RefrigerationRefrigerant retrofit updateBuilding owners become cautiousBy John Carr, C.E.T.Starting in the 1800’sand into the mid1900’s, refrigerationand air conditioning experiencedimportantchanges but they werefew and far between.Reciprocating compression systemswere introduced in the late 1800’s andremain in use today. Today they <strong>are</strong>being seriously challenged by scroll andscrew technology, but that change hasbeen slow in evolving. Refrigerants haveundergone periodic changes. Some of<strong>these</strong> were for safety reasons, such as thedeparture from sulfur dioxide, andsome for safety and technical reasons,such as the introduction of chlorofluorocarbons,etc.The refrigeration industry rolledalong pretty steady through to the1970’s when scientists began studyingchanges in the Earth’s ozone layer. Bythe mid 1980’s the world had begun toembrace advances in digital technology,hybrid materials, energy conservationand radical new engineeringRefrigerantCommon Usefor this Refrigeranttechniques. Refrigeration was to hit amilestone to be felt for years to come.The ten-year period from 1987 to1997 was tumultuous for the refrigerationand air conditioning industry. Itbegan with a bang when the MontrealProtocol on Substances That Deplete theOzone Layer was signed by a large numberof countries. (The new directionactually began in 1985 with the ViennaConvention for the Protection of theOzone Layer.) By 1997 CFCs were notbeing manufactured and phase-outplans for HCFCs were in place.Refrigerant recovery, reuse, recycling,reclamation and destruction became anormal part of refrigeration and airconditioning service.‘Replacement-refrigerant’ was a newterm in the refrigeration mechanic’s lexicon.Refrigerant oil now needed a majoroverhaul. Polyol esters began to emergeas the leading refrigeration lubricant.Recovery units emerged along with along list of new manufacturers. In themidst of all this were laws, standards,regulations, due-diligence, and a markedPre-MontrealProtocol Priceper KilogramApproximate PriceTodayper KilogramR-11 Large chillers or A/C $3.30 $18.00R-12 Med/low T & A/C $2.20 $60.00R-22 A/C & low temp $5.00 $14.00R-123 Large chillers or A/C n/a $15.00R-134a Low-med & A/C n/a $41.00R-401A (MP39) Med/low T & A/C n/a $47.00R-401B (MP66) Low & med temp n/a $47.00R-402A (HP80) Low & med temp n/a $49.00R-402B (MP81) Low & med temp n/a $49.00R-404A Medium temp n/a $39.00R-407C A/C n/a $40.00R-410A A/C n/a $44.00R-507 A/C & low temp n/a $46.00Table 1: Refrigerant characteristics and approximate pricesin Canada, not including taxes or other fees. (Prices willvary across Canada and from day-to-day.)increase in the cost ofrefrigerants. Table 1 providesa relationshipamong refrigerants. It isworth noting that pricesin the table <strong>are</strong> based ona reasonable approximationof the actual weightof refrigerant in a 13.6 kg(30 lb.) refrigerantcylinder.Cautious approachDuring the period startingin early 1990 andinto the new millennium,refrigerant retrofittingwas strong. Today, the ownersand operators of refrigeration and A/Cequipment <strong>are</strong> well aw<strong>are</strong> of the costsinvolved in the decision to retrofit orreplace. They <strong>are</strong> much more cautious.We will look at three <strong>are</strong>as affected byrefrigerant recovery today:Residential refrigerationand air conditioningHere the tendency is to wait. Let theunit die a natural death and then replaceit. Also, the costs and risks ofc<strong>hanging</strong> residential refrigerants on anylarge scale far outweigh the benefits.Accompanying this position <strong>are</strong> lawsand regulations for equipment disposal.Metal recycling firms and municipallandfill operators <strong>are</strong> very aw<strong>are</strong> of therefrigerant disposal rules and penaltiesthat affect their operations.Commercial refrigerationand air conditioningHere, too, the tendency is to replace,but operators <strong>are</strong> cautious about jumpinginto new, unproven replacements. Agreater opportunity for refrigerantretrofitting exists, but as the decadeunfolds, the numbers opting for retrofit<strong>are</strong> declining rapidly.Retrofitting refrigerants is not withoutcosts and hazards. The changesinvolve flushing the old mineral oil andusing other oils, such as alkyl benzene,C<strong>are</strong>ful record keeping becomes critical in <strong>are</strong>frigerant retrofit. (John Carr photo)one or more times until a refractometerproves good oil quality. New refrigerantsand oils may adversely affect oldercompressor walls and the coatings ontheir windings.Refrigeration manifolds and hoses <strong>are</strong>now more complicated. Gauges musthave higher ranges. Hoses must havesealing connectors. Some need burst ratingsmuch higher than in earlier yearsbecause of refrigerants such as R-410A.New refrigerants used in equipmentdesigned to operate with them cannotbe used in old CFC or HCFC basedequipment for several reasons. One caseis incompatible pressures where, forexample, R-410A operates at muchhigher pressures than R-22.Building air conditioningAlternatives to R-11 for centrifugalchillers <strong>are</strong> emerging. R-123 is one of thestrongest. It is a Group B1 refrigerant.Anyone working with refrigerantsshould read the MSDS (material safetydata sheets). This is especially true for Bor C-rated refrigerants.Recently, I wrote about the newchiller at SAIT Polytechnic, which operatesvery effectively on R-134a. The newrefrigerants, coupled with new technology,<strong>are</strong> delivering refrigeration and A/Csystems that <strong>are</strong> smaller and more energyefficient than their predecessors. Otherrefrigerants <strong>are</strong> being tested. Some <strong>are</strong>flammable. R-245ca, for example, has anASHRAE Standard 34 Class 2 flammabilityrating. It is unlikely to see use.Retrofit tipsFor those who still retrofit refrigerants, itis important to remember the following:• Adhere to Environment Canada’sEnvironmental Code of Practice for Eliminationof Fluorocarbon Emissions from Refrigerationand Air Conditioning Systems.• Protect yourself with all the protectiveequipment available. Especiallycover vulnerable body parts includingeyes, lungs and skin.• Use the right tools for the job andreplace worn or damaged tools beforethey pose a danger to you.• Record all conditions including theamounts and types of refrigerant andoils recovered and used.• Report all abnormalities to theproper authority and/or your employer.• And…never, ever take shortcuts!John Carr is the continuing educationcoordinator at SAIT Polytechnic inCalgary, he can be reached atjohn.carr@sait.ca.Circle Number 125 for More Information24 <strong>Plumbing</strong> & <strong>HVAC</strong> Product News – May/June 2005 www.plumbingandhvac.ca
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