SodaStream Tips and Tricks

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SodaStream home soda makers are gaining popularity all the time. Here I address some of the most common questions and issues that arise when using a SodaStream for the first time.

Cold water holds gas better than warm water, which is why SodaStream recommends always using cold, refrigerated water when carbonating. The problem is that different refrigerators are different temperatures. So one person may be using water that is 36 degrees while another is using water that is 45 degrees. You will run into troubles carbonating water that is under 40 degrees. The water and CO2 will freeze at the tip causing a blockage that will prevent your water from carbonating. Those who keep their refrigerators extra cold will want to use some room temperature water mixed in with the cold water. You are ideally looking for somewhere between 41 and 45 degrees. Not sure if this is a problem for you? Look at the tip of the SodaStream (the part that goes into the bottle) immediately after using it. You will see very small bits of white ice in this area if the temperature of your water was too low.

The biggest complaint I hear is regarding the carbonation of juices. Many people don’t realize that you can only carbonate plain water with any home soda maker. The flavorings are added after carbonation. This means you can’t take pure fruit juices and carbonate them. Instead you must mix the carbonated water with the juice. This makes for a watered down juice that is not all that fizzy. It is hardly the tasty, healthy alternative to soda you want. Luckily, there is a very simple solution. Buy frozen juice concentrates at your local supermarket. Mix them with the carbonated water. This way, you are not diluting the juice flavor or the carbonation.

There is another option to get fruity flavors other than those offered by SodaStream. Flavored syrups, intended for pancakes or waffles, make a great flavor addition.

Many people want tonic water or club soda rather than plain sparkling water, especially when making alcoholic drinks. You can make club soda by simply adding pinch of salt to your carbonated water. Tonic water is a bit more complicated. It traditionally has quinine as well as a sweetener. Quinine is a bitter compound which is used to treat malaria. Most people don’t stock their pantry with this item. You can add a splash of bitters to the carbonated water to replace the quinine. Three tablespoons of agave syrup per liter mixes well and will give you the slight sweetness found in tonic water.

My next tip is for the small percentage of people who only drink one or two fizzy drinks per week. Soda flavors can easily be mixed in a glass rather than the bottle. This way, if the left-over water in the bottle goes flat, you can recharge it before mixing up your next glass.

I hope these tips and tricks help you get the most out of your SodaStream!

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Source by Heather Krasovec

Roll Ice Cream Machine: Facts You Need to Know

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Ice cream is one of the traditional treats during warm-weather. When we talk about it we feel it as an icy mixture of cream, milk, sugar, and flavorings.

Making ice cream is generally laborious and slow process, with several issues about protecting from bacteria and having the custard right. With this method, the ingredient becomes smooth mellifluous and can be prepared in really easy without gums, stabilizers, and emulsifiers.

Generally, we know about common ice cream, but the roll ice cream is entirely a different item. It is an amazing Thai frozen dessert. This is also well-known as Thai fried ice cream. The Thai ice cream is commonly a hand-made food made with delicious milk poured, mixed with various ingredients fruits, eggs, and deserts on the ice pan.

The ice cream rolls are made by properly pouring a base of sugary milk on a very cold steel surface. Metal scrapers are then exerted to chop ice cream toppings in the base and suitably scrape it around to make air. When the base is solid and frozen, it is spread very finely and crawled at a specific angle to make the stunning ice rolls. The cream rolls are then carefully kept in a suitable cup. Finally, it is topped with ingredients like chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and fresh fruits.

Different cookies, candy, eggs, and even pizza can be added to the rolls to make them more delicious. Additionally, these can be topped with coconut, hot fudge, gummy bears, and toasted marshmallow for a different taste.

Roll Ice Cream Machines

Roll Ice Cream Machines let you make the food effortlessly while enjoying the natural taste of ingredients. These machines allow you to prepare customized cream mixed and chopped with fresh healthy ingredients.

If you are planning to set up a 2017 double pan roll machine for your business, you can get lots of advantages. According to your customer’s choice, you can make items less than 2 minutes. A frozen pan of the machine at -30°C helps to make deliciously frozen rolls instantly. You can feel that it’s not just a nice food – it’s very much entertaining and satisfying too.

Ice cream roll machines can be varied in number of pans or plates, designs, sizes, control panels, defrost functions, storage, power, voltage, and refrigerating fluid.

Users can buy an ice roll machine for their home usage, or business purposes. The reason may be anything, but you must invest in that machine which will serve you most.

