North Carolina State Board of Refrigeration Examiners

The State Board of Refrigeration Examiners recently awarded scholarships to Jared Scott McLamb and John J. Wynn. Mr. McLamb attends Wake Technical Community College and is enrolled in the HVAC/R curriculum. Mr. Wynn is attending Martin County Community in the Commercial Refrigeration curriculum.

Scholarships are available to persons enrolled in or interested in enrolling in an Associate in Applied Science Degree Program of study in HVAC/R technology as well as those interested in enrolling in or enrolled in an Associate in Applied Degree Program of study in Commercial Refrigeration.

Applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify for a scholarship:

1. Be a resident of N.C.;
2. Be enrolled (or intend to enroll) in an Associate in Applied Science Degree of Study in Commercial Refrigeration or HVAC/R Technology;
3. Maintain a grade point average at or above the level required for graduation; and
4. Continue for the duration of the scholarship at the college where he or she was enrolled at the time of the scholarship award.

Two or more scholarships are awarded annually depending on available funds. A copy of the scholarship application may be found here.

The contractors and others in allied trades who visited Refrigeration Up-Date 2008 in Hickory last month stated the show was a success and the credit goes to our speakers and exhibitors. The speakers did an excellent job and left the attendees with a wealth of knowledge concerning mechanical codes, the importance of hoist safety and how it relates to OSHA, leak detection and why compressors fail. Hats off to Inficon, Inc., Coffing Hoists, and Emerson Climate Control for leading educational programs. Special thanks to Janie Sutton with the Department of Insurance and Rebecca Israel, NC Department of Labor, for the parts they played in helping educate our contractors in safety and codes.

The exhibitors outdid themselves and touring the exhibit floor made the trip worthwhile for all who travelled to Hickory. A list of the exhibitors and their products/services may be found
here.

Up-Date 2009 is scheduled for April 2nd in Wilmington, NC. Mark your calendar now to attend.

Workshops have been scheduled at the March 12th Refrigeration Up-Date to cover a wide range of topics.

Janie Sutton with the State Property Plan Review Section of the NC Department of Insurance will cover Chapter 11 of the North Carolina Building Code and associated sections from the N. C. Building Code and Fire Code. She will focus on the major life safety requirements of the codes, such as system, equipment and machinery room requirements.

Jason Stash, Sales Engineer-Service Tools, with Inficon Inc., has a presentation that will encompass leak detection for HVAC & R technicians to include the background on “Why Leak Check?”; the sensing technologies available, the advantages and disadvantages; tips on using electronic leak detectors; and leak detection in the future.

The Importance of Hoist Safety, lever hoist (come-alongs), chains & slings and how they relate in to OSHA will be presented by Rebecca Israel and Tom Bricker. Rebecca is with the NC Department of Labor. In 2007 she joined the Consultative Services Bureau with the NC Star Program where she works with companies to achieve and maintain “Carolina STAR” status. She is considered a crane subject matter expert for the Department of Labor and conducts virtually all training for new Compliance Officers joining OSHA.

Tom Bricker is District Sales Manager for Coffing Hoists and brings a unique and interesting presentation of each facet of hoisting to include: lever, hand chain, electric, wire rope and air hoists, along with their related safety issues.

Does your safety or even your LIFE depend on the hoist or lever hoist you are using? How about that chain or sling you are using to lift, pull or tie the load with? At times …. you bet it DOES! Just how much attention do you pay to that come-along or sling thrown in the back of your service vehicle right now, or even lying around in your house?

Join Rebecca and Tom for this information filled session specifically tailored towards the construction end of the refrigeration industry. Follow it thru with some “hands on” solid information you can actually take back to YOUR facility and use.

This is a two part session which reveals the interaction of the manufacturer (Tom) and OSHA (Rebecca) along with how ANSI standards and OSHA standards both apply. The session will close with a “Mock OSH Inspection” of some hoists, lever hoist, chains and slings and end with an OSH Update from Rebecca regarding “What is New for 2008″ and some changes in PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that you need to know about.

“Why Compressors Fail” presented by Richard D’Aversa of Emerson Cllimate Technology will be combined with a compressor breakdown class. Students will actually tear down a compressor to trouble shoot the compressor problems.

Refrigeration Up-Date 2008 is scheduled for Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at the Park Inn Gateway Conference Center, 909 Highway 70 SW, Hickory, NC. As in the past, there will be no charge for attendees.

