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As a result of new environmental laws, managing the use of R22 refrigerant gas is more important than ever as government regulators can conduct unannounced spot checks to ensure tracking records comply with the reporting requirements. If there is a refrigerant leak, documentation must show how the gases were recovered. All of this is not to mention the supply of R22 will be 20 percent below market demand starting in 2010.
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Collecting, organizing, and reporting of refrigerant gas data is challenging, the complexity of system auditing is confusing, and it remains difficult to remain in compliance with regulations. Learn how-to survive managing your refrigerants.
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| R22 Refrigerant Phase Out: The Dangers & The Damages |
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Refrigerant Tracker from Verisae enables accurate tracking and reporting of refrigerant gas usage across a distributed enterprise. Remain in compliance with Refrigerant Tracker. Know accurate inventories, keep updated maintenance logs, and track usage of refrigerants across all of your locations and AC/HVAC systems.
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R22 refrigerant gas is one of the guilty parties when it comes to harming the environment even though it is vital
to our economy, society, and safety of our ice cream. That's why the United States and many other countries around
the world have joined together in an effort to convert usage of R22 refrigerant in commercial facilities to more
environmentally friendly alternatives.
Among the refrigerants approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in commercial facilities are
ammonia, R404A and R407c. In addition to being more energy efficient, none of them will deplete the ozone layer
like hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).
The conversion process is already underway among many organizations that own or operate heating, ventilation and
air-conditioning (HVAC-R) systems to meet the 2015 phase out deadline. Other businesses are implementing measures
to comply with tracking and reporting requirements required of existing systems containing R22 refrigerant gas.
Used extensively throughout the world, R22 refrigerant is vital to the operation of heating, ventilation and air-
conditioning (HVAC-R) systems installed in the majority of commercial and business facilities. It can also be
found in process chiller and industrial refrigerant plants. The widespread use of the chemical is a paramount
concern because when a leak occurs hydrochlorofluorocarbons are released. They are deemed harmful because they
damage the ozone layer and contribute to global warming.
It is a monumental task for facilities to replace R22 refrigerant. For many, it means changing existing heating
and cooling systems or installing new equipment, all with minimal interruption to business. During this process,
special care needs to be given to the chemical's safe removal and proper discarding to comply with federal
regulations.
Under proposed amendments to a 2009 law (starting in California then perhaps nationally via the EPA), reporting
requirements became stiffer. Companies using systems containing 50 pounds or more of R22 refrigerant must submit
annual reports of its usage, service, and leaks, while facilities with larger systems have a more frequent
reporting schedule and in some cases requirements on automatic leak detection equipment.
As a result of new environmental laws, managing the use of R22 refrigerant gas is more important than ever as
government regulators can conduct unannounced spot checks to ensure tracking records comply with the reporting
requirements. If there is a refrigerant leak, documentation must show how the gases were recovered. All of this is
not to mention the supply of R22 will be 20 percent below market demand starting in 2010.
Currently, the use of R22 refrigerant is banned in many areas of production, in household equipment and in certain
types of vehicles. It is no longer being used in new refrigeration and air conditioning equipment being
manufactured after 2010. By 2010, the use of new R22 refrigerant in the maintenance and servicing of existing
refrigeration and air conditioning systems will be banned. By 2015, organizations using recycled R22 refrigerant
for the same purposes will be prohibited.
Under the U.S. Clean Air Act, businesses using R22 refrigerant must follow specific containment and management
practices to recover and recycle the harmful gas during installation, service or retirement of a system. Many
organizations turn to software programs and tracking applications to conduct this tedious task of maintaining
service records, calculation refrigerant leak rates, and reporting electronically to the EPA or other legislative
bodies.
R22 refrigerant is just one of many substances that have been identified by the United States and other countries
as causing long-term harm to the ozone layer. More recently, these substances have shown to have global warming
potential. The effort to phase out dangerous substances will help the world reach its unified goal of recovering
the damage done to date to the ozone layer and improve the overall health of the environment for years to come.
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