Jul 26
3 min

Ice Machines and Heat Waves

As we experience a sweltering, record-breaking Texas July packed full of heat waves, ice may be fresh on the mind. Not only is it cold, refreshing salvation from the boiling heat outside, but you may also be worried about how these rolling heat waves could be affecting your machines and your customers. Temperatures are firing up outside, adding even more heat to an already smoky and bustling restaurant kitchen. Our A/Cs and ice machines are working overtime to keep up, but th

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jasonetimmins

Jul 23
3 min

Sanitize That Ice

Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize–a word that has pinballed around in our heads for years. Of course, sanitation has always been important, but this word has taken on a new meaning in recent years. Everything needs to be clean, especially anything that will be entering our bodies. In the restaurant industry, we have hi-tech sanitation systems for everything; utensils, cups, and plates are continuously blasted with meticulously balanced solutions inside man-made hurricane chambers

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Travis

Jul 22
3 min

College Vs the Trades

There has been a big push over the last few years by Mike Rowe to consider the trades as a career. Yes, that guy from Dirty Jobs, who has a college degree in communications has been singing the praises of the trades over college for years. Why? The trades typically are a place where one gets paid to learn. A beginner in a trade might start out with a mindless job requiring no skill but can advance as they learn and are able to perform more complicated tasks. As they advan

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Self Contained Refrigeration Equipment or Split Refrigeration Equipment?

Travis

Jun 24
3 min

Self Contained Refrigeration Equipment or Split Refrigeration Equipment?

When it comes to refrigeration for your walk-in there are two major formats: Self contained and split systems. They each have pros and cons behind choosing one over the other and they both keep a walk-in box cold so why does it matter? As long as it’s cold should it matter? Let’s explore the differences between the two so you can make an informed decision. To start with, what is a self contained refrigeration system? A self contained system is common on smaller walk-ins wh

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What does it mean when technicians say I have a pitted evaporator on my ice machine?

Travis

Jun 17
4 min

What does it mean when technicians say I have a pitted evaporator on my ice machine?

What is Ice machine evaporator pitting? When I first learned about this, I was in shock. The tiniest nick on your ice machine evaporator can start causing harvest issues. That nick in the plating is called pitting. What makes it worse is that there are tiny silver colored metal flecks falling into your ice when your evaporator is pitted. Almost all cube ice machines from pretty much every manufacturer have the potential to have a pitted evaporator but it’s not something t

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jasonetimmins

Jun 13
3 min

Vacuum That Refrigeration System!

Vacuums and refrigeration–sound like an overlap you’ve ever heard of? If this is your first brush with the vacuum-refrigeration crossover, we’ve got all the information you need here. Vacuuming–also referred to as evacuating–is an essential point of maintenance for any refrigeration system. Simply put, the process’ goal is to remove unwanted moisture from the refrigeration system in order to not only lengthen the life of your machine but also lengthen the life of the things y

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Travis

Jun 9
3 min

Where Are All The Ice Machines?

Why Does it Take so Long to Get an Ice Machine Right Now? COVID has changed the world and pretty much only in negative ways. The refrigeration business is no exception. Refrigeration equipment used to be plentiful and readily available. Manufacturer’s kept up with demand and typical wait times were very reasonable. That is not the case anymore. The question is: Is the reason behind it because of reduced production or increased demand? I have had a difficult time determin

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Our Top 5 Favorite Under Counter Ice Machines

Travis

Jun 3
4 min

Our Top 5 Favorite Under Counter Ice Machines

Our Top 5 Favorite Under Counter Ice Machines We are often asked for our opinion on what the best equipment is from walk-in coolers to ice machines. After years of working on all kinds of equipment we are uniquely qualified to answer that question about any equipment that gets cold. Today we’ll talk about under counter ice machines and our favorites. Ice machines are unique because they take a lot more punishment than most refrigeration equipment. An ice machine constantl

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Retrofitting a 1980s Coin Op 7-UP vending machine

Travis

May 5
4 min

Retrofitting a 1980s Coin Op 7-UP vending machine

Retrofitting a 1980s Coin Op 7-UP vending machine in Austin, Texas The 80s were a long time ago. Some people born in the 80s are now over 40 and that is kind of hard to believe. More shocking than that are the machines that have survived from the 80s. We recently were called out to fix a 7-UP vending machine in Round Rock, TX made sometime in the mid 80s and found it had a leaking cap tube. The company who made the machine was long gone and this machine used an obsolete r

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jasonetimmins

Apr 19
3 min

Your Evaporators are Bent--Now What?

So, you’ve cracked open your ice maker only to discover that your evaporators are bent and bowed, which is, unfortunately, not a great diagnosis. Is there any coming back from this, and how can we prevent this from happening in the future? First, let's go over the why?. No matter what the core reason as to why your evaporators are bowed out, the reason for the physical bending of the evaporators is always the same: brute force from ice buildup. In these cases, ice is continuo

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Walk-in repair in Lubbock? 10 common reasons why your walk-in isn't working. Part 5.

Travis

Apr 19
6 min

Walk-in repair in Lubbock? 10 common reasons why your walk-in isn't working. Part 5.

Oh no! Your walk-in is warm again, isn’t it? Man! Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. In Texas’ unrelenting summer heat a warm walk-in is never good news. Well we’re going to go over ten eleven things to check on your walk-in that could be the problem. Hint, 80% of the time it is not low on refrigerant. The information below is for educational purposes. If you attempt any diagnosis on your own based upon what is written here, you are responsible for your actions bu

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Just how dirty are your ice machines, Austin, Texas?

