Any tips on getting the most out of these North Stars?

EVAP WIRE got oxidized and its in the end corner of thr room

Fuck

I got offered a job at Walmart as a HVAC/R technician. Anybody have any pros & cons? I got 4 years of commercial refrigeration under my belt (Ice machines, walk ins)

www.refrigeraciongamberini.cl

I run a small industrial refrigeration outfit in Santiago, Chile (used/reconditioned equipment sales plus install, preventive maintenance and repair). We just put together a website and I'd rather hear honest criticism from people who actually work with this gear than from a marketing agency.

Site: www.refrigeraciongamberini.cl (it's in Spanish, but the equipment listings should be readable to anyone in the trade)

What's on it right now:

~20 pieces of equipment across 5 categories: screw compressors, condensers, evaporators, tanks/receivers and valves

A few of the bigger listings: a Mycom 250 VLD screw compressor with a 550 HP motor, a Frick RXF 50 (125 HP), and a Frick chiller running two 125 HP screw compressors

Photos and basic specs per unit, plus a WhatsApp button for quotes (that's how most B2B contact happens here)

Service pages for installation, maintenance and repair

What I'm asking:

If you were sourcing a used screw compressor, what info would you want on the listing page that I'm not showing? Hours run, refrigerant, last oil analysis, teardown photos, capacity curves?

Is a WhatsApp-first contact flow off-putting, or normal enough?

Anything on the site that would make you doubt the seller's competence?

Not trying to sell to anyone here — the market is local. Mostly want to know what a refrigeration guy looks for before he picks up the phone. Thanks.

I work as an ammonia tech at a fairly decent size food processing plant, here are our two oldest compressors I was wondering if anyone could help me define
One the age. The SN on one of them reads 66609

Hey everyone!

I’m looking for recommendations on inverter type condenser units for a cooler replacement application in a greenhouse. So far the Copeland X-Line looks to be attractive, but I wanted to see if you guys have any better recs. They are wonderful people and am just wanting to help them get the a great unit and functionality without getting ripped.

Cooler size: 34’ x 15’ x 8’
I estimate we need about a 2 ton unit?

Power available: 120/240 single and 3ph
Temp req: ~40-45F

There’s currently an air handler in the wall, but depending on the type unsure if would be compatible. Their current system is decades old and incredibly inefficient.

The Copeland looks attractive because of its “plug and play” functionality, but trust you all know better than I.

Thank you!

New to this field, I was just cleaning the ice machine and I was asked to clean the condenser on this Bev-Air unit as it alway has water dripping on the inside. I cleaned evap drain line and I found one of the door seal is ripped.

What your thoughts on OEM seal at $120 vs aftermarket for around $50.

Model: BB58G-1-B

Anything else to consider?

Any kiwis in this group whether you’re in country or working overseas. Would love to see where in the country/world you are and the type of work you’re doing. Need something on the horizon to look at as things are slow at the moment

Hello everyone,

I'm a student looking for the book Nouveaux schémas électriques : applications frigorifiques (New Electrical Schematics: Refrigeration Applications) by Jean Estrem.

I've searched in many places without any success. If anyone has this book or knows where I could find it or download it , I would be very grateful.

Thank you in advance for your help!

I end up on a lot of roofs with mislabeled condensers. It will say dairy cooler but, do the beer cooler, etc.

What is the best way to verify in your experience?

I have taken to pumping it down at the thermostat and seeing which condenser shuts off. But, that isn’t fool proof, as it led me down the wrong path once.

What are you guys doing?

Hi, I am preparing for Refrigeration plant operator B exam. I am looking for PanGlobal Publication books. It’s very difficult to get them from after market. Does anyone have pdf for those books? It would be great help! TIA!

Working on a km-350maj, staff saying going off on 3 beep alarm every about 48 hours and has been since may. Cycled the unit 3 times, cycle time was about 40-45 min. Pressures at 5 min was near the 60 suction hoshi likes and near harvest we were sitting at 38-42 suction (it was a little jumpy) at 215-230 highside. Here’s the thing the condenser was vented outside, like someone physically built a vent from the unit to outside and had a mini split blowing 72 degrees on it. Help?

I’m looking for a 134 a compressor to replace this one. I’m not sure what size I’ll need. Can anybody help?

This isn’t Domestic! It’s a mono block Cabinet for a pubs drinks

The transition conversation sounds very organized when it comes from a slide deck. New equipment is arriving, updated procedures are being published, and manufacturers say the channel is prepared. At the contractor level, it feels much less coordinated. One supplier says technicians need additional training before touching the new systems, another treats the change like a minor labeling update, and some branches still cannot clearly explain which recovery equipment, leak-detection practices, storage rules, or replacement components they will support locally.

