Thread: One for the fridgies

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Building design must be an issue in all this?
For example, having entrances with outside doors entering a glass area and then internal doors entering the building must make life a lot easier for the air-con, compared with a single set of doors letting hot outside air straight in.
Also, how many buildings are properly insulated, particularly in the roofs?

Of course it helps Mick, as you are creating an Air Lock, but the initial cost of building that or as an addition is what normally gets clients backs up.

Also you have to have the dimensions so that both doors are not open at the same time. Can happen, people going in & people going out & they don't know how it is set up & even less could give a flying ****.


I have actually seen a situation when both parties paths cross in an airlock & while holding both doors open then proceed to have a very long chat.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Building design must be an issue in all this?
For example, having entrances with outside doors entering a glass area and then internal doors entering the building must make life a lot easier for the air-con, compared with a single set of doors letting hot outside air straight in.
Also, how many buildings are properly insulated, particularly in the roofs?

Most older buildings were designed and built before all these sorts of issues were thought of.Many commercial buildings are insulated,in the ceilings, with the modern ones having to comply with latest regs.
Surprisingly the older Govt buildings generally have no insulation in them at all.
One building that comes to mind had an AC that struggled when the outside temps were above 36 degrees.
Our suggestion was to insulate the ceilings,which would have fixed the issue,but no, they replaced the unit with one of a larger capacity.

Schools are a real issue, most were not designed for AC units,only the newer ones seem to have insulation in the ceilings.
This Qld Cool Schools program is just throwing thousands of AC units into schools that were never designed for AC units.Nor was the power supply.

Air locks do help, but in a high rise building,the amount of cooling not needed,or saved, due to an airlock is a drop in the ocean.
Resetting the zone set points 1 degree higher in summer, and a couple of degrees lower in winter is the way to save power.
Many buildings and shopping centres do this.

Economy cycles, as Rick has mentioned, also work very well if set up properly, and all the dampers,relief air fans, etc,work as they should.
This equipment needs constant maintenance,and repairs, which is neglected on many sites.
A couple of years ago, we picked up a site, and found over 50 fresh air, relief air, and smoke spill dampers that didn't work as they should.
Actuaters fitted by another company were incorrect, and many dampers were seized.
Mandatory fire tests were never done.
When the building owner wants to save money, repairs just dont get done.

A certificate will be coming through that I've met the NSW TAFE certification for the safe use of hydrocarbon and CO2 refrigerants.

I must like to live dangerously but I'm very eco friendly

The one course?

Here in Qld,its two different courses.

The boys have the hydrocarbon sorted, but not the CO2.

Although I asked them to see if they could get a capillary chart for the hydrocarbons, no such luck,didnt even have a PT chart

We did eventually find a PT chart on google, but no capillary chart.

Originally Posted by rick130

A certificate will be coming through that I've met the NSW TAFE certification for the safe use of hydrocarbon and CO2 refrigerants.

I must like to live dangerously but I'm very eco friendly

How have you managed up until now, pure arse?

Originally Posted by V8Ian

How have you managed up until now, pure arse?

Thats the way it is with most fridgies.

Surely you noticed the other weekend...?

Originally Posted by scarry

The one course?

Here in Qld,its two different courses.

The boys have the hydrocarbon sorted, but not the CO2.

Although I asked them to see if they could get a capillary chart for the hydrocarbons, no such luck,didnt even have a PT chart

We did eventually find a PT chart on google, but no capillary chart.

Naa, two separate courses.
Did the HC one just before going on leave, finished the CO2 one today.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

How have you managed up until now, pure arse?

As the TAFE teacher said, govt hasn't caught up with the changes that the world at large are going through yet.

That's no legal requirement to have a cert anywhere in Oz for working on CO2 plant,' and here in NSW HC's and their usage and application aren't controlled either.

So far I've just refused to do things I wasn't comfortable with until I formally knew the ins and outs, and I haven't had to change components or add refrigerant to a CO2 rack yet, just fault find electrical and control problems and kick any component problems to techs that had some training.