Advanced Refrigeration Podcast

More CO2 Blast Freezers And WTH Is A Surge Drum, & What About MASS FLOW ?? Episode - 544

CO₂ Rack Startup From Hell: ICAD Firmware Resets, Allen-Bradley Pain, and 20 Gallons of Missing Oil

On the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast, hosts Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compass unpack a miserable CO₂ spiral freezer rack startup that ran long, went sideways, and left one host stranded with one T-shirt and dwindling underwear. A blast freezer startup rep moved painfully slow, firmware updates on ICAD B controllers reset passwords to all zeros, and time was lost fighting a remote engineer over 20 mA feedback that pegged valves open. After finally starting the rack, they hit a major oil return problem—roughly 20 gallons added with little coming back—suspecting oil logging in the freezer’s liquid vapor separator/surge drum, possibly worsened as temperatures dropped to around -43°F suction. They review the rack’s piping (desuperheater, gas cooler, flash tank, heat exchangers, accumulator drain logic) and debate causes like separator sizing, violent vessel behavior, and the need for an oil return/skimmer-style cycle before product loads arrive.

More CO2 Blast Freezers And WTH Is A Surge Drum, & What About MASS FLOW ?? Episode - 544

CO₂ Rack Startup From Hell: ICAD Firmware Resets, Allen-Bradley Pain, and 20 Gallons of Missing Oil

On the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast, hosts Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compass unpack a miserable CO₂ spiral freezer rack startup that ran long, went sideways, and left one host stranded with one T-shirt and dwindling underwear. A blast freezer startup rep moved painfully slow, firmware updates on ICAD B controllers reset passwords to all zeros, and time was lost fighting a remote engineer over 20 mA feedback that pegged valves open. After finally starting the rack, they hit a major oil return problem—roughly 20 gallons added with little coming back—suspecting oil logging in the freezer’s liquid vapor separator/surge drum, possibly worsened as temperatures dropped to around -43°F suction. They review the rack’s piping (desuperheater, gas cooler, flash tank, heat exchangers, accumulator drain logic) and debate causes like separator sizing, violent vessel behavior, and the need for an oil return/skimmer-style cycle before product loads arrive.

Blast Freezer Convo, & A Loop Sequencer For EPR Control, And A Cross Over ?? Episode - 543

CO2 Blast Freezer Startup Chaos + Taming Load-Shed Valves (PID Tuning Without Losing Your Mind)

In this episode of the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast, Brett and Kevin recap a CO2 blast freezer rack startup in Minnesota, including a pump-down system with a flash tank setup and a 45-bar-rated rack that sparked questions. The startup went sideways when an oil reservoir appeared empty, oil was pumped in, a compressor kicked on unexpectedly, hydraulically hammered the high-pressure switch, and blew the compressor relief—spraying oil on Brett—after a TechLab relay locked the oil fill on. They then shift to ongoing work: dual-temp HFC island case startups and troubleshooting an underloaded low-temp rack that short-cycles compressors. Kevin shows how a CDS valve on a loop sequencer was hunting from 0–100% and how reducing P gain stabilized suction, then they discuss load shedding/crossover valves, energy tradeoffs, and practical PID tuning tips like filtering, throttle range, direct vs reverse action, and making one change at a time.

Blast Freezer Convo, & A Loop Sequencer For EPR Control, And A Cross Over ?? Episode - 543

CO2 Blast Freezer Startup Chaos + Taming Load-Shed Valves (PID Tuning Without Losing Your Mind)

In this episode of the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast, Brett and Kevin recap a CO2 blast freezer rack startup in Minnesota, including a pump-down system with a flash tank setup and a 45-bar-rated rack that sparked questions. The startup went sideways when an oil reservoir appeared empty, oil was pumped in, a compressor kicked on unexpectedly, hydraulically hammered the high-pressure switch, and blew the compressor relief—spraying oil on Brett—after a TechLab relay locked the oil fill on. They then shift to ongoing work: dual-temp HFC island case startups and troubleshooting an underloaded low-temp rack that short-cycles compressors. Kevin shows how a CDS valve on a loop sequencer was hunting from 0–100% and how reducing P gain stabilized suction, then they discuss load shedding/crossover valves, energy tradeoffs, and practical PID tuning tips like filtering, throttle range, direct vs reverse action, and making one change at a time.

