Recent Blog Posts

Q&A | Safe Access to Equipment

November 8th, 2013

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 […]

Q&A | Condenser Relief Valves

September 10th, 2013

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 […]

Q&A | Decommissioned Equipment

August 8th, 2013

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 […]

Mechanical Integrity 101 | Ceiling Suspended Air-Cooling Evaporators

July 1st, 2013

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 […]

Q&A | Relief Valve Discharge Piping

June 24th, 2013

Question: Is it permissible to use galvanized pipe on pressure relief valve discharge piping? Answer: As a “best practice” we recommend using the same piping materials for the closed circuit refrigeration system as for the relief valve discharge piping. Specifically, IIAR-2 states that piping in the closed circuit portion of the system should be of […]