HVAC&R Shop

What We Do

Facilities HVAC&R Shop is your resource for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration needs. We provide our clients with service that is timely, cost-effective and professional. We assure only the best service and quality without compromise.  We are committed to place the most qualified and the most experienced technicians on the job. We perform all work safely and are particularly aware of potentially hazardous operations or conditions.

Services Offered

Our staff of five Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics are available for a wide range of  related HVAC&R activities. We provide service and repairs, installations, preventive maintenance, modifications, fabrications, and design consultation on all types of HVAC&R equipment. Disposal of refrigerant oil and recovery of CFC / HCFC from discarded equipment.
All Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics are CFR certified as a universal technician by a EPA approved institute.  

Training

Our service technicians undergo factory technical training from the manufacturers and company sponsored continuing education classes on a regular basis in order to keep up with ever changing technology and to provide you with quality service.
 
 

Fred Burt adjusting our new  DDC system

Building Comfort Heating and Cooling  Direct Digital Control (DDC) - Building Automation Control Systems (BAS) electronic, electric, pneumatic controls, and humidity control.

Air Conditioning Systems  Packaged and split air conditioning, heat pumps units, economizers, environmental air conditioning, and gas heating units.

Mike Hudson repairs a process  A/C unit at B50B-1275 NERSC Center

Tom Horsfall measuring chilled water flow

Pressurization Control  Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), Variable Air Volume (VAV) , clean rooms, laboratory exhaust and negative pressure systems, fume hoods, air and hydronic system balancing .

Refrigeration Systems  Ultra Low Freezers, cold rooms, environmental chambers, high / low temperature walk ins and reach ins, ice machines, cascade multi stage systems, water baths, drinking fountains, and domestic refrigerators.

Larry Begley charging an Ultra Low Freezer

Darren Bauer operating a new 600 ton chiller at B34

Chiller Systems  Centrifugal, reciprocating, and screw process and comfort chillers.

 REFRIGERANT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has developed a program to help the Lab move away from using environmentally  damaging refrigerants, replacing them with substitutes, and improving Maintenance and Operation practices. This replacement and improvement effort is being completed by the LBNL Facilities Department in conjunction with the Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) Division.
 

The CFC-based air conditioning and refrigeration equipment installed at LBNL breaks down into three main categories:

 * Centrifugal chillers
 * Commercial refrigeration units
 * Small and/or portable units

The facilities Department maintains a database on equipment inspection and repair, and the amounts and types of refrigerants used by each piece of equipment. This information is used to identify CFC equipment and to decide whether to retrofit or replace it entirely.

Centrifugal Chiller
Currently we have retrofitted two relatively new centrifugal chiller which used CFC R-11 with HCFC R-123. To address toxicity concerns associated with this refrigerant,  Architecture and Engineering redesigned the machine room conforming to ASHRAE Standard 15-1992 safety codes for mechanical refrigeration. One other centrifugal chiller is over thirty years old and has exceeded its life expectancy. Funding plans are currently underway to replace this chiller.

Plans are to purchase high- pressure systems  that use either HFC R-134A which has no Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) or HCFC R-22 that has lower ODP compared to CFCs.

Commercial Refrigeration Equipment
In this area LBL is determining whether to replace or retrofit CFC equipment, based on equipment age and repair history. Units that have been replaced with non-CFC refrigerant units include walk-ins, reach ins, ice machines, and ultra low freezes. When the decision has been made whether to replace or retrofit, the application of the equipment and availability from the manufacturers determines what type of non-CFC refrigerant will be used.

Facilities and EH&S  have monitored these converted systems which have shown good results. Based on the success of this effort, the conversion process is continuing.

Portable and Small Units
It will not be cost-effective to convert units such as domestic refrigerators, small chilled-water baths and drinking fountains. Phase out of these units should occur at the end of the life-cycle. Facilities has worked with EH&S and purchasing to  establish procedures for making sure future purchases of coolant equipment use acceptable CFC alternatives. Purchasing controls will likely take the shape of allowing only EPA acceptable alternatives refrigerants .

Maintenance and Operation Practices
The maintenance and operation practices are focused toward improvements in general refrigeration system operations, predictive/preventive maintenance, and training that will provide for efficient and reliable servicing, reduction of refrigerant loss, and will protect and maintain the asset value of the equipment. The essential aspects of these practices include the following:

 * General operations and analysis on equipment performance.
 * Predictive/preventive maintenance requirements including refrigerant leak testing,  and oil / refrigerant analysis.
 * Specific logs and records on recycling and recovery of CFC's in accordance with the most current and federal regulations. These currently include the following items:
  - Employee certification records
  - Records of refrigerant purchased, used, or reclaimed
  - Copies of recovery equipment certification forms
  - Refrigerant recovery records and procedures
  - Leak detector records and procedures
  - Facility equipment serviced and serviced performed stored in facilities Work Order  Database (Maximo)
 * Orientation and training of personal, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics technical training / awareness and EPA approved technical certification. Safe handling procedures for refrigerant and usage of recovery and  recycling equipment.
 * Disposal of refrigerant oil and recovery of CFC / HCFC from discarded equipment.
 * HVAC&R system and equipment upgrades including low refrigerant loss fittings and hoses, high efficiency purge units, and chiller rooms refrigerant vapor monitor for early refrigerant leak detection.
 

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