Co2 BLOWOFFS

[RONB]

I have just heard that another supermarket close to me had a Co2 discharge into the shop. I was wondering about the ammount of Co2 blowoffs/pipe/joint ruptures that are happening. Are the ammount of Co2 blowoffs happening at a greater rate than HFC etc blowoffs. Is it just me or is a HFC blowoff a rare occurence compared to the ammount of Co2 blowoffs that seam to be happening more frequently. We all know that you can get a leak on any system due to wear and tear and age etc,but most of the Co2 systems in the UK are still fairly new and it seams to be happening on a more regular basis.

[chillerman2006]

Hi RONB

Lokring are the issue from what I am told... failing

Something is due to replace all lokring CO2 connections shortly

also sub-critical systems can have a sudden pressure rise if there is a pack system or electrical failure

causing prv's to vent

R's chillerman

[tug1980]

Yep it's a design fault on the lokrings, the pipework on top of the cases are being secured down and caged off at all tesco stores with Co2 plants. It is normal for a sub-critical system to vent off when you lose the LT pack causing the HT to rise in pressure in the LPR due to power failure or fault.

[chillled]

Clients lines are fitted to co2 packs, and will vent off in case of a prolonged power failure. Ventilation is a big consideration when working out plant positions etc. Which store was it?

[chillled]

* blowoff! Damn u predictive text.

[ice_p]

Don't know about lockrings but I've had the same CO2 pack blow off twice now since install 14 months ago. It's just unheard of with the old gases is'nt it where a shop is having to empty all there freezers in the first year of install f**kin sh*te! First time was due to 2 faulty probes on the Carel EVD controllers for the HT pack heat exchangers, found out that you don't find out that a probe is faulty until it matters. Second time a Henry PRV just popped because it to had realised how sh*t CO2 was? Maybe just been unlucky at this site but I honestly don't think CO2 is the way forward at all. Can we not just stick with the old gases and get rid of theses cowboy engineers banging gas in the same system every month without proper leak testing, guys who cant be arsed getting a bottle of OFN from the van and just blow out the condenser with some spare 404. Only good thing I will mention on the CO2 is that I very rarely have to strip and defrost a case but if these stupid shelf stackers would clean and defrost thier gear it would'nt matter. Anyway its only a matter of time before a customer is badly injured with this CO2 and the supermarkets might wake up.

[chillerman2006]

Can we not just stick with the old gases and get rid of theses cowboy engineers banging gas in the same system every month without proper leak testing, guys who cant be arsed getting a bottle of OFN from the van and just blow out the condenser with some spare 404. Only good thing I will mention on the CO2 is that I very rarely have to strip and defrost a case but if these stupid shelf stackers would clean and defrost thier gear it would'nt matter. Anyway its only a matter of time before a customer is badly injured with this CO2 and the supermarkets might wake up.

I'll 2nd all of that

R's Chillerman

[monkey spanners]

Has this got anything to do with drinking too much fizzy pop?

[joe magee]

Not sure why you would have a pipe rupture. We have a couple of CO2 stores here and all the cases have check valves going back to the poppet valve which is approx 550 psi. CO2 cannot be trapped anywhere in our system. As far as a power failure we have a five ton condensing unit that runs on Natural gas to cool the CO2 receiver in case of a power failure.