Flexible Combiners, CO2, SH, Liquid Injection, & Hotgas.. Anti Relief, and Oil Control Episode 542

CO2 Rack Chaos: Superheat Mitigation, Anti-Relief Headaches & Flex Combiner Fails

Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compass catch up on a hectic pre-Thanksgiving workload, including MicroThermal programming surges, Walmart K2 case startups with inconsistent wiring, and struggles accessing newer Novar controllers due to password and tech support issues. They then walk through CO2 rack control logic using E3 flexible combiners, focusing on hot gas injection superheat mitigation, debating appropriate superheat cut-in/cut-out and how low superheat worsens oil carryover. They critique an anti-relief strategy near the flash tank for causing flat racks via dry ice sticking valves, and discuss a receiver hot gas injection scheme meant to maintain winter receiver pressure and oil differential, noting an apparent incomplete implementation. They also review overly complex oil separator pulsing logic, relay wear concerns, and argue standardized CO2 suction group control could eliminate much custom programming confusion

Flexible Combiners, CO2, SH, Liquid Injection, & Hotgas.. Anti Relief, and Oil Control Episode 542

CO2 Rack Chaos: Superheat Mitigation, Anti-Relief Headaches & Flex Combiner Fails

Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compass catch up on a hectic pre-Thanksgiving workload, including MicroThermal programming surges, Walmart K2 case startups with inconsistent wiring, and struggles accessing newer Novar controllers due to password and tech support issues. They then walk through CO2 rack control logic using E3 flexible combiners, focusing on hot gas injection superheat mitigation, debating appropriate superheat cut-in/cut-out and how low superheat worsens oil carryover. They critique an anti-relief strategy near the flash tank for causing flat racks via dry ice sticking valves, and discuss a receiver hot gas injection scheme meant to maintain winter receiver pressure and oil differential, noting an apparent incomplete implementation. They also review overly complex oil separator pulsing logic, relay wear concerns, and argue standardized CO2 suction group control could eliminate much custom programming confusion

Flexible Combiners In E3, What Are They, And Some Rae Corp Shenanigans Episode 541

Flexible Combiner 101 (E2/E3): Stop Blaming the Flexie for Everything

On the Advanced Refrigeration podcast, Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compass start by troubleshooting a Raycorp CO2 skid startup where one pump won’t make differential despite drive and check-valve checks, concluding the pump is likely bad and difficult to replace due to skid framing and serviceability constraints. They then shift to a practical walkthrough of programming Copeland E2/E3/Site Supervisor “flexible combiners,” emphasizing that flexies are open applications and many tasks should use simpler sensor controls instead. They stress labeling inputs/outputs, using E3 tools like duplicate tabs for troubleshooting, lowering update time for testing, and avoiding common syntax/type errors. They demonstrate building a timer, a cut-in/cut-out fan control (including averaging sensors), and a leak-detector shutdown using if statements and network variable targets, recommending the flexible combiner programming supplement as a reference.

Flexible Combiners In E3, What Are They, And Some Rae Corp Shenanigans Episode 541

Flexible Combiner 101 (E2/E3): Stop Blaming the Flexie for Everything

On the Advanced Refrigeration podcast, Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compass start by troubleshooting a Raycorp CO2 skid startup where one pump won’t make differential despite drive and check-valve checks, concluding the pump is likely bad and difficult to replace due to skid framing and serviceability constraints. They then shift to a practical walkthrough of programming Copeland E2/E3/Site Supervisor “flexible combiners,” emphasizing that flexies are open applications and many tasks should use simpler sensor controls instead. They stress labeling inputs/outputs, using E3 tools like duplicate tabs for troubleshooting, lowering update time for testing, and avoiding common syntax/type errors. They demonstrate building a timer, a cut-in/cut-out fan control (including averaging sensors), and a leak-detector shutdown using if statements and network variable targets, recommending the flexible combiner programming supplement as a reference.

