At 20 to 40 tons an Advantage portable chiller is still a self-contained package - no plant loop, no central plant piping - but it's sized for a larger single press, a bank of machine tools sharing one loop, or a process load that has grown past what a smaller portable can carry.
This is also the point where it's worth comparing a large portable against a small indoor central chiller (see Central Chillers, 20 to 180 tons): if the load is likely to grow further, or if more than one department will eventually tap the same chilled-water loop, a central package with its own reservoir and pump station may be the better long-term fit even at a similar tonnage.
Both air- and water-cooled configurations are available at this size. Give us the peak heat load, required fluid temperature, ambient design condition, and whether the load is expected to grow, and we'll help you compare a large portable against stepping up to a central unit. Full specs for every MG model in this range, including the highest-tonnage remote-condenser units, are on the MG Series part-number pages.
| Configuration | Capacity Range | Notes |
| Air-Cooled | 20 to 40 tons | Self-contained, no plant water connection |
| Water-Cooled | 20 to 40 tons | Smaller footprint, needs plant/tower water supply |
| Remote Condenser (ARC) | Highest-tonnage models available | Compressor/pump indoors, condenser coil remote |
At 20 to 40 tons, a portable chiller and the smallest Advantage indoor central packages overlap in capacity, so the choice comes down to how the equipment will be used rather than tonnage alone. A portable stays a self-contained, single-loop unit with no plant-wide piping - the right call for one machine or one cell that isn't expected to share chilled water with anything else. A central package adds a dedicated reservoir and pump station built for a growing or multi-department loop, at a higher upfront cost that pays off if capacity needs to expand later.
If you're not sure which side of that line your project falls on, send us the current load, the layout, and whether other departments might eventually tap the same loop - we'll help you compare both options on total installed cost, not just chiller price.
Send us these and we'll confirm portable is the right fit before quoting it: