The road to natural refrigerants is a rocky one. There is much talk, but not a lot of action. However, this sector is certainly expanding. 

The importance of ongoing HVACR education involves both the getting and the giving. So there is a need for those who want to learn, and for those who understand that learning didn’t end when they left the high school, college, or vocational school classroom and lab. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is reducing the amount of HCFC-22 that can be produced or imported to 62.8 million pounds in 2013. 

At some point, a refrigerant brought back for reclamation simply can’t be brought back to ARI-700 purity standards. There are a couple of approaches, including, destruction, which has a long track record, and, another option, conversion, offers a much fresher approach.

Ongoing discussions are currently underway, examining ways to incorporate HFCs into the protocol in order to phase down their use due to relatively high global warming potential (GWP). 

The reality is that in 2012, and thus far in 2013, few technicians and contractors are bringing R-22 back for reclamation despite an abundance of capacity at many reclamation facilities. 

While the reclamation process may not be meeting industry expectations, numerous manufacturers are offering equipment and devices that make the process easier than ever before.