What do a smart compressor, an indoor/outdoor undercounter refrigerator, and a reach-in refrigerator case have in common? All three are winners in The NEWS’ ninth annual Dealer Design Awards’ Refrigeration & Ice Machines category.

The Centinel™ Intelligent Defrost Control is an option with each of the company’s system arrangements. It is an electronically operated evaporator controller designed to save energy throughout the refrigeration cycle, help protect the equipment, and help protect the system owner’s valuable product.

Frost or ice buildup is a normal part of any freezer operation, and is removed by using heated defrost cycles at timed intervals. During normal operation, the amount of this buildup should not get to the point that problems will occur. However, in some abnormal circumstances, it can lead to problems.

Now that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the use of three hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants in some smaller appliance applications, advocates of HCs are continuing to promote use in larger equipment, with commercial ice machines as well as reach-in/walk-in freezers and coolers possibly next in line.

The most recent Food Marketing Institute Expo in Dallas and National Restaurant Association Restaurant-Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago brought out the very latest in ice-making equipment, storage bins, and walk-in freezers and coolers as well as reach-in versions. This roundup of the latest in equipment is culled from both shows.

The conversation on ways to make ammonia work in a wider range of refrigeration applications is drawing increasing attention these days. At the most recent International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) conference in Milwaukee, technical presentations covered its uses in supermarkets, with heat pumps, in absorption refrigeration, and in conjunction with CO2.

Whether we like it or not, R-22 is going away, and technicians need to look at their best options and solutions to work with the phaseout. One option available to all competent service technicians is to recover and recycle refrigerant.

The most important thing for me is to go to the trade shows where refrigeration is emphasized. The most recent examples were the Food Marketing Institute’s Food Retail Show in Dallas this past May, and then the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show a few days later in Chicago.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named Scotsman Ice Systems as a 2012 Energy Star Partner of the Year – Product Manufacturer for its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by manufacturing energy-efficient products and helping to educate consumers about those products.

A complete line of Steel Isolation Valves (SIV) has been designed to provide flexibility and performance when used in any refrigeration system. The SIV products feature a unique design with a flexible three-port configuration that allows easy access to any service port, no matter where the valve may be mounted in the system.