Day by day, everything is upgrading and this machine is also the same. The double pans machine is getting much popularity due to its efficiency. For fastidious people, along with size, the design is very important. A suitable size machine with quality design can make a change in your business.

Before selecting the machine, make sure that your provider is a popular brand. Many manufacturers are providing Thai fried ice cream machines specifically, and some others are providing machines along with late printer, and coffee printer machines.

Before buying, a common thing should be considered is the quality. There are different manufacturers providing various roll machines as the restaurant supplies. Not all the machines are made of same quality materials. Many of them even don’t use food grade materials and therefore, the prepared foods are not healthy and tasty enough. The popular brands use food grade materials for their frozen pans.

For some conveniences at an affordable rate, you will surely want a machine that is user-friendly and comes with many auto controlling options. Your machine should be automatic to control power, voltage, temperature and refrigerating fluids.

Some Common Features of Thai Roll Machine

  • The best quality roll ice cream machines are made of top-notch quality food grade stainless steel materials.
  • They are built in quality thermal insulation organism.
  • User-friendly operating system – easy to handle. The advanced fried machines can make fried ice instantly.
  • It offers long service life and outstanding performance with imported brand compressors.
  • The machine implements the top quality copper that lasts longer.
  • The efficient fan keeps the compressor cool when need and ultimately, protect the compressor.
  • Each good machine has a fast cooling speed that can make ice less than 60 seconds.
  • It enhances the taste; maintain rich nutrition and refreshing flavor.
  • Different buttons of the machine have different colors that help to operate the machine accurately.
  • Users can make various types of ice cream including soft or hard, ice mud, smoothies, snow ice, slush, ice porridge, fruit ice, etc.

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Source by Neamul Nahid

Three Types of HVAC Condensers

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A condenser is a device that is used to liquefy gas by cooling it. In HVAC equipment, hot discharge gas (refrigerant vapor) from the compressor enters the condenser coils at the top and is condensed, drains out of the condenser to a receiver located near the bottom. The condenser coil is located along with the compressor and controlling devices in the condensing unit. In a remote or split system air conditioning installation, the condensing unit is located outdoors. Condensers are available in a variety of sizes and designs that include plain tube, finned tube and plate type, series-pass and parallel pass units.

Condensers are classified by their cooling method. The three main types are broken down to:

  1. Air-cooled condensers
  2. Combined air and water-cooled condensers
  3. Water-cooled condensers

Air-Cooled Condensers

An air-cooled condenser consists of a coil of ample surface that air is blown by a fan or induced by natural draft. This type of condenser is universally used in small capacity refrigerating units. Mostly designed for residential or small office air conditioners.

Air-chilled condensers should be kept from free from dirt, lint and other foreign materials because they tend to reduce the airflow around the tubes and fins if they are allowed to accumulate just like evaporators.

Combined Air- and Water-cooled Condensers

This type of condenser is also know as an evaporative condenser and consists of a coil cooled by water sprayed from above and then cold air enters from the bottom and is blown across the coils. As water evaporates from the coil it creates a cooling effect that condenses the refrigerant within the coil. The refrigerant gas in the coil is hot which changed to the liquid state by combining the sprayed water and the large column of moving air supplied by the fan. The water that does not evaporate is recirculated by means of a pump.

Water-Cooled Condensers

A water-cooled condenser is similar to a steam surface condenser in that cooling is accomplished by water alone that circulates through tubes or coils enclosed in a shell. IN a water-cooled condenser the refrigerant circulates through the annular space between the tubes or coils. Because of its construction, a water-cooled condenser is also referred to as a double-pipe condenser.

Because an evaporative condenser is not wasteful of water, large compressor installations are possible in areas where water is scarce. Tests have shown that the amount of water required will not exceed the.03 gpm per ton of refrigeration. This is one of the eco-friendly reasons to use this type of condenser. Evaporative condensers also eliminate water water disposal problems and provide the most economical means of cooling refrigerant gases of standard air conditioners.

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Source by John Stackson

Can You Eat Chicken Eggs Directly From the Coop?

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Can you eat chicken eggs directly from the coop? Absolutely. Fresh eggs from backyard chicken flocks are typically more nutrient-dense and disease-free than the eggs from factory farms sold in most grocery stores today. In fact, fresh eggs from backyard chicken flocks may even be eaten raw or used when still warm from the hen.

