Chilling Equipment Parts Safety: Overpressure Protection

Safety Tips for Keeping Your Refrigeration Pressure Valves, Pipes, and other Chilling Equipment Parts in Safe Operation

Safety is a key concern for industrial refrigeration facilities. Regardless the size of your chilling system, the constantly fluctuating hot and cold temperatures flowing through chiller pipes creates intense pressurization. Left unchecked, the intensity of this pressure may not only significantly weaken valve sealants and harm your chilling system, it could become a potentially fatal hazard for your employees.

Keeping your chilling equipment parts in top working condition is an utmost priority.

Has Your Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Been Built to Stand the Pressure?

The first step to ensuring refrigeration safety is to confirm that your chilling equipment parts have been built by American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) certified manufacturer. ASME code requires that pressure relief valves are constructed in such a way that makes adjusting the relief settings without breaking the seal impossible. To ensure that your chilling system has been properly built look for the following identification markings:

• CRN: OG – Category “G” fitting for primary overpass protection devices
• Set Pressure – shall not exceed the maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) of the pressure equipment
• Relief Capacity – for some installations, multiple devices are needed to provide the total required relief capacity
• Date of Manufacture

Are Your Valves and Chilling Equipment Parts Being Serviced as Needed?

Chilling system pressure equipment must be serviced at regular intervals for safe industrial refrigeration operation. Download our Valve Testing Chart for recommended schedule maintenance times. Servicing industrial refrigeration pressure vessels using ammonia or other non-toxic gases should be professionally serviced at least every five years as should other refrigerant pressure vessels under CSA B52. Servicing systems with corrosive or liquid substances may require shorter intervals if valves have lifted to relieve pressure.  See the chart for a full listing of recommended service intervals.

Is Your Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Being Serviced by a Professional?

Servicing pressure relief valves is dangerous. These chilling parts must be inspected and serviced by an industrial refrigeration professional. To verify that your technician meets industry standards, confirm that they certification from the Technical Standards Safety Association (TSSA) or VR stamp certification from the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors is valid and up to date.  Armed with an accurate knowledge of the chilling system’s manufacturing as well as a detailed account of its service history, these professionals should be equipped with what it takes to provide these typical service operations:

• Lapping of seat of disc
• Machining
• Reassembly
• Adjusting of settings
• Replacement of parts
• Machining and application of seal

What You Can Expect from Berg Professionals

Berg Industrial Service provides chiller maintenance services to industrial refrigeration facilities of all types. Our licensed registered technicians not only meet industry standards, we exceed them. Through careful communications and fact finding as well as minute attention to detail we’re able to identify, repair, or replace valves and any other overpressure concerns before they become a safety hazard.

Contact us today to ensure your chilling system parts are kept in top shape and your equipment stands the test of time.