Ammonia Recovery and Disposal?

What is the proper way to recover and dispose of ammonia?

Here's the situation, normally (99% of the time) cooling appliances, in this particular situation, refrigerators, contain freon as the refrigerant.



We have all the certs and equipment to do freon recovery, but here's the problem...

We got a lead on a job for hundreds of small refrigerators, ALL of them are cooled with ammonia, not freon. In particular the ammonia type is r717

Now I know there's no 'regulations' as far as ammonia, it's not hazardous to the environment so they say (unless you decide to dilute the ground or a water supply with high concentrations of it of course)... It's definitely hazardous to people though if directly exposed for extended periods of time or if inhaled etc, but the point is there's no way in hell we're going snip all these things, that's not our style. Even if there was just one unit I wouldn't snip it.

Does anybody know how to properly recover and dispose of the ammonia from all these units? They had mentioned it's a 'foaming' agent of some sort, maybe a certain type of ammonia (didn't know there were different kinds), but apparently it turns from foam to liquid and back somehow...

I would assume I can't just buy some new cylinders and hook the freon machine to them, the recovery machines aren't made for 'ammonia' or 'foaming agents' that I'm aware of, I'd hate to destroy the machine trying to do it. But again I don't know, maybe you can, I'm hoping someone on here knows the answer to this dillema.

I think an incoming ammonia pipeline was what set off the final explosion at the fertilizer plant in Texas last week

Like Freon Said bubble it through some water and dump it on some plants, Ammonia IS NOT good for plants but there is bacteria that convert it into nitrates which ARE good so if you dump it directly on plants don't overdue it. The best bet would be to cycle the water through another bucket full of pool screen this creates a ton of surface area which will be completely colonized with bacteria and convert the nitrates if left out to the open air within about 3 weeks.

This is how aquaponic growers are able to grow tilapia and other fish and then cycle that water through a Bio-filter or through a gravel grow bed and grow plants with NOTHING other than fish waste. If an operation isn't in your town or city your not looking hard enough someone is doing it, and more and more people are catching on everyday.

Yellowjackets line piercing tool will only work on copper lines but not on steel lines so I made a saddle, nipple welded on, attached ball valve and a fitting for a hose. I open the valve, put a drill through it and tap the line. I withdraw the bit enough to close the gate valve. I lose some ammonia but I am wearing a full face cover and and gas mask. I did 40 or fridges and then had one flare on me... 8 feet straight out; lasted only a second. That got my attention. I did a couple more and then when I tapped a small fridge and the ammonia came out, it exploded. No harm done but it buts this procedure on hold. Comments or input please.

Since there's no moving parts to wear out in those Ammonia fridges. Is there a potential to recycle them for use somehow?

Third world country's?
I have always wondered if its possible to just build a little fire under the hot end and that would start the cycle off and would give you a cold fridge for a day for the price of a handful of twigs and leaves, or a chunk of dried dung.....
Back country huts?

I have used a home version of one and have put a couple of units aside for experiments one day.
And once I found a pierced unit amongst scrap metal whitewear, wondered what the dayglo green liquid was and once I got close enough to get a wiff of the gas I KNEW!
Its like inhaling a liquid, well actually you stop inhaling as soon as the brain realises what's hit the lungs....

Alloy2, check out this link. Have a close look and see what it caused damage too and try and figure out exactly what caused it to happen in the first place. I think only somebody with a bit of insight could work it out from the pictures.

Morris missile: Anhydrous ammonia nurse tank explosion - Boilers - Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

Originally Posted by eesakiwi

Since there's no moving parts to wear out in those Ammonia fridges. Is there a potential to recycle them for use somehow?

Third world country's?
I have always wondered if its possible to just build a little fire under the hot end and that would start the cycle off and would give you a cold fridge for a day for the price of a handful of twigs and leaves, or a chunk of dried dung.....
Back country huts?

I have used a home version of one and have put a couple of units aside for experiments one day.
And once I found a pierced unit amongst scrap metal whitewear, wondered what the dayglo green liquid was and once I got close enough to get a wiff of the gas I KNEW!
Its like inhaling a liquid, well actually you stop inhaling as soon as the brain realises what's hit the lungs....

Alloy2, check out this link. Have a close look and see what it caused damage too and try and figure out exactly what caused it to happen in the first place. I think only somebody with a bit of insight could work it out from the pictures.