The refrigerant itself is only one part of the problem. Service trucks need the correct tools, installers need to understand airflow and charging instead of treating every issue like a pressure problem, and office staff need to know what can legally and safely be stocked or transported. Customers will not care that the industry is in transition when their new heat pump stops heating. They will expect the contractor to understand the system and have access to parts immediately. I am not against the change, and I am not claiming the equipment is unsafe when handled correctly.

I am frustrated by the gap between corporate readiness and field readiness. Are contractors overreacting to a manageable transition, or are manufacturers and distributors underestimating how much practical preparation is still missing?

Was wondering if any fridge engineers who's moved from uk to Australia could advice on what I'd need to do if I wanted to become a refrigeration in Australia.

Long story short I'm a refrigeration improver for supermarket refrigeration and was thinking once I finish (about 2-3years) to look to move to Australia.

Are the UK certificate like FGAS CAT 1, 18GEN, LEVEL 2 ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION etc recognised in Australia?

Cheers

It’s getting to a point genuinely, I don’t know how to feel about this, after my 3rd week as a first year apprentice technically I was thrown into solo calls and in calls as well, and it’s been about 2-3 weeks and I’m still running solo calls, I do have people to call on, and sometimes when I can’t figure something out, they send someone else to help me, but it gets to a point because sometimes they take hours to send someone to help me, like tomorrow for example I have to install new hinges and other things for a bakers pride oven door and I have no idea on how to do that, and I’m not sure if they are sending someone with me. One of my supervisors says they keep sending me on these solo calls because I’m not afraid to dive into these units and other equipment, I take initiative and I try before I ask for help instead of just asking for help without doing anything, all the other apprentices they hired they aren’t throwing them into the wolves like me, and that feedback that one supervisor is giving to the main manager is why they keep sending me. I get it as well, a lot of companies will throw you into the wolves very early on and such, but I wish they would take more time to teach me things, I applied to a different company who mainly only does chillers and RTU’s because of a connection I have there, same benefits and say pay day but a higher pay and they will train me and not send me on solo calls per my connection that’s there. I’m in a conflicted spot, if I do end up gettin for the other company. Any advice? Or anything in general that might help me with that pride oven even.

So I been with this company for a little over a month now, they pay me $24 an hour, my first official company, got a connection at another company, pay is $26-$28 and it might even go up to 29 if I’m categorized as a 2nd year, I think that I would be dumb if I wouldn’t take such opportunity, but this is based before I even got an interview, but still even if I got $26 that’s still $2 more than the company I’m currently at, I do learn rather quickly, after my 3rd week I was sent on solo calls by myself, on call once every week, how should I go to telling my current company I’ll be leaving if I get that opportunity at the other one? Also I think it’s more of a solid scheduling and also less on call time.

If only all leaks were so easy to spot......

Found machine making very thin ice and harvesting in about 5-10min.

I removed the black hose that connects the triangle part with the 3 screws to the cup inside the water reservoir (sorry not exactly sure what the parts are called) after doing this the machine dropped a batch and much thicker ice, it actually ran longer than 10 min

What part needs to be replaced? Anyone ever have this issue? going back out Monday. thank you

I picked up a used Follett Champion 7 and I want to give it a good cleaning before I start using it in my home bar. I have Nu Calgon IMS-III for a sanitizer and Nu Calgon Descaler (nickle safe). Does it matter what order I use them in?

I was planning on following this video. (I have the undercounter version of this model, but it is very similar.) https://www.partstown.com/cm/resource-center/videos/vid2/how-to-clean-a-follett-countertop-ice-machine

Any other tips before I dive into this thing? I haven't found many techs in my area that will work on Folletts.

(The machine works and is making ice. I just wanted to give it a good cleaning before I start using it.)

My machine is over flowing when making ice after I cleaned it. I’m not sure how to tell if it’s a sensor or a valve, I tried to call a service but they told me they weren’t taking any new customers

Call a commercial refrigeration tech and that's what you're gonna get. God dang it i love the iJW.

Still controlled by the thermostat. Also doubles as a freeze stat. Go figure.

Ok so these are some older photos don’t mind the dirt and grime and lack of light, those I’ve fixed. (No photo proof at the moment makes my words seem frail already I know) The only component not pictured is the chiller in the fish hold. What I’m interested in is simple in theory. I’m looking to more easily automate and electrify the system. IMS Brine systems are similar except for they have electric expansion valve and controllers and danfoss switches that cut the system on and off as needed. This system is completely manual at the moment. I set everything and then adjust once the specs are met. If you wanted to start automating this system, where would you start. Be specific I’m in my first few years of owning and operating this system and am just now even now to ask questions without sounding like I’m Retardmaxxing. Thanks in advance.
Edit: This is on a boat, a steel, commercial tuna fishing sailboat on the pacific west coast. Not a lot of room but room enough to add electric sensors, and controls. Hence the hydraulic compressor motor.