Refrigerants

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The world is moving toward natural refrigerants. That was the message from the leadership of the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) at the 2015 IIAR Industrial Refrigeration Conference and Exhibition in San Diego.

Maintaining and servicing these systems is not difficult, but it does require specific knowledge of the machine’s design and operation. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 20th Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks shows a 2 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2013 from 2012 levels, but a 9 percent drop in emissions since 2005.

If 30 percent of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants currently in use are reclaimed for reuse by 2040, approximately 18 billion metric tons carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent would be prevented from reaching the atmosphere over the next 25 years, according to a white paper released by EOS Climate.

Thinking back on my attempt as a young man to charge my car’s air conditioner, I was stunned to see a commercial on TV the other day for A/C PRO, a do-it-yourself a/c recharge kit for cars and trucks. I went to the website and, sure enough, they’re selling recharging canisters of R-134a for do-it-yourselfers.

There are a number of unknowns headed into the summer of 2015, not the least of which is how much R-22 is out there and how much demand will be created by this summer’s weather. 

The Chemicals and Refrigerant Reclaimers Product Section of AHRI is conducting a survey to determine the needs of the market regarding refrigerant labeling and the current color scheme for refrigerant containers as more refrigerants are approved for use.

In March, the EPA approved several low-GWP hydrocarbon refrigerants for use in refrigeration and air conditioning applications, subject to use conditions. The approval drew a mixture of reactions ranging from support to concern.

He acknowledges the proposed compliance requirements are not feasible and would cause considerable harm, result in economic job losses, and may increase — not decrease — risks to the American public. Whitfield said this opinion was the consensus of the most affected industries, including the air conditioning and refrigeration sectors.