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Yea,thanks!.....I'm glad I made it out of that ordeal ok....I don't know what the concentration of ammonia was by ppm in the room that night, heck I was just a kid at the time! I just know that there must have been someone looking out for me from above that night!
Originally Posted by icexprt When I was 18 I was working one night in a small equipment room on a Vogt P-24 ice machine charged with 800 lbs. of ammonia when there was a sudden release of it's entire charge in liquid form from the bottom of the receiver. Getting out of the room from where I was located was tricky. I had to step up onto an I-beam about 2 feet above the floor, walk the beam to the corner of the room, turn the corner, step over some piping, duck under some piping, and walk the beam another 12 or so feet to the doorway to get out. I have no recollection of how I made it out of there! There is a gap in my memory between the release of ammonia, until I reached the doorway? I remember feeling relief when I exited the door, thinking I would be able to breathe finally, only to realize that I still couldn't! I spent a week and a half in ICU and another week in a regular hospital room. The doctors said if I had been a smoker I wouldn't have made it.....I didn't tell them I'd been smoking a year and a half at that point! I still work with ammonia, I just have a lot of respect for it and always make sure everything is double checked and nothing is left to chance! Wow, that is nuts. Glad you are OK.
When I was 18 I was working one night in a small equipment room on a Vogt P-24 ice machine charged with 800 lbs. of ammonia when there was a sudden release of it's entire charge in liquid form from the bottom of the receiver. Getting out of the room from where I was located was tricky. I had to step up onto an I-beam about 2 feet above the floor, walk the beam to the corner of the room, turn the corner, step over some piping, duck under some piping, and walk the beam another 12 or so feet to the doorway to get out. I have no recollection of how I made it out of there! There is a gap in my memory between the release of ammonia, until I reached the doorway? I remember feeling relief when I exited the door, thinking I would be able to breathe finally, only to realize that I still couldn't! I spent a week and a half in ICU and another week in a regular hospital room. The doctors said if I had been a smoker I wouldn't have made it.....I didn't tell them I'd been smoking a year and a half at that point! I still work with ammonia, I just have a lot of respect for it and always make sure everything is double checked and nothing is left to chance!
It aint that bad. stings a little, you learn to breathe shallow........ You get used to it.
Originally Posted by zw17 it f'ing stinks and makes breathing uncomfortable. Almost an understatement. That stuff will make you jump off a roof or run through a block wall to get away from it. Its a great refrigerent but I cant see it ever being used anywhere other than industrial plants.
Originally Posted by Nh3 Refrigeration Tech First question; Yes you are correct, anywhere from 5 to 10% is accurate. Second question; R-717 (Ammonia used for Refrigeration) is typically close to 99.98%. To answer your question... Between 90-95% purity is the difference between uncut ammonia and the cut version that 99.9999% of the people on this site are accustomed to, and for those of us not used to R-717 it f'ing stinks and makes breathing uncomfortable.
Originally Posted by zw17 The ammonia that you buy at the grocery store for cleaning purposes is what about 5%? What percentage is refrigeration ammonia? First question; Yes you are correct, anywhere from 5 to 10% is accurate. Second question; R-717 (Ammonia used for Refrigeration) is typically close to 99.98%.
Originally Posted by Nh3 Refrigeration Tech For someone like myself who has worked with Ammonia for 30+ years, will you please tell me what "Pure Uncut Ammonia" is? The ammonia that you buy at the grocery store for cleaning purposes is what about 5%? What percentage is refrigeration ammonia?
