ARLINGTON, VA — The national economic downturn has slowed replacements of comfort cooling chillers that use CFCs. Manufacturers predict that by year’s end, 48% of the original 80,000 CFC chillers will still rely on these refrigerants, according to the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI).
ARI’s survey of large-tonnage liquid chiller manufacturers revealed that 2,931 CFC chillers were converted to non-CFC refrigerants or replaced by new non-CFC equipment during 2001, with 3,124 more expected in 2002. That leaves an estimated 38,281 CFC units still in use.