What Do You Want To Do Tonight Brain, Play With Carel And A Power Outage Episode 540

Target Box Misery, Flooding Charge Math, and CO₂ Controller Menus That Hate You | Advanced Refrigeration Podcast

Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compass open the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast by venting about end-of-life Target “boxes,” including finding multiple units with low-pressure switches installed on the wrong side of service valves, creating dangerous no-cutout scenarios. Brett describes building and testing a custom flooding-charge calculator using condenser data and discusses oversized condensing units and winter operation while running some quick Bitzer/Copeland-style math for a low-temp R449A freezer. The conversation shifts to CO₂ systems and a Corel compressor controller walkthrough, covering passwords, “mask number” navigation used by tech support, alarm configuration, compressor enable/disable, start types (direct, part-winding, star-delta), equalization valves, device rotation logic, VFD/inverter settings, and transcritical controls for the high-pressure valve and receiver/BGV parameters, including pre-positioning, proportional/integral behavior, and safety limits.

What Do You Want To Do Tonight Brain, Play With Carel And A Power Outage Episode 540

Target Box Misery, Flooding Charge Math, and CO₂ Controller Menus That Hate You | Advanced Refrigeration Podcast

Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compass open the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast by venting about end-of-life Target “boxes,” including finding multiple units with low-pressure switches installed on the wrong side of service valves, creating dangerous no-cutout scenarios. Brett describes building and testing a custom flooding-charge calculator using condenser data and discusses oversized condensing units and winter operation while running some quick Bitzer/Copeland-style math for a low-temp R449A freezer. The conversation shifts to CO₂ systems and a Corel compressor controller walkthrough, covering passwords, “mask number” navigation used by tech support, alarm configuration, compressor enable/disable, start types (direct, part-winding, star-delta), equalization valves, device rotation logic, VFD/inverter settings, and transcritical controls for the high-pressure valve and receiver/BGV parameters, including pre-positioning, proportional/integral behavior, and safety limits.

Cold Ambient Flooded Condenser, & It's Not Time For Xmas Stuff, Brett's In Nashville Episode 539

Low Ambient Chaos: Headmasters, Flooded Condensers, and Why Your Receiver’s Screaming

On the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast, Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compas rant about stores pushing Christmas displays too early, then dive into low-ambient season nuisance calls: low receivers, liquid feed problems, and winter headaches caused by tight holdbacks, bad summer startups, and improperly set ORI/headmaster valves. They discuss standalone case-controller frustrations where settings won’t save and firmware quirks break lights and fans unless defrost times fall between midnight and 3:00 AM. The episode covers troubleshooting smoking-hot receivers and cool condensers from headmaster bypassing, proper flooded-condenser charging using Sporlan charts (and tools like an Excel calculator), and why blindly adding refrigerant can backfire—especially when condenser split/pump-out issues trap liquid. They also warn about fan-splitting controls, uneven condenser piping, rooftop suction lines condensing liquid, and Chicago “fireman’s dump” lines causing additional cold-weather problems.

Cold Ambient Flooded Condenser, & It's Not Time For Xmas Stuff, Brett's In Nashville Episode 539

Low Ambient Chaos: Headmasters, Flooded Condensers, and Why Your Receiver’s Screaming

On the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast, Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compas rant about stores pushing Christmas displays too early, then dive into low-ambient season nuisance calls: low receivers, liquid feed problems, and winter headaches caused by tight holdbacks, bad summer startups, and improperly set ORI/headmaster valves. They discuss standalone case-controller frustrations where settings won’t save and firmware quirks break lights and fans unless defrost times fall between midnight and 3:00 AM. The episode covers troubleshooting smoking-hot receivers and cool condensers from headmaster bypassing, proper flooded-condenser charging using Sporlan charts (and tools like an Excel calculator), and why blindly adding refrigerant can backfire—especially when condenser split/pump-out issues trap liquid. They also warn about fan-splitting controls, uneven condenser piping, rooftop suction lines condensing liquid, and Chicago “fireman’s dump” lines causing additional cold-weather problems.