To eat your chicken eggs directly from the coop:

  • Make sure your hens are healthy and disease-free; luckily, this is typical with backyard flocks. Chickens with salmonella are notoriously sickly in appearance and generally found only in large factory-farm operations.
  • Wash eggs before using but not necessarily before refrigerating or storing, as washing eggs removes a protective film that keeps the egg fresher for longer.
  • Provide your hens with a clean area for nesting. Spread fresh straw or cedar chips in their nest boxes weekly to keep the eggs clean after they are laid.
  • Collect eggs daily and store them in a cool place.
  • Refrigerate eggs after washing.

The next time someone asks you if you can eat chicken eggs directly from the coop, you’ll know what to say: Yes, of course. Ironically, chicken eggs from small backyard flocks are not only higher in nutrients and far less likely to have any type of disease, they also have better ratios of good cholesterol.

Eating fresh farm eggs is good for your health — and cooking them so the yolk is still runny (or adding them fresh and whole to yogurt smoothies) is the best way to assimilate their nutritive benefits. Raw eggs are not a health hazard if they are fresh and the shells have been washed (use water mixed with vinegar) and dried prior to use, just as a precaution.

Eggs from free-range chickens are also tastier than those from caged hens. The flavor is buttery and good, really not even comparable to store-bought eggs. Backyard hens who have access to grass and bugs in the yard produce eggs with yolks that are a darker, brighter color, nearly orange, compared to the pale yellow of confined birds. These differences are readily apparent to families that have both purchased conventional eggs and raised their own hens.

Once comfortable with the health of your chicken flock, try adding raw egg yolks to smoothies and health shakes for added nutrition. The incredible nutritive benefits from egg yolks are best assimilated raw or close to raw. In addition to raw in yogurt smoothies, try eggs fried in coconut oil, over easy or sunny-side-up and then eaten plain or over toast. This is almost like eating eggs directly from the coop — delicious, and good for your health.

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Source by Maria T. Miller

Save Your Money With Effective Air Conditioning Service Tips

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In a 2011 study, The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) found that about 89% of homeowners experience heating, air conditioning and ventilation problems annually.

In another study of over 3,460 homes, the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) found that 60% of HVAC problems are caused by ineffective air conditioning services. In addition, the U.S EPA reports that these systems constitute around 46% of your home’s energy consumption.

Leveraging Effective HVAC Services

While these studies had different objectives, it was a proven cause and effect that regular costly breakdowns in your HVAC system are caused by poor servicing. What’s more, these ineffective services lead to higher energy consumption.

Air Conditioning Money Saving Tips

In these economic times, every opportunity to save a buck is a valuable. It is imperative to find ways to save money when servicing your system through expert services. Here are some ideas:

1. Shop for an Air Conditioning System Wisely

The air conditioning industry is saturated with brands and models of units to choose from. If you choose a very large unit, it will short cycle easily.

On the other hand, a very small one will be prone to too much wear and tear to meet your heating and cooling requirement. Service experts will audit all your property’s needs, recommend and install a unit which is energy efficient to save money, time & efficiency.

2. Leveraging Professional HVAC Services

Before hiring any professional contractor to work on your system, make sure they are licensed and certified. Moreover, they must be insured to protect you against any liability. More importantly, ensure your contractor belongs to professional bodies such as North American Technician Excellence (NATE), Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA), among others.

You also need to verify their training, experience and reputation in the industry. Such a contractor will offer efficient servicing for your air conditioner and this will reduce your repair and maintenance costs in the long run.

3. Regular Servicing

To appreciate how you can save money on your HVAC system, you need to understand that your AC system is multipurpose. It not only cools, but also dehumidifies, heats and ventilates your home through air circulation. All these tasks are exhaustive hence this system is susceptible to wear and tear which makes it sustainable

What’s more, clogging of filters reduces efficiency and this is where regular servicing by a professional comes in handy.

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Source by Curtis Moore

Refrigerant Pump Cavitation

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When dealing with refrigerant pumps, it is important to understand that unlike pumps in other types of systems that are pumping steady state liquids like water or oil, refrigerant pumps are pumping boiling liquid. When a pump that is designed to handle liquids is supplied with a mixture of liquid and gas, it is said to cavitate. Most any pump can tolerate a certain amount of cavitation but it is detrimental if at all extreme.

To understand the complexities involved in pumping refrigerant, one must have a firm grasp of the relationship between pressure and temperature with refrigerants, and by extension, sub cooling.