Morris missile: Anhydrous ammonia nurse tank explosion - Boilers - Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

Anhydrous means water removed,

I'm thinking during the last farming season this particular tank was used someone had left some valves open and water entered the vessel over the winter months. Once the tank was refilled a reaction began building up pressure inside well beyond the tanks ability to contain that pressure which caused the tank to explode.

Ammonia is an oxidizer that reacts with a number of metals, this is why you'll never see copper or aluminum used in the manufacture of an RV refrigeration circuit that comes into direct contact with ammonia.

Originally Posted by saleric

Yellowjackets line piercing tool will only work on copper lines but not on steel lines so I made a saddle, nipple welded on, attached ball valve and a fitting for a hose. I open the valve, put a drill through it and tap the line. I withdraw the bit enough to close the gate valve. I lose some ammonia but I am wearing a full face cover and and gas mask. I did 40 or fridges and then had one flare on me... 8 feet straight out; lasted only a second. That got my attention. I did a couple more and then when I tapped a small fridge and the ammonia came out, it exploded. No harm done but it buts this procedure on hold. Comments or input please.

Your ball valve made from brass, when you drilled through probably made some brass filings which reacted with the ammonia.

Steel fittings only used with ammonia.

Nice article here on absorption refrigeration, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator




1. Hydrogen enters the pipe with liquid ammonia

2. Ammonia and hydrogen enter the inner compartment of the refrigerator. An increase in volume causes a decrease in the partial pressure of the liquid ammonia. The ammonia evaporates, taking heat from the liquid ammonia (ΔH_Vap) and thus lowering its temperature. Heat flows from the hotter interior of the refrigerator to the colder liquid, promoting further evaporation.

3. Ammonia and hydrogen return from the inner compartment, ammonia returns to absorber and dissolves in water. Hydrogen is free to rise upwards.

4. Ammonia gas condensation (passive cooling).

5. Hot ammonia (gas).

6. Heat insulation and distillation of ammonia gas from water.

7. Heat source (electric).

8. Absorber vessel (water and ammonia solution).

Originally Posted by alloy2

Anhydrous means water removed,

I'm thinking during the last farming season this particular tank was used someone had left some valves open and water entered the vessel over the winter months. Once the tank was refilled a reaction began building up pressure inside well beyond the tanks ability to contain that pressure which caused the tank to explode.

Ammonia is an oxidizer that reacts with a number of metals, this is why you'll never see copper or aluminum used in the manufacture of an RV refrigeration circuit that comes into direct contact with ammonia.

I noticed the gouge inside the tank, its near where the cracked edge of the loose bit of tank end is.
I figured that when the tank was made, the welder accidently dropped the handpiece with a rod, possibly a 'GO' gouging rod or a cellulose electrode in it, or it fell off something while the welder was away from the job.
It arced and kept arcing as it moved, gouging a gouge out of the tank end.
This has caused a inside stress close to where the outside weld for the lifting lugs are, closish to the end cap welds.

I had not figured into the equation that there could be water involved as well.
At this point after refilling and maybe day/night temp differences, it decided to blow....

But did you see that tractor? The tanks hit it and broke it in half! I'm glad there was nobody near it when it happened though.

I talked with a tech who had successfully drained these units.
He said that he turns the unit upside down and lets the fluids settle and separate from the gases.
He said that he would then open the valve through which they initially charged the unit.
He cracks it just enough to allow the hydrogen to slowly leak out. The pressure in these units in normally about 350 psi.

If he can’t get the valve open, he uses a hacksaw to cut a small hole into one of the lines, again to slowly bleed off the hydrogen and ammonia.

I came up with a third method that Steve thought would work as well... I camp a saddle onto one of the pipes. The saddle has a nipple welded to it. To this I tighten a 3/8” tee. I put a compression fitting with and “O” ring on next. Through this I pass a drill bit which is fasten to a pneumatic drill. A line goes on the other end of the “T” and into a pail of water. As soon as the drill breaks through the steel line, gases escapes and goes out the “T” with the line on it and into the water.
Using a pneumatic drill rather than a portable drill as I was doing, removes the source of spark.

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I am trying to find a way to safely remove the gasses from ammonia fridges as part of a larger contract to reclaim coolant from 100's on fridges and freezers. I will try to leave the fluids alone.