Recent Blog Posts

Ammonia Week in Review | October 10, 2025

October 10th, 2025

Exclusive Resources in this week’s edition of the Ammonia Week in Review… Refrigeration Purging Video Series – You’ll get familiar with manual, refrigerated, and automatic purging techniques. This is a must-watch for anyone new to the industry, studying for the RETA CARO exam, or an experienced technician looking for a refresher on purging best practices. […watch here] Installation Identification […]

Installation Identification Signs

October 7th, 2025

Code requirements for installation identification signs vary based on when an ammonia refrigeration system was built. Most existing installation identification signs were installed in accordance with the Mechanical or Fire Codes (UMC, CMC, and UFC), ASHRAE 15, or IIAR 2 OR 9. Here is a historical snapshot of code requirements for installation identification signs throughout […]

Ammonia Week in Review | October 3, 2025

October 3rd, 2025

Ammonia Investigated in this week’s edition of the Ammonia Week in Review… CSB Releases Report on Anhydrous Ammonia Leak – The facility’s ammonia detection system didn’t trigger any alarms during the release. No evacuation signal was sounded, and no one at the facility initiated an emergency shutdown of the equipment that caused the ammonia release. […keep reading] Ammonia […]

Ammonia Week in Review | September 19, 2025

September 19th, 2025

Lessons And Resources in this week’s edition of the Ammonia Week in Review… National Transportation Safety Board – NTSB releases final report on the 2023 anhydrous ammonia leak near Teutopolis. […keep reading] Emergency Response Exercise Simulates Aqueous Ammonia Leak at Unit 17 Power Plant – The exercise simulated a scenario in which a valve broke on a tank […]

Pipe Plugs and Caps in Ammonia Refrigeration Systems

September 16th, 2025

Question: Are oil drain valves and service valves required to be plugged or capped when not in use? Answer: Yes. All shut-off valves connecting equipment or piping to the atmosphere must be plugged, capped, blanked, or locked closed when they are not in use. ANSI/IIAR 2-2021 §13.3.2.6 states “Shut-off valves connecting ammonia-containing equipment or piping […]