AHRI Removes Refrigerant Container Color Assignments
Existing individually assigned container paint colors should be transitioned by 2020
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) announced significant changes to refrigerant paint color designations in the revised version of AHRI Guideline N, “Assignment of Refrigerant Container Colors.” Revisions now specify that all refrigerant containers should have one uniform paint color, a light-green grey (RAL 7044), and that existing individually assigned container paint colors should be transitioned to that color by 2020.
AHRI Guideline N previously stipulated that specific paint colors be used for refrigerant containers as an additional means of refrigerant identification. However, with the increasing number of refrigerants approved for use, there was concern over the potential misidentification of similarly colored containers. More than half of respondents to an AHRI survey of refrigerant handlers found that container colors had caused confusion. This confusion was likely to increase as new refrigerants are added to the market.