Articles Tagged with ''refrigerant safety''

With the advancing worldwide phaseout of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP’s) OzonAction Division of Technology has produced a series of factsheets on the safe use of the new alternative refrigerants.

Although it’s commonly acknowledged that there is no one-size-fits-all answer, natural refrigerants, such as carbon dioxide (R-744), ammonia (R-717), and the hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants propane (R-290) and isobutane (R-600), have been garnering attention.

The increasing number of refrigerant options makes it more essential than ever for technicians to be aware of the hazards of mixing refrigerants and to cautiously approach systems they’re servicing in case it contains a refrigerant mixture that has been adulterated — perhaps dangerously so.

A survey of over 100 ammonia refrigeration systems operating in food manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom found that less than 20 percent met legislation covering dangerous and explosive materials.

HFO refrigerants are actually unsaturated HFC refrigerants and are widely recognized as the next generation of refrigerants because of their environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and great energy efficiencies.

A couple of manufacturers in the refrigeration sector — Mainstream Engineering and ICOR — are making announcements of developments in that sector.

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) launched its fourth annual consumer safety awareness campaign to warn Canadians about the risks of using flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants in home and business air conditioning systems.

The 2013 editions of ASHRAE’s major refrigerants-related standards, incorporating 41 new addenda, have been published.

Few developments in recent months concerning refrigerants have stirred up such intense interest as the efforts to introduce a product called Frost-22a to the farm-supply distribution market.