loose hardware Backup/catcher bearing inspection — the magnetic rotor rides on roller element bearings during power loss or fault; inspect for scoring from any prior touchdown event SmartVu control-board firmware and fault log — confirm the current firmware revision and pull the full fault-code history for bearing-position or drive faults Refrigerant leak-rate history — request the trailing 12-month loss log and confirm it sits under the EPA Section 608 comfort-cooling threshold of 10% of full charge Condenser approach-temperature trend — normal drift is 1F or less per year; a rise above 3F over baseline indicates tube fouling Dual electronic expansion valve function test — cycle both valves independently; a failed valve halves the 40-95F operating range at the low end Operating weight and rigging plan — confirm nameplate operating weight (6,264-10,652 kg across documented 200-600 ton frames) against crane capacity before signing a rigging contract

Regional notes

U.S.-market units currently ship on R-513A, R-515B, or R-1234ze(E) only; Carrier's 2024 Australian catalogue for the same model lists R-134a as standard with R-513A and R-515B as options. A used or imported 19MV sourced outside the U.S., or specified against a non-U.S. catalogue, cannot be assumed to meet the EPA's 700 GWP comfort-cooling limit without checking the specific unit's nameplate.