Reefers sealed to stop contaminants

USA: A tamper-proof refrigerant seal has been developed by Carrier Transicold to help prevent unauthorised or suspect refrigerants being used in its reefers.

The seal system is said to address industry concerns about risks associated with container refrigeration systems contaminated with improper or counterfeit refrigerants. In 2011, three people died as a result of explosions caused by refrigerant in reefers that contained a refrigerant contaminated with methyl chloride. Thousands of containers were quarantined as a result.

Comprising a cap and cable tie, the seals are installed on the suction, discharge and liquid line service ports. Once in place, the service ports cannot be accessed without breaking the seals.

Made of a robust material suitable for marine applications, the seals are intended for one-time use and are said to be capable of lasting the lifetime of the container unit, unless a service issue requires their removal.

The seals carry the Carrier logo and are available as an oem-installed option for new Primeline, Thinline and Eliteline units. Customers with existing units will be able to obtain the seals through the Performance Parts Group.

“Customers, particularly in the leasing sector, have shown enthusiasm for the sealing system and have already specified it for their new equipment,” revealed Suresh Duraisamy, Carrier’s senior product manager, Global Container Refrigeration.

“The highly visible seals communicate an immediate message to service technicians that the unit was charged with the proper, approved refrigerant,” Duraisamy explained.

“If a unit is in for service or repair and the Carrier-authorised service centre’s technician discovers that a seal is missing or has been replaced with a non-authorised seal, it will trigger an investigation into the service history of the unit to see when and where the unit was last serviced.”