Recent Blog Posts

Machinery Room Ventilation System Tests

August 6th, 2024

Machinery room ventilation systems have long been required by model codes and standards. Dating back to at least the 1967 Uniform Mechanical Code[1], refrigeration machinery rooms have been required to be configured with adequate ventilation in the event of a refrigerant release. While we have written previously about the current ventilation design, control, and testing […]

Piping Hangers and Supports | IIAR Standards and Guidance Documents

June 25th, 2024

Ammonia pipe supports are a crucial component to the construction of a refrigeration system. Inadequate pipe supports could lead to an ammonia release in the event of an earthquake, prolonged vibration, or physical impact. Many of IIAR’s standards and guidance documents provide helpful clarification regarding how ammonia piping should be supported and secured.  Design of […]

Q&A | ANSI/IIAR 2-2021 Natural Ventilation Requirements

May 29th, 2024

Question: Does my machinery room need an emergency ventilation system if it only has three walls? Answer: It may not require mechanical ventilation and could meet the requirements for “Natural Ventilation”. ANSI/IIAR 2-2021 §7.3.2 states that for outdoor systems, natural ventilation can be utilized instead of mechanical ventilation. For a machinery room to qualify for […]

Ammonia Detection Requirements

April 16th, 2024

Detection systems are a key player in the realm of process safety. Early detection and notification of an ammonia leak has the potential to save lives. In addition to ensuring that ammonia detectors are operating and maintained correctly, it is equally important from a regulatory perspective to ensure required parameters are met. A partial list […]

Ammonia Detection in Non-Machinery Rooms

March 5th, 2024

  Question: Is ammonia detection required in rooms that contain ammonia, but are not classified as machinery rooms? Answer: This depends on which codes and standards the refrigeration system is subject to. New ammonia refrigeration systems are required to have ammonia detection in both machinery rooms and non-machinery rooms that contain ammonia equipment. Since IIAR […]