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Applications, Specifications and Notes on R134a

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Refrigerants are fluids that are used in refrigeration cycles and heat pumps. Most of the time, a refrigerant will undergo a transition from liquid form to gas back and forth. The main criteria that a refrigerant has to meet is safe usage, flammable-free and toxic-free properties. Most refrigerants nowadays are especially designed to avoid causing climate changes or ozone depletion, created to have the best thermodynamic abilities possible.

Understanding what R134a refrigerant is

refrigerant and R134aKnown as the best automotive refrigerant for replacing R12, R134a is a cheaper, more reliable alternative that has been almost unanimously accepted as a replacement for the previous automotive refrigerant. Also known under the name of Tetrafluoroethane (CF3CH2F), R134a is part of a family of refrigerants that don’t damage the ozone layer, like the previous CFC products did. Non-corrosive, non-flammable and non-toxic, R134a is now being used in reciprocating compressors and centrifuges. Widely used within the air conditioning systems of new cars, it is also employed by pharmaceutical companies as a propellant and by manufacturers in producing plastic foam.

There are plenty of choices for automotive refrigerants on the market, ranging from drop-in replacements, to expensive alternatives or very cheap products. Most of the times, a cheap price tag is a clear indicator of the automotive refrigerant’s performance. You might be thinking you’re stretching a buck acquiring a cheap refrigerant, but you might find out you need special equipment for evacuating the gas and disposing of it properly.

Most common applications for R134a

R134a is not only used for air conditioning systems on cars. Their most common uses include:

  • Commercial refrigeration – in charge of covering various equipment, from food coolers, vending machines, large refrigerators for supermarkets or display cabinets. The R134a refrigerant is safely used in all these appliances since it is effective and reliable, while also meeting all the environmentally-friendly criteria.
  • Industrial refrigeration – caters for a vast range of applications, with R134a being used in high temperature and medium temperature chilling processes for medical freezers.
  • Domestic refrigeration – R134a is extensively used in the domestic sector since it meets the consumer demands and it is highly efficient.
  • Transport refrigeration – covering trucks and vans that carry refrigerated containers, R134a Freon gas is suitable for usage on trucks, trains and ships whenever food that is particularly sensitive to temperature is transported from one location to another.

Choosing between R12 and R134a

Since R134a was especially created to replace R12, it’s safe to assume the former is a better choice. Although the production was stopped, buyers can still find R12 in shops within a limited stock. As a result, the price is bigger per pound in comparison with the R134a. If you’re currently using R12 and for some reason you’re still reluctant to jump ship and start using R134a refrigerant, you can continue using the old product as long as you can still acquire it. However, bear in mind that R12 to R134a conversion is inevitable and, at some point, you will have to switch to the new version of automotive refrigerant.

R134a efficiency

Applications, Specifications and Notes on R134aThere has been some doubts regarding the efficiency of R134a, with some claiming the previous version, R12, was more efficient. But they couldn’t be more wrong. Despite the fact that it needs more efficient condensing, R134a is undoubtedly more efficient than its predecessor. However, the performance of the R134a automotive refrigerant will also depend on the air conditioning unit that is using it and the amount of refrigerant that is being used.

In order to compare R134a with R12 as far as efficiency is concerned, two identical cars were equipped with equal amounts of different automotive refrigerants. It has been found that the vehicle which received R134a was able to remove more heat than the other identical car, which was using R12.

The performance of R134a factors in different things, with the most important ones being the condenser, the expansion valve with the superheat setting and the amount of automotive refrigerant. Provided a condenser was created to release large amounts of heat, this will help remove the heat expelled by the R134a refrigerant from the car. Matching the ideal amount of R134a that needs to be used in a car, you can balance out the heat that is sucked out by the evaporator and discharged by the condenser.

Before judging an automotive refrigerant’s efficiency, you should also factor in the efficiency of you air conditioning system. A faulty unit that has a dirty or clogged condenser, an expansion valve that is malfunctioning and infiltrated water within the system will hinder the R134a automotive refrigerant to work at its full potential.

What to keep an eye out for when converting to R134a from R12

It’s not uncommon for car owners to take on the task of switching from R12 to R134a on their own. While this is not impossible, it can be a little tricky, especially for a novice. Most people head out and buy a cheap kit from a nearby auto parts store. What do you get in these retro-fit kits? They usually come with some R134a cans, a few O-rings, a high side pressure gauge and some generic charge port adapters for the R134a. What essentials are missing? The package should also include a recovery system for the refrigerant, a vacuum pump, as well as a set of gauges comprising high and low side gauges.

