Clear, concise, and accurate communication between service technicians, parts suppliers, customers, and the home shop is rapidly gaining importance as the HVACR field transitions and becomes more technically oriented.

So what can you do with natural refrigerants and where can you do it? That formed the basis of case studies presented at the second Atmosphere America Natural Refrigerants Conference in Washington, D.C.

It certainly appears that impartial judges have taken a liking to the practical HVACR components frequently added on to freezers and coolers, which help the units run efficiently and accurately.

HVACR equipment seems to be upgrading at an unprecedented pace. New regulations are reaching the industry quicker than ever, with more to come. New refrigerants are flooding the market, just in time to fill the gap left by the more familiar refrigerants that are on the brink of being phased out. And everybody seems to be talking green.

The purpose of an ice machine may be to create ice, but when it comes to the food service industry, ice has to be pure, clean, produced by energy-efficient units of all sizes, and needs to come in all shapes. 

Two manufacturers recently released literature guiding food service decision makers to helpful data regarding the purchase of commercial-grade refrigerators and self-contained condenser coil cleaning units. 

During the off cycle, or especially during a long shutdown, refrigerant will want to travel, or migrate, to a place where the pressure is the lowest. 

The road to wider use of HC refrigerants remains a rocky one — although it is still being navigated. The latest developments involve more revisions to the regulatory landscape, the tweaking of a refrigerant mix to make it more energy efficient in certain applications, and, as always, warnings about flammability.

Regarding food service, refrigeration contractors are most concerned and familiar with ice machines, freezers, and coolers. Outside of the restaurant industry, HVACR contractors can be found spending a great deal of attention on the preservation of wine, which requires refrigeration, spot-cooling air conditioning, frozen food treat dispensers, and alternative ways of using CO₂.