To be able to install, commission and carry out maintenance or repairs to even the most basic refrigeration system, it is essential that the engineer has a sound knowledge of the system operation, the functions of the various valves, the controls employed in the system, and the specialist tools or equipment necessary to carry out those tasks.
Generally, larger refrigeration companies employ engineers who specialize in servicing and others involved only with the installation of equipment. Smaller companies require engineers to be proficient in both service and installation practice.
This manual deals with the fundamental principles of service, installation and commissioning, but not necessarily to any specific manufacturer’s recommendation or equipment.
The service engineer
Obviously the need for service and maintenance on existing plant exceeds the demand for new installations and for this reason it is essential that all engineers are conversant with the various service operations and diagnostic procedures; they are dealt with in Part One.
The engineer must be conversant with the type and location of system service valves, with the gauge manifold and all types of gauges used with refrigeration equipment.
The ability to diagnose why a system is not operating correctly, or merely to establish that it is providing optimum service, starts with the fitting of gauges to record either the operating or static pressure of the plant, depending upon the circumstances.
A high percentage of service calls are due to refrigerant leakage either from fractured pipework joints or from defective components which have been subjected to internal or external corrosion to cause a leak.
Often a service call can result in the replacement or relocation of a component, necessitating a change in the pipework design or route so the two aspects, servicing and installation, cannot be completely divorced from each other.
The response to a service call is a venture into the unknown and the engineer must be prepared for every eventuality.