Converting to R134a

The process of converting to R134a is not complicated, but it can be challenging. Bear in mind that charging and evacuation should be done by a professional air conditioning system technician that has experience with R134a and is familiar with your car. If the system is empty, the first step in starting the conversion process would be unplugging the clutch wire and loosening the belt of the air conditioning. Take out the compressor and discard the old oil by holding it upside down. If it’s possible, pour the old refrigerant in a container and check to see if there are any metal particles or gelled oil bits. These indicate the need of performing a liquid flush for the evaporator, the lines and the condensers.

The following step involves recharging the compressor with around 5 to 6 ounces of ester oil. The amount of oil you have to use depends on the vehicle. Some cars might require lower amounts, while older models that are less efficient will need more air conditioning ester oil. After you have successfully completed these steps, you can put the compressor back in its place. You will want to reattach all the hose lines with adequate O-rings that are compatible with R134a. You’ll also want to take the time to lubricate them with some compressor oil. Next on, reattach the air conditioning belt and plug in the clutch wire. After you attach the port adaptors, you will also need to replace the old drier. Install a new one that contains an R134a compatible desiccant, also using brand new O-rings. If your vehicle lacks a high pressure switch in the air conditioning unit, it is highly recommended you install one.

Other things to consider

  • Specifications on R134aWhile the job of converting from R12 to R134a might seem a piece of cake, it’s harder than it looks. It’s not impossible to get the job done, provided you have all the needed tools, but the chances are against you. If you need help with your refrigerant, don’t hesitate to ask for a technician’s help. This way, you’ll avoid damaging other vital parts or appliances and keep unnecessary costs at bay.
  • Removing or replacing various system components (hoses, driers and condensers) calls for adding more air conditioning refrigerant to the system. The recommended dosage is 5-6 ounces for the compressor. Some manufacturers might advise adding around 4 ounces of oil, according to the R134a pressure chart, but it’s always better to take into account system losses. The 5-6 ounces we recommend will cover the compressor, the evaporator and the drier. There is no need to split the oil between all the before mentioned components. Simply adding it to the compressor is enough, since the oil will move through the entire system once it is turned on.
  • Do you have a compressor that needs to be completely replaced? Or maybe you have to change the O-rings and the seals that are causing leakage? The best solution is to get your hands on a compressor comprising seals and O-rings compatible with R134a refrigerant. Take note that a mere conversion does not call for a full replacement of seals or O-rings, but tear and wear asks for regular replacements.
  • When you’re adding or changing the refrigerant, you don’t need to go over each O-ring in the system and replace them. However, if you adjust a connection, it’s wise to replace the O-ring with a model that is compatible with R134a and also lubricate it before attaching it.
  • Generally, the expansion valve doesn’t need to be replaced, since it works well with R134a refrigerant. However, if it’s performing poorly, choose an expansion valve that was specifically designed for R134a.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3.

5 Essential Questions about R22 Phase Out Answered

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Do you know what type of refrigerant your AC system uses? In case it’s the once popular type of Freon for AC known as R-22, HCFC-22, or chlorodifluoromethane by its scientific name, then you might want to consider replacing your AC system. That’s because a protocol signed in Montreal, in 1992, agreed that this substance, along with several other HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) are unsafe for the environment. HCFC refrigerants are not as dangerous to the ozone layer as several other chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), but they are still bound to be phased out in the U.S., as well as in several other developed countries. Here’s what you need to know about this particular type of AC Freon and about how to prepare for the upcoming phaseout.

R22 Phase Out and Air Conditioners#1 How come R-22 is dangerous?

R-22 has been in use as Freon for AC for as long as forty years now. Most heat pumps and A/C systems built and installed over that span of time employed it as their AC refrigerant of choice. In fact, since the production of such equipment is comparatively affordable, demand for R-22 is still high in developing countries. Unfortunately, the gas has been proven to contribute to the hole in ozone layer and it also has a high global warming potential, as it is a greenhouse gas.

#2 Why would I care about the R22 phaseout?

