2018 Technical Report January-February

paint job is so bad that it offends your manager, he’ll probably assign painting to someone else. If he has to replace a few hundred feet of pipe, he’ll probably find a new operator. Poor insulation robs efficiency, but more importantly poor insulation hides and encourages corrosion. Many times, I’ve been told that “we’re waiting until we can get an insulator in.” Don’t wait. If you have to tear off insulation to make a repair don’t wait for an insulator to fix it. If you can coordinate it great. But if you can’t, get something on it. I always ask that they try to save the insulation when they make a repair. I know it will be broken and the vapor barrier will not be intact. Put the pieces back together, spray foam the holes and seams, wrap the whole thing in saran wrap, then cover it with duct tape. Will it look horrible? Absolutely, but it will protect the rest of the insulation and keep out moisture until the insulator can get there. Don’t fall into the trap of waiting until you have a full weeks work for the insulator. Most insulators are good with a one day job. If you can do a good enough job of sealing the insulation, then you can wait. If not make the call. Seal, silicone is your friend. If you have holes in insulation seal it. More importantly, where insulation meets pipe, make sure that is sealed and air tight. Every operator has a list of things to do “when I have time”. Give up all hope of having that magical day with nothing to do. Schedule the activity now. Even if you schedule it out 6 months, it will ensure it gets done at some point.

would not overlook my expansion valves to see that they would hold. Here, again, surprises have occurred by finding the opening obstructed. Don’t forget your shut-off valves on your ammonia lines, both discharge and suction, as on this may not only depend a great loss of ammonia, but possibly something more valuable—a human life. And I would by no means overlook the agitators and circulating system. Modern operators refer to this as a valve cycling program or a critical valve cycling program. These are some of the things that I would suggest an engineer should do during the time he is supposed to have nothing on hand. Perhaps the most important maintenance is the most avoided. Avoided because it is always on the list of things to do, but never at the top. Clean, Paint, Insulate and Seal. There is always equipment to be cleaned. Dirty evaporator coils cause loss of efficiency. Anything that moves and has excess grease will result in increased wear because of the dirt that gathers on open grease. If a system looks as if it isn’t maintained, eventually it won’t be. Rust is not a color to be seen in a refrigeration system. Paint it. I’ve heard all of the excuses, “I don’t have the right paint” or “I’m not a painter it looks bad.” I don’t care, get paint on it. Use a paint glove if you need too. I would rather have a bad looking paint job than have to replace the pipe because it’s developed pits. If your

RETA TECHNICAL REPORT PAGE 4

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs