🔥 Refrigerants Facts

You are here: Home » 🔥 R32 Refrigerant (1) » 🔥 Refrigerants Facts

What do we know about refrigerants ?

What are refrigerants? The FACTS
 

Refrigerants (CFC, HCFC, HFC, HC & HFO’s, natural or man-made) are controlled substances due to high pressures 100 - 400 psi, and extreme temperatures -50°C to 140°C, flammability & toxicity as classified by ISO817 & ASHRAE34. They must only be handled by qualified & certified engineers to C&G 2079-11 for (A1 class non-flammable), plus C&G 6187-21 for (A2/A2L/A3 class flammable/explosive). 

Refrigerants are the main fluid circulated in the Closed Direct Expansion (DX) Cycle used in Refrigerators/Freezers, Air Condiontiong, domestic & commercial Heat pumps, Chillers, VRF, Roof Tops, Cold Rooms, Retail Refigeration, Transport (Cars, Buses, Trains, etc).

• Refrigerants have unique thermodynamic properties advantages, (can be single or multiple component) that changes phase from gas to liquid and vice versa when it absorbs or rejects energy [heat] in a DX (Direct Expansion) Cycle.

• Refrigerants are extremely energy efficient and can carry more than 50 times energy per weight than air, and 10 times more than water.

• Refrigerants are highly missable with water and DX sysem must be evacuated to Zero Torr as a minimum which requires specilist tools. It must only be handeld by certified engineers. 

• Refrigerant pipe work MUST use high quality thicker wall copper pipe (refrigerant quality) and must be kept clean during installation.

• These characteristics are the main reason for the DX (direct expansion) cycle which makes refrigerants suitable for most habitable areas (ambient) of the world, in addition the smaller inter-connecting refrigerant pipes and compact construction, makes it very cost effective and energy efficient against water and air systems..

• Did you know? The only class of refrigerant used in air conditioing & refrigeration equipment used in domestic and commercial buildings  since 1928 was A1 class non-flammable, like CFC's, HCFC's, & HFC's?
  IMPORTANT to know : HFC32 (R32) (as a single component) IS THE ONLY A2L FLAMMABLE refrigerant in the HFC family

Refrigerants Standards, Classifications & Regulations

Refrigerant Handling Certification & Qualification

More FACTS about refrigerants

The following "did you know" points are important facts to ensure the enormous benefits, to Health, Safety, Economy & Environment, of refrigerants when used in DX cycles in AC, Heat Pumps or Refrigeration equipment (including domestic appliances) will not be abused :

1. A1 class  non-flammable refrigerants been around since 1928 due to non-flammibility and low toxicity.
   Note: A1 class refrigerants are FIRE SUPPRESSANT and will not explode in the event of a leak,
   "There are over 99+ A1 class  non-flammable (CFC, HCFC, HFC, HFO ) refrigerants of which 27 of them are  Zeotropic mixtures contains R32 flammable. The reason for the mixture is to suppress the flammability e.g. R410A is 50% R32 & 50% R125"

2. New A1 class  non-flammable HFC's & some HFO's (e.g. R466A, R 407A, R513A, R515B etc) have: 
   a) Lower GWP (<750) than 🔥R32  b) Non-flammable and c) Zero ODP, means it meets: 
        i) EU (F-Gas ban)    ii) Kigali amendments & recently iii) US EPA  

3. A2L class 🔥 HFC32 introduced 2015 in the EU by Daikin (hold patent) ignors that it is:
   a) Flammable 🔥 and it PROPAGATE FIRE as per UL Fire Tests, 
   
   
   
   b) Might EXPLODE💥 under pressure (compression*) in the presence of some moisture in the DX system
   (Diesel Effect): 
   IMPORTANT to know : HFC32 (R32) (as a single component) IS THE ONLY A2L FLAMMABLE refrigerant in the HFC family

4. A2L class flammable🔥 R32 as a single component, falsely claimed, that it can carry more energy (aprox 1-4% depending on temperatures) per wieght, than R410A? while Ignoring overall system performance (TEWI):  (Space Air Safe Solutions)

