Phase out of R-22 (Hydro Chlorofluorocarbon) for a better tomorrow

Scientific data supports the fact that leakage of chlorine from refrigerants is one of the factors responsible for the depletion of Earth’s ozone layer. The air conditioning industry is supporting global efforts to protect the environment by introducing non-chlorine refrigerants.

The efforts to reduce the impact of these gases on the environment began with an emphasis on reducing CFC refrigerants. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s the efforts centred on the elimination of CFCs, mainly used in foam blowing, cleaning and air conditioning applications.

The reports indicate that there are many replacements for the Hydro Chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) R-22. Some of these replacements are widely used, while other replacement refrigerants have different operating characteristics than HCFC-22. All these gases eliminate the emission of chlorine and prevent ozone depletion. This helps to reduce global warming greatly.

Direct global warming can become an issue if a refrigerant leaks from the air conditioning system. Refrigerant containment in the air conditioning system will reduce the direct global warming effect. This can be accomplished by designing systems that reduce the stored volume of refrigerants.

Refrigerant decisions are impacted by other regulations that are related to the product application and design. Now it has become important for the users to regularly monitor and understand the impact of the different legislative actions related to refrigerants in their air conditioners.