Over the following few years there are going to be a couple of radical adjustments on the subject of the refrigerants that might be authorised for utilization in new merchandising machines/chillers. Managing director of DGB Refrigeration Gary Barlow explores what the business will have to get ready for.
Evaporators stocked through DGB Refrigeration
From January 1, 2020 using R404a in new chillers might be prohibited. This won’t have an excellent affect on merchandising as a result of R134a is the primary refrigerant.
But from the January 1, 2024 R134a can even stop for use within the manufacture of latest chillers. The use in carrier upkeep and refurbishment has no set date however will in the end be phased out over the years.
Both of the above are artifical hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which might be greenhouse gases (GHGs) and at once give a contribution to the rise in international warming.
As an instance – the emissions of each and every 1kg of Carbon Dioxide equals a GWP (international warming attainable) of one according to kg. Whereas the emissions of 1kg of R134a has a GWP of one,300 according to kg and stays within the surroundings for roughly 14 years.
So, as you’ll see getting upkeep finished through corporations which can be supplied with this data, a just right popularity and competent engineers is of maximum significance.
Chiller devices could have fuel leaks particularly within the evaporator or condenser coil, which will have to be tricky to discover and service on web site.
But corporations similar to DGB Refrigeration lift inventory of brand-new substitute evaporators for plenty of chillers used within the merchandising business and paintings against detecting leaks and repairing them in space.
To simply upload refrigerant to its present rate (topping up) isn’t value efficient, however extra importantly it’s unethical and in truth unlawful.
Over the approaching years ‘’topping up’’ may just additionally lead to a couple critical implications. The substitute refrigerants or hydrofluorocarbons might be hydrocarbons – herbal refrigerants with a negligible GWP. They are alternatively extremely flammable, will have to be treated with care and techniques containing them must handiest be labored on through permitted qualified engineers.
Isobutene (R600a) will change R134a and is these days the refrigerant of selection in maximum family refrigerators. Propane (R290) too can change R134a and R404a.
Hydrocarbon refrigerants will handiest be capable to be used on chiller techniques/machines designed with those refrigerants in thoughts, so can’t be used instead refrigerant (drop in) for a present R134a chiller/gadget. This could be extremely unhealthy.
To end on a good – hydrocarbons aren’t handiest simply just right for the surroundings, they’re additionally an especially just right refrigerant and may just prevent between 17% and 54% on power intake.
