Dry Ice Blasting In British Columbia

Dry Ice blasting is steadily gaining popularity in British Columbia and the Fraser Valley.

Dry Ice blasting is fast, non-abrasive, environmentally friendly commercial cleaning solution. The dry ice blasting method uses compressed air to speed up the pellets to clean a variety of surfaces to remove mold, grime, graffiti, and even fire damage. Dry Ice blasting is strong enough to remove paint but delicate enough to ensure it is done damage free. Unlike chemical restoration methods, dry ice blasting does not stain or scratch the surface.

So really, what is dry ice blasting?

Cleaning with dry ice is a relatively new innovation being used more frequently in commercial settings. Dry ice blast cleaning involves spraying a steady stream of Co2 pellets towards old mold, paint, rust, or any other cleaning situation that requires an environmentally friendly cleaning solution. Dry ice pellets are made when the liquid carbon dioxide is taken from a cryogenic storage tank and expanded to create snow. Next, Fraser Valley Dry Ice compresses the snow into pellets using a state of the art dry ice pelletizer. These pellets are then put into a dry ice blasting machine and used to complete the cleaning process, leaving no mess or residue at all. Dry ice blasting is becoming the first and only choice for people wishing to reduce their environmental footprint.

Ok, that makes sense, but how does dry ice blasting work in British Columbia?

Dry ice blasting in British Columbia is actually a lot easier than you may think. First step is to spray the dry ice pellets on the surface: CO2 pellets are pressurized out of blasting gun at high speed. Once the dry ice pellets hit the target surface it converts that energy into removing the paint, graffiti, or mold. This energy conversion attacks the target without leaving a mess or damaging key electrical components with water. Notice the thermal shock from the dry ice pellets? At -78.5 C, dry ice is incredibly cold. Once the target surface is impacted with these dry ice pellets, the immediate temperature drop causes a thermal shock resulting in the targeted contaminates to break away for easy cleanup. What happens to the dry ice pellets once they hit the surface? Once the dry ice hits the targeted surface, it immediately evaporates leaving no residual mess to clean up.

Where can I buy dry ice for blasting?

Fraser Valley Dry ice proudly supports the dry ice blasting industry in BC. We are able to provide multiple different dry ice pellet sizes to suit your business needs. We supply dry ice in both the pellet and block/slice form to business and residential customers across Vancouver, Surrey, Langley, Aldergrove, Mission, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, hope and any other city or town in British Columbia. Contact us today!

As things settle into place for our dry ice business, we wanted to take the opportunity to talk about one of our key suppliers, ASCO C02, the manufacturer of the BP420i.

After our initial request for information on the machine, we were contacted by Thomas Bearden who was able to answer all of our questions concerns. He answered all of our questions and addressed all of our concerns with accuracy and honesty. Thomas was a great representative for their brand, and with the information he provided, he gave us the comfort to make an investment in the BP420i.

Once the BP420i arrived at our production facility in Abbotsford BC, we were excited to uncrate it and get it together. Upon assembly, we were eager to inspect the machine; we also had several of our contractors review it with us. What we learned from the inspection is that the BP420 was exactly what Thomas and ASCO C02 had told us it would be. It was engineered with high quality components and it was clear to us a lot of time, effort, care, and pride went into manufacturing the BP420i.

While preparing to launch the machine, we were in constant communication with the General Manager Jason Beasley, and their team of technicians and engineers. They made sure we were ready, and pointed out a couple items we had overlooked.

We opted to have the ASCO C02 team come and provide us in person training and to commission the BP420i.  ASCO sent one team member from Florida (Ronald Berry), and another from France (Stephane Nimetz).  We were impressed by these two gentlemen. Combined, they knew the machine inside and out and ensured it was running to the best of its ability during their week-long visit. They ensured we were trained in all aspects of running and troubleshooting the machine. The machine is able to switch from various dry ice pellets sizes and slices at the click of a button.  They made sure all of our questions and concerns were addressed before departing.

Once Ron and Stephane had optimized the machine, we were left to start producing dry ice. During this startup phase, we made some errors in operating the machine and were required to seek assistance from Jason, Ronald, Stephane, and the rest of the ASCO team.  ASCO was able to remotely log into the BP420i machine via their i-series technology, and assist us with adjustments to the machine.  During the initial weeks, the times we seemed to run into issues were typically over weekend production runs. If we would not have been able to solve our issues quickly, we would not have been able to fulfill our orders for Monday morning.  However, the ASCO team, made themselves available to assist and give support even on the weekend.  We were relieved they knew exactly what the issues were so quickly to allow us to get back up and running immediately.  The BP420 has been able to keep up with our production as we grow in the dry ice slices and pellet market in British Columbia. Our current BP420 produces hundreds of thousands of pounds of dry ice with no down time, and ensures we can consistently meet our customers’ demands as we continue to grow.