5. Major components (compressors, fan coisl, expansion valves etc) for  R410A & 🔥 R32 split systems or Air to Air Heat Pumps are the same.. (Space Air Safe Solutions) 

6. Worldwide annual sales (2018) of small split systems is over 96 million (UK Aprox 220,000 & EU 6 million) with over 97% uses A1 class  non-flammable refrigerants such as R410A, R407C, R134a. 
   "It is estimated that by 2050 there will be more than 3 billion DX splits including Heat Pumps installed"

7. A1 class  non-flammable R410A charged small split systems, are available in ALL  other countries,
   i) Some have a choice between  R410A or 🔥 R32, including France, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, South East Asia [East of Europe] and 
   ii) Some do not know what is R32 or A2L class 🔥 FLAMMABLE refrigerant! when used in domestic applications, including USA, Middle East, Africa, South America etc.
   ** UK is the only country you CANNOT easily buy an  A1 class R410A  non-flammable Split System (with less than 3 kg charge), from the Cartel controlled  by Daikin 🔥 HFC32 patent?, BUT not VRF, chillers or large splits! 

8. Buildings or Occupied spaces using mixed equipment charged with 🔥 flammable refrigerants (splits) AND non-flammable refrigerants (VRF, chillers & large AC-HP) will require:

•  2 risk assesments, 
•  2 insurance levels,
•  2 maintenance, installation procedures & engineers certification, 
•  2 levels of alarms, 
• 2 levels of fire assesments, 
• 2 levels of transport, storage while construction & installation, 
• 2 user manuals, etc.

 Contractor View- Flammable                         Deisel Effect                                 PAS 7100:2018

Other countries precautions to users and authoroties in the use of refrigerants

Reference

**Suuply Chain (AC & Refrigeration Industry): 
The supply chain in the AC & Refrigeration Industry includes any diciplne who handles any flammable materials, such as A2Lclass 🔥 flammable (R32) & A3 class flammable 🔥 / explosive 💥 (R270, R600a) refrigerants, that requires extra risk assesment, extra safety, extra handling certification (C&G 6187-21), Supply Chain diciplines includes:
Local Authorities, Trade & Industry Associations (ACRIB, BRA, HEVAC, BESA, IOR, CIBSE, RIBA, HHIC, ACTUATE), Distributors & Wholesalers, Publishers, Advertising Agencies, Insurance companies, Government Departments,Transport, Building Users & Owners, all need to ONLY use, specify or support manufacturers who comply and abide by the 11 clauses of the CCPI code, to ensure their customer's safety and the Supply Chain credibility & integrity. 
Manufactures should & must  embrace The Code to confirm their published or unpublished corporate ethical claims to gain the confidance of the Supply Chain.

¹ Refrigerant classification
There are over 300 types of refrigerants in THREE Safety Classifications with regards to flammability, in accordance with ISO 817:2014 (E) & ASHRAE34 International Standard clearly indicate that: 
               A1 class non-flammable, A2/A2L flammable🔥 & A3 Highly flammable/Explosive 🔥💥

² Greenwashing
"Greenwashing is a deceptive form of marketing that claims a company's products, policies and goals are environmentally friendly and therefore do less damage to nature, with an underlying purpose to increase profits"

⁵Business Cartel ; Daikin Industries/ Chemical have patented (aprox3 00+ patents) A2L flammable 🔥R32 refrigerant and components used in small splits air conditioning equipment and licensed the patents to Japanese manufacturers (such as Mitsubishi Electric/Heavy, Fugitsu, Toshiba, etc), Korean manufacturers (LG & Samsung) & Chinese AC manufacturers, conditional on withdrawing current R410A non-flammable in small splits (refrigerant charge less than 3kg) and not mentioning that R32 is flammable 🔥 in their promotional materials or website?. This has been applied to UK & and some EU but not the rest of the world. Daikin is an International manufacturer and claim meeting International standards & safety obligations?. 

⁶ Public Buildings means any building having free entrance or permissible for entry to the common masses then that building will be called public buildings e.g. Offices, Restaurants, apartments, shops, Hospitals, Hotels, Supermarkets, Sports centres and Care homes.                                                                                                                                                                                             Back to top

Follow us       Contact us          

Draft

Space Air Terms & Conditions