A few days ago I did a post about how CO2, or R-744, is making a comeback in recent years and is being widely used in vending machines as well as other units. Well, keeping with the trend of alternative refrigerants the Environmental Protection Agency recently approved the use of propane, or R-290, as a … Read more
Well ladies and gentlemen it seems that we have come full circle in the past hundred years on refrigerants. We started with CO2 and now we’re circling right back to it. Every time I’m writing one of these articles about phasing out refrigerants I can’t help but chuckle. It seems that whenever we get close … Read more
There are two main types of refrigeration certifications in the United States 608 and 609. I will cover both in this post as well as explain what each one is and when it is necessary. 609 Certification I am going to start with 609 certification as it is the ‘simpler’ one. 609 comes into play … Read more
Earlier this year the Environmental Protection Agency announced that they were approving five new refrigerants for use in various applications across the United States. One of these refrigerants, HFC-32 (R-32), is a front runner for an alternative for R-410A. For a full description of the new approved refrigerants click here. Why is R-410A being Replaced? … Read more
The Environmental Protection Agency’s SNAP program approved five new alternative refrigerants at the end of February 2015. These newly approved chemicals will provide alternatives to the high global warming potential HFCs that are currently on the market today. Before I get too far into what refrigerants are now available for use I’d first like to … Read more
Chances are you have heard of most of these companies, but I thought I would do a quick overview on where the majority of your refrigerants are being manufactured. The big three are DuPont, HoneyWell, and MexiChem. Of course there are other manufacturers out there as well as hundreds of import product available but if … Read more
I came across this link today from DuPont’s website and thought I would share. It provides a fact sheet on DuPont’s newly announced Opteon brand for automotive applications. This is the new HFO 1234YF refrigerant that has a very low Global Warming Potential. As it stands today 1234YF will be the refrigerant of the future … Read more
“Manufacturers, importers, and distributors of legal refrigerants, as well as industry trade associations, have stressed the regulatory and safety dangers surrounding counterfeit and illegally imported refrigerants for years. They’re quick to point out that HVACR contractors who have such refrigerants are as guilty as those involved in the creation of such products.” – The prior … Read more
Before I can answer that question there is the need to point out that there are a variety of different classes of refrigerants that are on the market today throughout the world. I will be going over the top three classes at this point in time. One thing to note is that yes, refrigerants do … Read more
What is there to watch for in 2015? What product is being phased out? What is being introduced? What new regulations are coming? I followed the industry fairly close in 2014 and have come to the following conclusions on what to look for in 2015. I am by no means the end all say all … Read more
HFO refrigerants, or Hydrofluro-Olefins, are a new class of refrigerants that have a much lessened global warming potential than it’s HFC alternatives. One example being the 134a alternative, 1234YF, which is 335 times lower on the global warming potential scale and only four times higher than standard carbon dioxide. HFOs are the refrigerant of the … Read more
How many of you are buying your refrigerant 410a or R-22 cylinders one, two, or three at a time? Well, I have news for you. STOP! You’re throwing money down the drain! 1) Competitive Pricing Available Well, this is an obvious one, but you will end up saving quite a bit per cylinder when you … Read more
I can’t say that I am surprised by this. Most people saw this coming when the international trade commission ruled against MexiChem in the anti-dumping lawsuit on Chinese R-134a in November of 2014. The reader’s digest version of the lawsuit is that MexiChem is claiming that the Chinese R-134a Refrigerant that is being imported to … Read more
I’ll be the first to tell you that all of these new regulations and phaseouts in refrigeration have caused major headaches and pains across the air conditioning industry. It seems that about every five to ten years there is a new regulation coming out on Refrigerant either in the United States or abroad. Just a … Read more
1234YF‘s time has finally come. In 2014 an estimated three million cars on the road are now taking 1234YF refrigerant. In 2015 that number is predicted to climb to seven million. All but one auto manufacturer have switched over from R-134a. R134a has not been banned in the United States, but it’s only a mater … Read more
The Montreal Protocol was a treaty signed way back in 1989 by numerous countries in an attempt to slow down and eventually stop the hole that was forming in the O-Zone layer. It’s main objective was to eliminate the amount of Chlorine and Bromine being released into the atmosphere. This was done by coordinating world … Read more
Prices on R-134a, R-410A, R-404A, and R-22 are the lowest they’ll be this year. First of all, Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing New Year’s Eve. I have high hopes for 2015 for my business and my family. We’ll finally be out of the baby stage and we’ll have … Read more
I was reading an article earlier this week that detailed how ThermoKing, a global transport refrigerant manufacturer, was looking for an alternative to the HFC R-404A. The reasoning is the same as for the other HFCs 410A and 134a. It been known for a while that the HFCs have a very high global warming potential … Read more
In May of 2014 Mexico, Canada, and North America submitted an amendment request on the Montreal Protocol. The amendment suggested the phase down and eventual phase out of HFC refrigerants for all nations that had signed the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty that went into effect in January 1st, 1989. The … Read more
First a little history lesson, R-22 has been around since the 1930s and turned into the primary refrigerant for all home and commercial units in the 1950s. If you had a air conditioning unit prior to 2010 chances are that it took R-22 Refrigerant. It ruled for over sixty years as the primary but it’s … Read more