Originally Posted by Nh3 Refrigeration Tech I've worked as an Ammonia Technician for 30+ years, to answer your question, yes it's dangerous and very harmful. But with the Experienced Ammonia Techs paired with good PM's on your Refrigeration System, leaks are few and far between (or at least they should be) and when a leak occurs unless the PPM exceeds 25 parts per 8 hour shift (OSHA PEL) your not in tremendous danger. That's not to say that you won't smell it and feel its effects, but your safe to work in it. The IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health) for Ammonia is 300ppm, easy to say that if you walk into a room that's 300ppm without proper PPE, you WONT be walking out. I agree and know what you are saying. My sarcastic comments were concerning the "one drop of pure uncut..." statement above. I've been in several ammonia plants and have a healthy fear of its effects. BUT... there is some B.S. slinging thru here.
About 2 years ago we had several bad tornados touch down in central NC. One hit my girlfriends' sisters house in Dunn a few miles from my place so we headed straight there. We had to run the last half mile as roads were impassable to cars. A foodlion distribution warehouse was about a halfmile on the other side of her house and took a direct hit. We couldnt see a cloud per se but the smell was so pungent it was tough to breath (especially after all that running, being out of shape) Eye and sinus irritation came soon after. 30 minutes later after the air was better a police car came by telling people to evacuate, but everyone stuck together making sure everyone in the neighborhood was accounted for. I couldnt imagine being in an enclosed area with that mess unprotected.
Now here is a big amonia leak..aka, the death cloud. I think 40,000gallons leaked. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNkdAs1e7Cw Originally Posted by lortech All I can say is wow. I know the stuff is dangerous, but did not know it can lead to life disabling injuries. My question is, do these ammonia alarms respond to ammonia by detecting it in the air? Had she not walks to the back of the rink she would have never been exposed. Shouldn't there be a PA announcement to tell people to move away from the building? http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/l...620/story.html
Now here is a big amonia leak..aka, the death cloud. I think 40,000gallons leaked.
Originally Posted by benny42 Ok, its bad, but have you worked around it or on a system charged with it? I've worked as an Ammonia Technician for 30+ years, to answer your question, yes it's dangerous and very harmful. But with the Experienced Ammonia Techs paired with good PM's on your Refrigeration System, leaks are few and far between (or at least they should be) and when a leak occurs unless the PPM exceeds 25 parts per 8 hour shift (OSHA PEL) your not in tremendous danger. That's not to say that you won't smell it and feel its effects, but your safe to work in it. The IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health) for Ammonia is 300ppm, easy to say that if you walk into a room that's 300ppm without proper PPE, you WONT be walking out.
Originally Posted by zw17 To give those of you that have never experienced pure uncut ammonia an idea of how powerful it is... I sat in a classroom where the teacher put one drop on the table up front and that 25'x50' room was cleared within 30sec. You couldn't breath. For someone like myself who has worked with Ammonia for 30+ years, will you please tell me what "Pure Uncut Ammonia" is?
Originally Posted by benny42 Ok, its bad, but have you worked around it or on a system charged with it? Yes, I have worked in ammonia plants, not on ammonia systems but around it. I have zero desire To be a ammonia tech.
Some of the older ammonia mechanics built up a tolerance for the stuff. When I was gophering for them, I was used as a leak detector as I would come out of the area bawling and snotting, while they wouldn't even smell the stuff. I think they used it as aftershave.
Originally Posted by Phase Loss you develop a tolerance to the small leaks where it's uncomfortable around it, but you can hang in there. so true
One of my customers has an ammonia plant. Their onsight facillities are pretty sharp and keep that monstrosity running. Its all steel and rust. I used to do a lot of process plant work and their ammonoa plants were stainless.
you develop a tolerance to the small leaks where it's uncomfortable around it, but you can hang in there.
Originally Posted by zw17 To give those of you that have never experienced pure uncut ammonia an idea of how powerful it is... I sat in a classroom where the teacher put one drop on the table up front and that 25'x50' room was cleared within 30sec. You couldn't breath. Ok, its bad, but have you worked around it or on a system charged with it?
To give those of you that have never experienced pure uncut ammonia an idea of how powerful it is... I sat in a classroom where the teacher put one drop on the table up front and that 25'x50' room was cleared within 30sec. You couldn't breath.
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