Tips For Managing Your Ammonia Refrigeration System

As a business owner in the food service industry, food safety should be a paramount concern. One of the biggest factors in preserving food safety is storing your fresh foods at safe temperatures. If you have an ammonia refrigeration system in your facility, it's important to keep it running properly. Here's a look at the basics that you should know to keep your ammonia refrigeration system running properly.

Ammonia Leaks

Ammonia refrigeration systems are vulnerable to leaks caused by vibration, corrosion and mechanical damages. An ammonia leak shouldn't be taken lightly, because ammonia can be hazardous. It is combustible when mixed with air, which puts your kitchen at risk of explosion.

Additionally, the valves in the pipe system can become plugged with debris over time. If this happens, it can back up the ammonia flow through the system. Not only will this cause your refrigeration system to loose cooling efficiency, but it can even lead to pressure buildup in the pipes, which may cause a leak.

This means you need to monitor the condition of the pipes and valves in your refrigeration system at all times. If you see any indications of corrosion or wear on the pipes or the valves, you'll want to call for service right away. The sooner you address problems such as these, the less risk you'll have of ammonia leaks in your kitchen.

Safety Precautions

When you install ammonia refrigeration, you'll need to place the core cooling structure into a building that's detached from the primary structure. This protects your kitchen and main structure in the event that there's a leak in the condenser or the compressor. If you can't put the equipment into a separate building, you'll want to try to position it in a room that has an exterior door and exterior walls. When possible, add a fire barrier to the walls to help protect against the spread of fire.

Make sure there are sufficient air vents in the walls and roof of the space where the condenser and other equipment are installed. Put some vents near the ceiling to exhaust the ammonia out of the room. This is important, because ammonia is lighter than air, so it will drift out the upper vents. Put some intake vents along the floor so that you can draw fresh air into the room.

Now that you understand some of the potential issues you can experience with an ammonia refrigeration system and the necessary safety precautions you should take with it, you'll be able to keep your kitchen flowing smoothly with fresh, chilled produce. Talk with a refrigeration specialist like Sparks Refrigeration Inc today about your options.

Share