Simply stated; the boiling temperature of any liquid rises and falls in direct correspondence with any increase or decrease in pressure. The often overlooked dynamic in a refrigeration system is that generally speaking, pressures can fluctuate very rapidly as a result of a compressor coming on or loading up (causing pressure to drop), or an evaporator being brought on the line (causing pressure to rise). The condition that tracks pressure fluctuations but never changes as quickly, is refrigerant temperature.

The supply of liquid for the refrigerant pumps is the pump separator, also referred to as the low pressure receiver (LPR). Under the most ideal conditions the liquid in the LPR would be saturated. This means that its actual temperature is equal to its boiling temperature; however in a working refrigeration system this would almost never be the case. Even a saturated liquid will have some gas bubbles entrained, because the slightest amount of heat will create vapor; however as vapor is released from the liquid it causes an increase in pressure which un-interfered with will raise the boiling temperature and reduce the rate of vapor generation.

Even if the liquid in the LPR is at an actual temperature lower than its boiling point, and therefore not boiling, the possibility of cavitation still exists. The liquid refrigerant must flow through a pipe to get to the pump suction. That pipe will usually be fitted with a valve, possibly a strainer, and some number of fittings, each of which will cause some amount of pressure drop.

A good pump installation incorporates the following practices to ameliorate the effect of entrained gas entering the pumps.

• The LPR and associated piping are well insulated, to limit the amount of ambient heat transmitted into the refrigerant.

• Valves and fittings are sized to create the smallest amount of pressure drop as is practicable for the expected flow rate.

• The pumps are mounted well beneath the liquid level in the LPR, to take advantage of the effect of gravity. The pressure at the inlet of the pump will increase in direct proportion to the height of the “column” of liquid above it.A column of -40°F ammonia weighs approximately.3 PSI per vertical foot, and a column of -40°F R-22 weighs approximately.66 PSI per vertical foot. For comparison, water weighs approximately.5 PSI per vertical foot. If the centerline of the pump is 6 ft. below the liquid level in the LPR, and the refrigerant is R-22 at -40°F, then the pressure at the inlet of the pump will be approximately 4 PSI when the pump is not running, because there is no flow. As soon as the pump is turned on, flow is initiated. There cannot be flow without pressure drop. If the piping is well insulated, and the fittings and valves are sized correctly for minimum restriction, the pressure drop will be slight, as will the resultant boiling. This minor amount of boiling will not interfere with proper operation of the pump.

When the pressure of the refrigerant decreases, the boiling temperature (not the actual temperature) will decrease correspondingly. For example; if the boiling temperature of the refrigerant is -40°, and the actual temperature is also -40°, there will be no boiling. The liquid is said to be saturated. If the pressure is then lowered to a value that corresponds to a boiling temperature of -45°, the refrigerant will immediately boil, because its actual temperature (-40°) is 5° warmer than its boiling temperature (-45). A rapid decrease in pressure will result in violent boiling, making it more likely that cavitation will interfere with correct operation of the pump.

Cavitation will at a minimum, decrease the amount of liquid being delivered to the evaporators as it causes the pump discharge pressure to decrease. If it is severe, the rate of flow will decrease to the point where there is little or no flow of liquid through the pump. If the pump is hermetic, with a canned motor (refrigerant cooled) and refrigerant lubricated bearings, the lack of refrigerant liquid will cause damage or failure if the pump continues to operate. Most refrigerant pumps will be protected by one or more devices that will automatically stop the pump in the event of severe cavitation. The most common is a low differential pressure switch.

With the above in mind, it is important that the suction pressure never be allowed to drop at a rate that will result in the type of violent boiling described above. If the compressor is microprocessor controlled, it will likely have a ramp feature that can limit the rate at which the compressor can load in terms of pressure decrease per unit of time. The specifics of any given installation will determine the rate at which the pressure can be decreased without detrimental cavitation. Start at a conservative rate, such as 1 PSI every minute. This may sound slow, but it means that starting a system with R-22 at 50°F would require about 1 1⁄2 hours to bring to -40°F, which is quite reasonable. It is also helpful to set controls so that compressor loading occurs gradually and unloading occurs more quickly (regardless of ramp settings). For example, set the capacity control so the compressor goes from minimum to 100% over a period of not less than 2 minutes. Set the unloading so the travel from 100% back to minimum takes one minute or less. With these or similar settings, violent boiling will be less likely to occur. When dealing with a 4 hour freeze cycle or an 8 hour chill time, adding compressor capacity slowly does not appreciably affect the refrigerating time required, and the value of the positive effect on the LPR and the refrigerant pumps cannot be overstated.

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Source by Mike M Triage