We honestly cannot say enough good things about this Company.  ASCO’s BP420, their sales cycle, installation, and training, and the follow up support are more then we could have asked for.  We are not confident that if we had partnered with anyone else, we would have been as successful as we have been.  ASCO deliver on their promises and we are proud to be partnered with them and their team and we are looking forward to adding our second BP420i soon.

Together, we are facing an unprecedented health crisis. Covid-19 is affecting all our families, our businesses, our communities, and challenging our Canadian way or life as we know it. During this time, we wanted to let everyone know how we are approaching this pandemic at Fraser Valley Dry Ice.

First and foremost, our thoughts go out to anyone who have been impacted by the virus, and our hearts go out to those battling the virus, particularly to those who are vulnerable. We appreciate all of the front line professional medical workers, and other essential service workers such as trucking companies, and food distribution companies whose employees risk infection to ensure communities in BC can still receive essential products such as food and healthcare supplies. To our customers, who continue to operate to support supply chains in BC, please continue to keep up the good work, those shelves are not going to stock themselves.

Secondly, Fraser Valley Dry Ice is committed to staying open during this pandemic so we can do our part in supporting the food distribution supply chain, our dry ice blasters in BC, and our customers who use our dry ice for medical reasons. We have taken the appropriate steps to protect our employees and our customers from the spread of Covid-19. We are following all guidelines as proposed by Provincial and Federal Governments such as:

  • Social distancing
  • Sanitation of premises on a regular basis
  • Personal Hygiene /Frequent Hand Washing
  • Non-employees are currently not permitted in our facilities

Fraser Valley Dry Ice is committed to protecting our team, our customers, and our community as we continue to operate during these unprecedented times, and we wish everyone health and happiness through these difficult times.

Sincerely,

Fraser Valley Dry Ice

Dry ice is used often in British Columbia for movies, school plays, or anywhere the effect of fog is desired, like a Halloween party or a nightclub

Dry ice is most commonly used in movie production in British Columbia to create a special effect similar to fog. The fog effect created by dry ice can be used in multiple ways in film productions

what are the 2 most common ways fog is created in the movie industry in British Columbia using dry ice?

the first and most efficient way to create fog for British Columbia Film productions is to use a fog machine that the dry ice goes into. The machine consists of a barrel which holds the water and ice, as well as a heating element to heat up the water to produce maximum effect. Once the water is heated, insert the dry ice and sit back and enjoy. The hotter the water, the stronger the fog. Some people prefer to use fog juice, which is an unnatural and expensive alternative to dry ice. The concept is the same however instead of putting dry ice in, you put in Glycol which when inhaled could be hazardous to your employees, your patrons, and yourself.

the second and less efficient way to create fog with dry ice does not require expensive equipment like a fog machine. To create the same dry ice effect all you really need is a bucket of really hot water and some chunks of dry ice. Once the dry ice is put in the bucket, the clouds of fog created for your production with dry ice will come flowing out of the container. Add a high powered fan to the mix to create a strong flow of dry ice fog. Learn more about dry ice applications in British Columbia by clicking here.

Where can I buy dry ice for my film production, fog machine or party in British Columbia?

Fraser Valley Dry ice proudly supplies the film industry in British Columbia, the lower mainland, and the Fraser Valley with Dry Ice. We are able to provide multiple different dry ice pellet sizes or slices to suit your production needs. We supply dry ice in both the pellet and block/slice form to business and residential customers across Vancouver, Surrey, Langley, Aldergrove, Mission, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, hope and any other city or town in British Columbia. See all the different type of Dry Ice that you can purchase today for cheap from Fraser Valley Dry Ice by clicking here.

Next to a gas powered generator, dry ice is the best way to keep perishables and other food from spoiling during a power outage. Dry ice has a temperature of -78.5 C which is more than enough to keep your food from spoiling even if the outage last a couple of days. Fraser Valley Dry Ice recommend 50 pounds of dry ice every 48 hours of a power outage.

What Safety Precautions should I take if I use dry ice in British Columbia during a power outage?

  • Dry Ice expands into a gas as it sublimates, therefore you cannot put it in a sealed air tight compartment as it could become explosive. Instead, leave your dry ice in a cooler with the latch open. Fridges and Freezers are safe to leave dry ice in without the risk of explosion.
  • Dry ice will remove oxygen from the air. Be sure not to be in an air tight room with dry ice present as it will eventually use up all of the oxygen your lungs are counting on to keep you alive.
  • Allowing bottles and cans to come into direct contact with dry ice could result in them exploding leaving a mess to clean up.
  • You must use gloves when handling dry ice, contact with skin can cause severe frost bite and possible limb/digit amputation. Thumbs up for personal protective equipment.
  • Dry ice is not a toy, if you are using it in your house during a power outage, or any other reason you must ensure it is safely kept away from children.