Most standard recovery machines are designed to handle A1 refrigerants, which means they may not have the safety features required for mildly flammable refrigerants.
At its booth this year, Arkema took the opportunity to promote R-32 as a transition refrigerant for the air conditioning market. Arkema’s global business director of fluorochemicals, Matthew Ritter, said that while the company does not necessarily believe that R-32 will be the final answer, it is a very good choice for that segment of the market.
Last December, EPA proposed to modify the use conditions required for use of three flammable refrigerants — isobutane (R-600a), propane (R-290), and R-441A — in new household refrigerators, freezers, and combination refrigerators and freezers under the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program to reflect an updated standard from Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
ACCA is dedicated to creating a high-quality technician training program on flammable refrigerants. As the HVACR industry works to phase down refrigerants with high-global warming potential (GWP), ACCA members have been concerned that contractors and technicians need more time to be prepared to safely handle the next generation of refrigerants, which includes flammable products.