Travis

Apr 18
7 min

Just how dirty are your ice machines, Austin, Texas?

Austin area ice machine owners! Do you know how dirty your ice machine is? The first time I cleaned an ice machine there was a solar eclipse. It was August 21, 2017. While I was exploring the horrible innards of the ice machine and scrubbing away mold and scale that choked the machine, people were outside marveling at the eclipse. I took a break and marveled at it as well and took it as a sign. The universe wanted me to be sure that everyone knew just how dirty ice machi

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Danny Klos

Apr 16
3 min

Two Big Cs: Cap Tubes and Compressors!

Let’s talk caps and comps; capillary tubes and compressors, that is. In the refrigeration world, cap(illary) tubes and compressors are some things we see quite a lot. Capillary tubes are used to control the flow of refrigerant and maintain a steady temperature inside a fridge or freezer. The compressor, on the other hand, converts low-pressure gas into high-pressure gas through–you guessed it–compression! These two devices work in harmony as a simple system that keeps your fr

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Walk-in repair in Lubbock? 10 common reasons why your walk-in isn't working. Part 4.

Travis

Apr 12
5 min

Walk-in repair in Lubbock? 10 common reasons why your walk-in isn't working. Part 4.

Oh no! Your walk-in is warm again, isn’t it? That is the worst! Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. In Texas’ unrelenting summer heat a warm walk-in is never good news. Well we’re going to go over ten things to check on your walk-in that could be the problem. Hint, 80% of the time it is not low on refrigerant. The information below is for educational purposes. If you attempt any diagnosis on your own based upon what is written here, you are responsible for your ac

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Walk-in repair in Lubbock? 10 common reasons why your walk-in isn't working. Part 3.

Travis

Apr 7
5 min

Walk-in repair in Lubbock? 10 common reasons why your walk-in isn't working. Part 3.

Uh oh. Your walk-in is still warm isn’t it? Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. In Texas’ unrelenting summer heat a warm walk-in is never good news. Well we’re going to go over ten things to check on your walk-in that could be the problem. Hint, 80% of the time it is not low on refrigerant. The information below is for educational purposes. If you attempt any diagnosis on your own based upon what is written here, you are responsible for your actions but you know th

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What Size Walk-in Cooler or Freezer is Right For My Business?

Danny Klos

Apr 2
3 min

What Size Walk-in Cooler or Freezer is Right For My Business?

Walk-in freezers and coolers are absolute necessities for any foodservice business, meant to be able to store large amounts of food for long periods of time. Of course, as the name suggests, the difference between a regular reach-in cooler or freezer is that–you guessed it–you can walk right in and take a look around! If you have ended up here, chances are you’re on the hunt for the best walk-in unit for your restaurant, hotel, or even your own home. With something as univers

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Walk-in repair in Lubbock? 10 common reasons why your walk-in isn't working. Part 2.

Travis

Mar 29
5 min

Walk-in repair in Lubbock? 10 common reasons why your walk-in isn't working. Part 2.

Uh oh. Your walk-in is warm again isn’t it? Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. In Texas’ unrelenting summer heat a warm walk-in is never good news. Well we’re going to go over ten things to check on your walk-in that could be the problem. Hint, 80% of the time it is not low on refrigerant. The information below is for educational purposes. If you attempt any diagnosis on your own based upon what is written here, you are responsible for your actions but you know th

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Walk-in repair in Lubbock? 10 common reasons why your walk-in isn't working. Part 1.

Travis

Mar 25
4 min

Walk-in repair in Lubbock? 10 common reasons why your walk-in isn't working. Part 1.

Uh oh. Your walk-in is warm again, isn’t it? Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. In Texas’ unrelenting summer heat, a warm walk-in is never good news. Well we’re going to go over ten things to check on your walk-in that could be the problem. Hint, 80% of the time it is not low on refrigerant. The information below is for educational purposes. If you attempt any diagnosis on your own based upon what is written here, you are responsible for your actions but you know

3 views0 comments

Danny Klos

Mar 22
3 min

How Cold Can My Beer Really Be?

It is officially spring! We all know what that means: scorching temperatures and unrelenting rays of solar heat are approaching us Texans. Now is the time to start conjuring up ideas to beat the heat, and we’ve got the perfect one to get you started. What’s better than the sound of a beer being cracked open in the middle of a hot day? Nothing is more satisfying than an ice-cold cerveza during a Texas summer day, but it begs the question, how cold can “ice-cold” really be? Now

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Need a new walk-in cooler in Austin? Here's what to expect. Part 4.

Travis

Mar 18
4 min

Need a new walk-in cooler in Austin? Here's what to expect. Part 4.

Part 4: Refrigeration Equipment Installation The last couple of weeks we have gone over what needs to be considered in the planning process of buying and installing a new walk-in cooler or freezer. We try our best to make it as easy as possible. It is a custom made-to-order box for your specific needs so we try to be clear and concise throughout the process. Now that the pre-planning has happened and the box has been built it is time to install the equipment that makes it

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Tri-Point Refrigeration Blog

Tri-Point Refrigeration Blog

The world wide education guide to all things commercial refrigeration, ice machines, walk ins, reach ins, and air conditioning.

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