CO₂ Single Condensing Units: Relief Valves, pRack Pain, and Dorin Two‑Stage DiagnosticsBrett Wetzel and Kevin Compass open the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast joking about “pop” in the Midwest before diving into CO₂ single condensing units as Brett teaches in Minnesota and discusses an SCM Frigo unit. They compare common controllers (Carel pRack/mini PAC, Danfoss, and Copeland possibilities), complain about limited tech-friendly navigation and lack of onboard trending, and discuss pulling data via Modbus/BACnet and supervisory options like Boss Mini. Brett reviews relief valve piping after seeing popped reliefs, critiques tight packaging and reliability, and notes issues like overcharging and mismatched evaporator/valve capacity that can empty a sight glass. They walk through SCM Frigo medium-temp piping, internal heat exchange, Carel E2V-C valves, BGV function, and oil system designs, then cover a Dorin two-stage low-temp unit with floating flash tank pressure and shared plenum cooling. Brett demonstrates using Dorin software to estimate expected interstage/flash tank pressure, amperage, and temperatures to diagnose performance without relying on pump-down tests, and points to the web-based version of the tool.

CO₂ Single Condensing Units: Relief Valves, pRack Pain, and Dorin Two‑Stage DiagnosticsBrett Wetzel and Kevin Compass open the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast joking about “pop” in the Midwest before diving into CO₂ single condensing units as Brett teaches in Minnesota and discusses an SCM Frigo unit. They compare common controllers (Carel pRack/mini PAC, Danfoss, and Copeland possibilities), complain about limited tech-friendly navigation and lack of onboard trending, and discuss pulling data via Modbus/BACnet and supervisory options like Boss Mini. Brett reviews relief valve piping after seeing popped reliefs, critiques tight packaging and reliability, and notes issues like overcharging and mismatched evaporator/valve capacity that can empty a sight glass. They walk through SCM Frigo medium-temp piping, internal heat exchange, Carel E2V-C valves, BGV function, and oil system designs, then cover a Dorin two-stage low-temp unit with floating flash tank pressure and shared plenum cooling. Brett demonstrates using Dorin software to estimate expected interstage/flash tank pressure, amperage, and temperatures to diagnose performance without relying on pump-down tests, and points to the web-based version of the tool.

More CO2 Oil Issues, & HPV AndBGV How Far Should It Be Open, And A Pizza Review Episode 537

Oil Gremlins, 90-Bar Racks & Why Your BGV Is Always “Wrong” | Advanced Refrigeration Podcast

Brett and Kevin kick off the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast comparing miserable travel weeks, altitude sickness, and brutal high-desert heat during transcritical CO₂ Target startups, then dive into recurring rack problems—especially oil management. They describe a common piping/design issue where the oil drain shoots straight across the oil reservoir toward the flash tank vent, sending oil into the system and back through suction, and explain a field fix by relocating/flip-flopping valves and adding access points.

They also cover repeated startup headaches (wrong DIP switches, drive wiring reversed, Belimo valve position errors, programming mistakes), discuss newer HB oil sensors and inverted digital inputs, and complain about overly complicated 0–10V solid-state relay oil controls.

Finally, they use Danfoss CoolSelector calculations to estimate proper high-pressure valve and flash gas bypass valve sizing/opening percentages and relate this to hot-gas defrost impacts, adiabatic gas cooler performance, and limited EMS permissions for forcing valves on XM/iPro controllers.

More CO2 Oil Issues, & HPV AndBGV How Far Should It Be Open, And A Pizza Review Episode 537

Oil Gremlins, 90-Bar Racks & Why Your BGV Is Always “Wrong” | Advanced Refrigeration Podcast

Brett and Kevin kick off the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast comparing miserable travel weeks, altitude sickness, and brutal high-desert heat during transcritical CO₂ Target startups, then dive into recurring rack problems—especially oil management. They describe a common piping/design issue where the oil drain shoots straight across the oil reservoir toward the flash tank vent, sending oil into the system and back through suction, and explain a field fix by relocating/flip-flopping valves and adding access points.

They also cover repeated startup headaches (wrong DIP switches, drive wiring reversed, Belimo valve position errors, programming mistakes), discuss newer HB oil sensors and inverted digital inputs, and complain about overly complicated 0–10V solid-state relay oil controls.

Finally, they use Danfoss CoolSelector calculations to estimate proper high-pressure valve and flash gas bypass valve sizing/opening percentages and relate this to hot-gas defrost impacts, adiabatic gas cooler performance, and limited EMS permissions for forcing valves on XM/iPro controllers.

