Ammonia refrigerant filling procedure

[power2020]

Hi
I am new to this forum. Could any one please forward the procedure /website address for Ammonia Gas filling in chiller units. We have experience in Freon Gas filling only.
Thanks!

 

[tombmech]

An ammonia chiller has specific requirements, and ammonia must be handled specially to ensure safety. As far as I know, it is not something that may be readily substituted in any chiller on a whim.

If you have purchased ammonia-specific chillers, there should be adequate vendor support for the proper procedures. Ammonia is a very fine refrigerant, but needless to say, it has some qualities that must be respected.

 

[power2020]

Thanks Mr.Tomb. Unfortunately supplier didn't give any specific procedure for Ammonia Gas filling. Now we have two tasks. To find gas leaking point and arresting it and to fill the Ammonia gas. However we are planning to give this task to any professional party, we would like to know the procedure before floating the enquiry.

 

[sterl]

This in the U.S. or ???

If in the U.S.: the rules you need to play by, are not just the practicalities of prepping the circuit and loading R-717 but the OSHA and EPA requirements as well, depending on the Lbs of Charge required.

At over 10,000 lbs on site (could be more than one circuit adding up to 10,000 Plus) you have a full boat, OSHA 1910.119 PSM plant/EPA RHA plant...for which the best ready reference on this and a whole lot of other potential involvements is the IIAR: and thier guidelines as entitled below....

http://www.iiar.org/catalog/iteminfo.cfm?itemid=149&compid=1&pcatid=0

Within most states, if you have less than 1000 lbs. and a "capture" evacuation/ relief arrangement, you don't even need a purchase permit.

But the states do vary, according to Building Occupancy, surrounding reaidential and commercial density, ajnd so on.

IIAR Design Documents have recommendations on the pure exercise of prepping a system to take on refrigerant...Pressure Test, Leak Detection, Evacuation, and so on. RETA has good publications on the PPE and Tools and safeguards for adding refrigerant, lubricant and so on.

The IIAR-2 Standard has a lot of information in generic terms for how to initially introduce refrigerant to a system, but the techniques for such things as where and how to release the test charge, how to remove foul gas and free moisture from a pipe system and the condensers, how to set liquid level controls and derive best performance from the circuit outside of the compressors, and so on are largely developed at the installing contractor level. Specific requirements or even expanded guidelines outside of those in the hands of contractors would reside with large owners (say Nestle or Tyson.

And, no, I would not want to advocate for anyone without experience undertaking this even for a 200 lb. Charge in the middle of the desert.