Ammonia Piping Installation On Wall
Question: I’ve heard that the ammonia pipe labeling requirements have changed. Is that true?Answer: Yes and No. It is true that IIAR updated Bulletin No. 114 Identification of Ammonia Refrigeration Piping and System Components in March 2014. The update includes a fundamental change that we will address in this blog. Before doing that, however, it is important that we unpack the phrase ammonia pipe labeling requirements. In order to determine if the requirements have changed, we must first be clear as to what is (or was) required. There are two (2) important standards that we must unpack to correctly answer this question.
ASME A13.1-2007 Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems. ANSI/IIAR 2-2008 Addendum B Equipment, Design, and Installation of Closed-Circuit Ammonia Mechanical Refrigerating SystemsASME A13.1-2007ASME A13.1 is a little-known consensus standard that applies to all industries (not-specifically ammonia). As such, there are no specific references to ammonia, refrigeration, etc.
Within ASME A13.1. Here are a few highlights worth knowing:. The purpose of ASME A13.1 is to “ establish a common system to assist in identification of hazardous materials conveyed in piping systems and their hazards when released in the environment.”. A legend for pipe identification is required. “Positive identification of the contents of a piping system shall be by lettered legend, giving the name of the contents in full or abbreviated form (see Table 1). Arrows shall be used to indicate direction of flow.
Where flow can be in both directions, arrows in both directions shall be displayed. Contents shall be identified by a legend with sufficient additional details such as temperature, pressure, etc., as are necessary to identify the hazard.”. Pipes must be marked by colors to assist in distinguishing them from each other. “Pipe color should be used to identify the characteristic hazards of the contents.” The recommended colors in ASME A13.1 are:.
Since ammonia would be classified with the Toxic and corrosive fluids the appropriate pipe/label color would be ORANGE.ANSI/IIAR 2-2008 Addendum BIIAR 2 is a design and installation standard which is written specifically for the industrial ammonia refrigeration industry. ANSI/IIAR 2-2008 Addendum B §10.5 requires that “all piping mains, headers and branches shall be identified as to the physical state of the refrigerant (that is, vapor, liquid, etc.), the relative pressure level of the refrigerant, and the direction of flow. The identification system used shall either be one established as a standard by a recognized code or standards body or one described and documented by the facility owner.”Attempting to dove-tail the requirements of ASME A13.1 and ANSI/IIAR 2-2008 Addendum B, one would conclude that the recommended ammonia pipe label would include the following characteristics:. Be ORANGE in color. Control in an age of empowerment pdf free. Indicate the physical state of the ammonia. Indicate the relative pressure of ammonia.
Hansen's Ammonia Pipe Sizing Chart
Ammonia Piping Code
Include a flow direction arrowSo that is what everyone has been doing, right? Not exactly.As it turns out, IIAR Bulletin No. 114 has been the primary reference source for selecting ammonia pipe labels even though by the very fact that it is a Bulletin (not a Standard) its content should have been viewed as Informative and not Normative. However, since the 1991 edition of IIAR Bulletin No. 114 was written, nearly all of the ammonia refrigeration industry has followed Bulletin No.
114 and ignored (or been unaware of) ASME A13.1. The recommended ammonia pipe label in IIAR Bulletin No. 114 (1991 Edition) was YELLOWin color as illustrated below:In order to more closely align with ASME A13.1, in March 2014 IIAR revised Bulletin 114, to swap the use of ORANGEand YELLOW in the recommended pipe label.Now returning to the original question asked, the requirements have not changed, but a significant Guidance Document(IIAR Bulletin No. 114) has.So does this mean that you have to replace all of your YELLOWammonia pipe labels now that you are aware of this? Section 1 of ASME A13.1 clearly states that “ Existing schemes for identification shall be considered as meeting the requirements of this Standard if: (a) such schemes are described in writing; (b) employees are trained as to the operation and hazards of the piping system”. According to IIAR Bulletin No.
Ammonia Piping Color Requirements
114 §5.0:“Piping markers shall be located as follows:a. Before and after a change in piping direction; when piping terminates at equipment and is within 24” of a marker or when piping changes direction more than once and is within 24” of a marker, it is not necessary to place an additional marker between the directional changing elbows or the termination point at equipment.b. Before and after piping penetrations of walls, ceilings and floors,c. On extended horizontal or vertical runs of pipe, with a maximum spacing of 40 feet between markers, in order to provide positive identification, andd. At least once on the piping in every area through which the refrigeration pipingpasses.”.