Recent Blog Posts
I was recently asked the following question: I work for a company that uses anhydrous ammonia for emission control. One thing that I noticed is there wasn’t any information on the tank maintenance (integrity testing of the tank etc). We have maintenance plans for all the components associated with the tank but do you know […]
Question: Do I have to provide safe access to all of my ammonia refrigeration equipment? Answer: According to current codes and standards, the answer is a resounding YES! The 2013 California Mechanical Code states the following under General Requirements: 1106.3 Access. An unobstructed readily accessible opening and passageway not less than 36 inches (914 mm) in width […]
Question: Are pressure relief valves required to be installed on an evaporative condenser? Answer: This is a very good question and one that gets asked frequently. Since an evaporative condenser is not a pressure vessel, it is not a black and white requirement as it is for the vessels throughout a refrigeration system. However, the condenser has […]
Question: Does decommissioned ammonia refrigeration equipment need to be inspected as part of the mechanical integrity program if it is still connected to the closed-circuit system, but valved-off and not under pressure? Answer: The fundamental problem with the question is that ammonia refrigeration equipment cannot be decommissioned while it is still directly connected to the closed-circuit […]
When performing a mechanical integrity inspection of a ceiling suspended air-cooling evaporator, it is vital that the nuts and washers which are used to attach the unit to it’s support are sufficiently tight. All-to-often we find nuts that have loosened due to vibration or missing washers. A ceiling suspended evaporator is designed to be supported […]