More than half of respondents to an AHRI survey of refrigerant handlers found that container colors had caused confusion. This confusion was likely to increase as new refrigerants are added to the market.

As hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), hydrocarbons (HCs), and natural refrigerants are set to replace HFCs, their often-overlooked partners — lubricants — are rarely mentioned. As the industry prepares to adhere to mandated refrigerant transitions, a common question is: “Can I use my old lubricants with new refrigerants?”

The most commonly heard three-letter term in the ice machine business used to be “ice.” Now, it has been joined by “EPA” and “DOE,” which both are garnering as much attention as the actual end products.

Very few end users fully understand the importance of properly cleaning and sanitizing their ice machines, storage bins, and dispensers. Yet the quality and safety of every beverage they serve as well as the longevity and power consumption of their equipment depends on proper maintenance.

Manufacturers of coolers and freezers are emerging from a regulation-driven innovation cycle and are ready and eager to return to one driven by their customers’ wish lists. 

Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-134a replaced chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-12. Now, 134a is on its way out, too. The July 2, 2015, ruling from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set forth the time frames for the phasedown of certain HFC refrigerants in specific applications.

An iced-up evaporator is a common service call for any service technician working in this industry. Generally, determining this is the cause of the system problem is rather easy. But what caused the evaporator to ice up may not always be obvious.