Seminars will include leak detectors, system evacuation and system efficiency, an up-date on the NC mechanical code and a hoist safety seminar. Once again this year there will be a wide array of exhibits and the exhibit hall will be open from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Park Inn Gateway Conference Center for the evening of March 11th. Individuals are responsible for making their own room reservations by calling the hotel direct at 1-800-789-0686. Please make reference to the NC State Board of Refrigeration Examiners when making reservations. The cut-off date for reservations is February 19, 2008.

A registration form for the Up-Date may be found here.

2008 applications for license renewal or reinstatement of the Refrigeration Contractor License have been mailed to all licensees. If you did not receive your form, please contact the Board office at 919-779-4711.

Each year the Board sponsors two or more scholarships for students enrolled in either an Associate in Applied Science Degree Program of Study in Commercial Refrigeration Technology or an Associate in Applied Science Degree Program of Study in HVACR Technology.

To be eligible for a scholarship, a candidate must meet the following criteria as well as be enrolled in one of the above programs.

1. Be a resident of North Carolina.
2. Maintain a grade point average at or above the level required for graduation.
3. Continue for the duration of the scholarship at the college where he or she was enrolled at the time of the scholarship award.

A copy of the scholarship application may be found here. Students should submit their completed applications to the Financial Aid Officer at their community college no later than January 1st.

Please advise the Board office should you have any questions.

Beginning June 1st the commercial refrigeration contractors examination has been up-dated to better reflect the testing objectives. The test will be revised as follows:

Part A - Law, Administrative Code and Safety - 15 questions
Part B - Theory, Electrical, Equipment and Equipment Performance - 40 questions
Part C - Electrical and Mechanical Codes - 20 questions
Part D - No Change - Covers Plans, Specifications and Estimating

References for the up-dated examination are:

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology, 5th edition
Modern Refrigeration and air conditioning, 18th edition
National Electrical Code (NEC), 2005 edition
North Carolina State Building Code, Mechanical Code, 2006 edition
General Statute 87, Article 5 (Refrigeration Licensing Law)
NC Administrative Code, Chapter 60

The transport refrigeration contractor examination will break down as follows:

Part A - Law, Administrative Code and Safety - 15 questions
Part B - Theory, Equipment and Equipment Performance - 35 questions
Part C - Transport Specific Questions - 25 questions

References for the revised transport refrigeration contractor examination are:

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology, 5th edition
Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, 18th edition
Carrier Transicold Service Training, “05G Compressor and Housing - Mounted Clutch”
Carrier Transicold Trailer Refrigeration Unit, “Phoenix Ultra NDA-94A, NDM-94A and Optima NDA-94B”
Carrier Transicold Basic Refrigeration
General Statute 87, Article 5 (Refrigeration Licensing Law)
NC Administrative Code, Chapter 60

The passing grade for each part remains 70%.

Shown above is Board Member Tim Welch with one of the many door prize winners.

The recent Refrigeration Up-Date 2007 was deemed a success by those attending and the accolades go to our speakers and exhibitors. The speakers did an excellent job and left the attendees with a wealth of new knowledge. The attendees left Clemmons knowing that the day had been well worth their while. Hats off to DuPont, Heatcraft, Sporlan and Professional Consulting, LLC. for a job extremely well done.

The exhibitors topped themselves and touring the exhibit floor made the trip worthwhile for all who travelled to Clemmons. A list of the exhibitors and their products/services may be found
here.

Board Chairman Jerry King presented outgoing Board member Fred Stahl, Ref-Tec, with a plaque for Outstanding Service to the Board during the recent Up-Date in Clemmons, NC. Mr. Stahl was instrumental in developing the Board’s current website including on-line testing for Type I EPA certification. His experience and expertise was of great benefit to the Board and his dedication and hard work will always be appreciated.

Dan Meador will brief attendees on the new Heatcraft Smart Defrost Kit from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon during Refrigeration Up-Date 2007 scheduled for April 4th at the Village Inn Golf and Conference Center in Clemmons, NC. He will be joining speakers from Sporlan, DuPont and Professional Consulting LLC. This is a must attend for all contractors. A registration form for the conference may be found here. Attendees will also have the opportunity to browse the exhibt area and learn about products and/or services they might not have otherwise known about.