Ammonia As a Refrigerant: Pros and Cons Last month, a 5000 pound ammonia leak occurred at a Boston-area seafood warehouse that killed one worker and forced a shelter-in-place order from Boston Police. Problematic procedures may be to blame. So as you read the pros and cons of Ammonia as a refrigerant below, remember these key takeaways: ongoing, scheduled evaluations and preemptive maintenance are […]
Ammonia As a Refrigerant: Pros and Cons Read More »
Over the years there are and have been a variety of compressor styles that have been used in ammonia refrigeration systems. Each of these compressor styles accomplish the same task of increasing the pressure of ammonia vapor. They provide the motivating force that moves the refrigerant through the system. So, what type of compressors do
Ammonia Compressors Read More »
How many of you have “scale” on your evaporative condenser? [I am guessing your hand might be in the air]. How many of you feel that this is “normal” and something that should be treated as a “side effect” from running an evaporative condenser? [I am guessing your hand is still up]. Although scale buildup
THE EFFECT OF CONDENSER SCALE ON SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Read More »
Over the years of working in literally hundreds of compressor / engine rooms we have noticed a correlation between the cleanliness and neatness of the compressor room and the general operation of the refrigeration system. The neater the compressor room the better it works! Based on our experience here are a few things you can
HOUSEKEEPING AND GENERAL MAINTENANCE Read More »
We all know that refrigerant leaks cost money! The hissing sound of a leak is not so much SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS as it is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$! Let’s find and fix the refrigerant leaks in our systems. The first step is detection – we have to find the leak. For those of you that utilize ammonia as your refrigerant
REFRIGERANT LEAK DETECTION Read More »
This article will target refrigeration systems that utilize air cooled condensers, but the efficiencies to be gained apply to the users of evaporative condensers as well. First, let us remember a couple of important principles of refrigeration; 1) heat (energy) always flows from higher to lower temperatures, and 2) the function of the condenser is
CLEAN & EFFICIENT CONDENSERS Read More »
You are receiving this notice because you are the owner / operator of a refrigeration or air-conditioning system that utilizes R-22 refrigerant and we want you to understand, and be prepared for, the rapidly rising cost of this refrigerant. BACKGROUND: The United States is bound by an international environmental agreement, called the Montreal Protocols that
THE FUTURE OF R-22 Read More »
How often and for how long should an air unit evaporator in a cooler or freezer be defrosted? Hot gas and electric defrosting of air units that are installed in walk-in coolers, freezers, and warehouse complexes involves a lot of expense. If the unit is not defrosted often enough, there is the wasted energy of
DEFROSTING AIR UNIT EVAPORATORS Read More »
Check your oil safety switches! Many commercial refrigeration compressors (i.e. Copeland) and essentially all industrial reciprocating compressors, like Vilter 450, 440 & 350 series, have force fed lubrication systems. The oil that is in the crankcase is pumped to various journals and bearings to lubricate these internal parts. The oil pump is located at the
OIL SAFETY SWITCHES Read More »