Vacuum Fiascos, BlueVac Hoses, and the Brisket Shift: Pulling Deep Vacuums on CO₂ Racks.

In this episode, the hosts bounce from brisket trash talk into a practical (and chaotic) deep-dive on pulling vacuums for CO₂ rack startups after a week of target store work complicated by leaks and half-finished racks. They break down their preferred setup—NAVAC NRD30/32 vacuum pumps with KF16 fittings, BlueVac hoses, and multi-hose manifolds—plus why they avoid belt-drive pumps and dislike multiple-pump setups. They cover best practices for maximizing vacuum flow, managing wet systems, and why “triple evac” is ineffective compared to using heat with continuous vacuum and oil changes, with cold traps and desiccant as alternatives. The conversation also hits moisture risks like carbonic acid damage, questionable CO₂ tank dryness, filtering practices, and the frustration of 650-psi reliefs on charging lines tied to low-rated dryer housings.

Pulling Vacuums, Removing Moisture, Bad Piping, Charging CO2, and Smoking Brisket Episode 536

Vacuum Fiascos, BlueVac Hoses, and the Brisket Shift: Pulling Deep Vacuums on CO₂ Racks.

In this episode, the hosts bounce from brisket trash talk into a practical (and chaotic) deep-dive on pulling vacuums for CO₂ rack startups after a week of target store work complicated by leaks and half-finished racks. They break down their preferred setup—NAVAC NRD30/32 vacuum pumps with KF16 fittings, BlueVac hoses, and multi-hose manifolds—plus why they avoid belt-drive pumps and dislike multiple-pump setups. They cover best practices for maximizing vacuum flow, managing wet systems, and why “triple evac” is ineffective compared to using heat with continuous vacuum and oil changes, with cold traps and desiccant as alternatives. The conversation also hits moisture risks like carbonic acid damage, questionable CO₂ tank dryness, filtering practices, and the frustration of 650-psi reliefs on charging lines tied to low-rated dryer housings.

CO2 Hot Gas Defrost Causing Flood back & The Happiest Place In The World & He’s still Angry Episode 535

Rusty Cases, Wet Racks & Hot Gas Defrost Chaos (CO₂ Rack Tuning Gone Wild)

Hosts Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compass recap a hectic week on the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast, starting with widespread issues from a case manufacturer in Mexico where components arrive severely rusted or even full of water, leading to leaks, missing rack parts, long evacuation times, and concerns that contractors will rush vacuums.They also describe multiple failing case controllers that output erratic signals and drop communication.The conversation shifts to Brett’s work in Vermont teaching and troubleshooting a ZeroZone CO₂ rack hot gas defrost setup, including inlet pressure regulator and relief protection, and how an incorrectly set regulator caused flash tank turbulence, flash gas bypass over-opening, low medium-temp superheat, oil carryover, and compressor issues—especially with horizontal “laydown” flash tanks.They discuss PID tuning challenges, valve reliability, and an oil dump line piping detail that can vent oil straight out of the receiver.

CO2 Hot Gas Defrost Causing Flood back & The Happiest Place In The World & He’s still Angry Episode 535 Video

Rusty Cases, Wet Racks & Hot Gas Defrost Chaos (CO₂ Rack Tuning Gone Wild)

Hosts Brett Wetzel and Kevin Compass recap a hectic week on the Advanced Refrigeration Podcast, starting with widespread issues from a case manufacturer in Mexico where components arrive severely rusted or even full of water, leading to leaks, missing rack parts, long evacuation times, and concerns that contractors will rush vacuums.They also describe multiple failing case controllers that output erratic signals and drop communication.The conversation shifts to Brett’s work in Vermont teaching and troubleshooting a ZeroZone CO₂ rack hot gas defrost setup, including inlet pressure regulator and relief protection, and how an incorrectly set regulator caused flash tank turbulence, flash gas bypass over-opening, low medium-temp superheat, oil carryover, and compressor issues—especially with horizontal “laydown” flash tanks.They discuss PID tuning challenges, valve reliability, and an oil dump line piping detail that can vent oil straight out of the receiver.