Articles by Ron Rajecki

These larger refrigeration systems present tremendous opportunities for energy-efficiency improvements that can lead to significant operational savings.

In the evolving world of refrigerants, the HVACR industry is preparing for the inclusion of mildly flammable or flammable refrigerants in an increasing number of applications. But the expanded use of these refrigerants won’t happen overnight, as there is a multistep approval process they must undergo to be approved for new applications.

Family-owned and operated, Hercules Industries’ board of directors is comprised of siblings Paul, James, and William Newland, and Christine Ketterhagen. The company was founded in Denver in 1962 as a manufacturer and wholesale distributor of HVAC sheet metal products and equipment. 

In many ways, refrigerant recovery and reclamation is an example of human ingenuity at its best. An innovative and essential product is created, and then a way is devised to prolong its usefulness by collecting it after years of service, purifying it, and using it again.

The ongoing phaseout of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), such as R-22, holds many unknowns for the HVACR industry as 2020 approaches, but at least one sector of the industry anticipates tremendous opportunity: the reclamation sector. 

Recovering refrigerant from HVAC and refrigeration systems is an important day-to-day task for HVACR technicians. Here’s a look at some of the latest tools that help make this important job easy, along with tips from the recovery equipment manufacturers on how to efficiently and safely recover refrigerant.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering changes to its Section 608 requirements for refrigerant handling, including technician certification. The changes being considered would subject HFC refrigerants to the same handling regulations that are currently imposed on CFCs and HCFCs.

“Refrigeration = boring.” That’s what a friend emailed back to me when I told her that I had become the refrigeration editor of The ACHR NEWS. I had to laugh because most people really don’t understand the myriad ways in which refrigeration is important to their lives.

Installing all the refrigeration and freezer cases, walk-in freezers and coolers, food preparation stations, piping, compressors, and controls that a modern grocery store requires was no easy task in a 107-year-old building. 

Government regulations, in addition to an increase in end-user environmental awareness, are having a significant impact on the residential air conditioning market, and, based on the products exhibited at the 2015 AHR Expo, manufacturers are heeding the call.