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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
What Are Alternative refrigerants?
There have been studies that indicate that CFC gases contained in
many air conditioning units may be harmful to the atmosphere. Several companies
now produce replacement refrigerants that do not contain chlorine and are less harmful
to the environment.
- With government mandated restrictions in place on the
production of the CFC gases, many companies are now making new ozone friendly
refrigerants.
Some of these new products actually work better than the older refrigerants,
as they can be more efficient and do a better job of cooling. But as some are
better, some are not. With each of these new refrigerants come new problems
and solutions. With the information provided here we hope to help over come
some of the confusion surrounding alternatives and their use.
- We have used and can recommend several of the new
refrigerants. Many of these new gases are blends of existing gases or
combinations of new and old. The primary use of alternative gases is in the
commercial cooler and freezer industry. The first of the old refrigerants to
be phased out was R-12 which was used extensively in commercial coolers and
freezers. We learned considerably from that and found many of the early
replacement gases were just not up to the job. There have been strides made in
the industry and we now have near drop-in replacements for most low to medium
temperature uses.
- There is no real direct drop in replacement for any of
the older gases at this time, all of the replacement gases require some change
to be made in the system. Often times the oil will need to be changed or the
pressure controls will need adjustment. We evaluate each piece of equipment
and the temperature requirements before making a decision on what gas to use.
For low temperature commercial applications we recommend R-404A and R-414B.
- For residential air conditioning systems we
continue to recommend the use of R-22 Freon over R-410A (Puron) for several
reasons. At this time there is no plan to discontinue the production of R-22
until the year 2020. It is a good, dependable and economical solution for most
residential air conditioning needs. We know the long term effect of R-22 on
your equipment but there is no data on the long term effects of R-410A (Puron).
R-410A operates at considerably higher pressures and could be more prone to
leaks. It requires polyester oil in the compressor. POE(polyester)
oil absorbs moisture from the air and is ruined. If your system had a
major leak, the compressor oil could be contaminated. Residential A/C
compressors have no provision to change the oil. We can't put our seal of
approval on this gas until we know the full story.
Alternatives to R-22 Freon
Is R-22 a relic of the past
Here is some information to help you decide.
- The Future Alternative to R-22.
As R-22 is gradually phased out of use over the next two decades, R-410A will
be phased in. R-410A is an HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) and is considered to be the
most likely replacement when R-22 is no longer used in residential systems.
However, as a point of clarification, units using R-22 will always be serviced
with R-22. They should never need to be changed or retrofitted to a different
refrigerant.
Is Puron™* A New Alternative Refrigerant?
Puron™* is the trademarked name that one equipment manufacturer has given to
R-410A. However, developed by a major chemical company who refers to it as
Genetron® AZ-20**, this is not a proprietary refrigerant and is available for
use by the entire HVAC industry. Other manufacturers may adopt similar
positioning taglines as they begin to market new R-410A products, so you can
expect to see a variety of catchy monikers for R-410A in the coming years.
Why Isn’t R-410A More Widely Used Today?
The transition to R-410A requires that heat pump and air conditioning systems be
redesigned. R-410A is a refrigerant with operating pressures almost 50 percent
higher than R-22. Because of this, a redesign of the compressor as well as other
components is necessary. Additionally, since R-410A demands special synthetic
lubricants for the compressor, there are compatibility issues with the
lubricants, cleaners and other fluids used in the manufacturing process. All of
these issues must be carefully evaluated.
And, with these significant product and production
process changes, testing and training must change also. Dealers must be schooled
in stricter installation and service techniques required for working with R-410A
units and must obtain new recovery equipment and servicing tools, as well. The
Clean Air Act accommodates the magnitude of this total effort by allowing a
lengthy transition period for the phase out of R-22.
Another reason R-410A is not widely in use is that
industry production capacity of the refrigerant is limited. It will take several
years for the chemical producers to gear up their production of R-410A for
complete industry transition by 2010.
* Puron™ is a trademark of
Carrier Corporation.
** Genetron® AZ-20 is manufactured by AlliedSignal Inc.
For More Information Contact:
A-Plus Heating & Air
1624 U.S. 41 S. Ruskin Fl. 33570
Tel: 813-634-8679
FAX: 813-641-8079
Internet:
ssciuga@tampabay.rr.com
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Lic#
CAC057956
