Tecumseh Products Co. announced that it worked closely with Hussmann Corp. to launch the first United States-based grocery store using propane (R-290) refrigerant. The newly opened Austin, Texas supermarket built by H-E-B Grocery uses self-contained refrigerated display cases with hydrocarbon refrigerant R-290.
HRAI released a statement revealing that fire services could be at an additional risk when responding if the building has a highly flammable hydrocarbon refrigerant in its air conditioning system.
The attention being paid to so-called natural refrigerants is showing a shift toward hydrocarbon refrigerants, even as CO2 gains a stronger foothold and ammonia maintains a high profile. But, whether or not there will be a dominant natural choice remains unclear even in Europe, much less North America.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a notice in the Federal Register proposing to exempt three hydrocarbon refrigerants from the venting, release, and disposal prohibitions of Section 608 of the Clean Air Act.
A reader raised concerns over a refrigerant product on the shelf of a farm supply store. The product had as its sales pitch, “Why switch from the traditional R-22 refrigerants,” and it was noted on the label that the package contained the equivalent of 30 pounds of HCFC-22.
Gone are the days of the three basic refrigerants: R-12, R-22, and R-502. Today’s technicians need to be well-educated on all of the refrigerants they encounter.
HC refrigerants have an A3 safety rating, meaning there are flammability issues. Even so, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially gave Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) approval to R-290 (propane), R-600a (isobutene), and R-441A (a blend marketed by ComStar International as HCR 188c).
In early 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) approval to three hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants in some applications. That could well have laid the groundwork for wider use of a type of refrigerant that is used in Europe and Asia on a much broader scale.