As the deadline for nearly complete elimination of R-22 as AC Freon approaches, certain A/C manufacturers may misinform household consumers as to how much longer this HCFC will still available. This is why you need to know the truth about this substance. As of January 1, 2010, according to the Montreal Protocol and the U.S. Clean Air Act, allowance holders are no longer allowed to import or produce R-22, except for servicing existing equipment. No such new equipment can be produced on U.S. territory since that date. Furthermore, the same standards demand that the United States reduce its R-22 consumption by 99.5 per cent until January 1, 2020.

#3 Why is R-22 still available?

The Clean Air Act says R-22 can still be recycled, covered, and reclaimed (i.e. processed so that it meets the same standards for purity as the new R-22 formula). From 2020 onward, all equipment that uses R-22 as a refrigerant will be working on recycled or reclaimed substances. This is actually a form of damage control: through reclaiming and recycling, the authorities are trying to make sure the same amounts of this pollutant gas will be able to service the existing equipment for a longer time.

#4 What will replace R-22 for AC Freon?

At the moment, the Environment Protection Agency of the U.S. government is diligently reviewing alternatives to R-22, as well as to all other HCFCs and pollutants. The point is to identify those which are least harmful to the environment. There’s a whole list of R-22 alternatives for light commercial and household A/C equipment on the agency’s website, which you can browse here. One such alternative is R-410A (commercially known as Genetron AZ-20, SUVA 410A, Forane 410A, or Puron), which mixes non-ozone depleting HFCs. This substance, however, is also a greenhouse gas. Also, the U.S. is looking at Europe and trying to follow in its footsteps. Back on the old continent, an increasing number of new residential A/C systems are using R-407C as AC refrigerant. For the time being, R-407C cooled air conditioning systems are not available in the United States, but the EPA has included the substance on its list of viable alternatives. Hopefully, as the EPA completes more and more research, the aforementioned list will continue to grow, in order to include more largely available substances.

#5 What do I do with my R-22 using equipment?

As of this writing, the Environment Protection Agency does not require household users to switch to A/C units which don’t use R-22 or other types of substances that have been found to contribute to ozone depletion. However, the more environmentally-minded household owners out there might want to make the switch of their own free will. As such, it’s important for them to know that not all substances approved by the EPA as substitutes for R-22 can be safely used for retrofitting. R-407C is ok to use, but R-410A is not, because it works at different, higher levels of pressure.

What further complicates the situation is that these newer substances may also require the use of new parts and components for your AC system. Simply replacing the AC Freon gas won’t cut it, as, in most cases, the substance would fail to properly cool the equipment. This is why most HVAC technicians will opt for R-22 recharges, or for recycling / reclaiming it. It’s also important to bear in mind that propane is not approved by the EPA as a refrigerant, since it’s flammable and hence a safety hazard.

Phase-out of 134a for cars

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Phase-out of R134A Refrigerant for Cars
By Betty Stephens

134a

Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a pair of decisions that begin a changeover of the refrigerants that do the cooling in car air conditioners. Over the next few years, it will be out with the old (HFC-134a) and in with the new (HFO-1234yf). Cars will be cooled with less global warming.
Both chemicals are hydro fluorocarbons, but the 134a in a car today is a “super greenhouse gas” with 1,430 times the global warming kick, pound for pound, of carbon dioxide. The new refrigerant, 1234yf, has just 4 times the global warming potency of CO2 and cuts the climate damage from car air conditioning by more than 300-fold. Changing over to 1234yf is a big step forward, because car air conditioning is one of the biggest, leakiest, and fastest growing uses of HFCs worldwide. And if HFC growth is left unchecked, these chemicals are responsible for a major share of future climate change.
1234yf Alternative
The other new alternative to R134A is HFO-1234YF, which has similar properties to R134A but meets the new European global warming standards. Refrigerant HFO-1234YF has a global warming potential rating as well as an ozone depletion rating, and as of yet, the HCO-1234YF is the only refrigerant that meets both EPA and European standards. HFO-1234YF is also a Class 2 flammable gas although slightly less flammable than the R152A.
Other Class 2 refrigerants found on the market, but not recommended for automotive use include R1143A, R142B and R143A. In February, after a long review, EPA approved 1234yf as an acceptable alternative for use in new cars. That action was supported by DuPont and Honeywell (who are ready to make the chemical), by most domestic and import automakers, and by NRDC. Two other compounds have also been approved, but car makers appear to favor 1234yf because it requires the smallest design changes to the air conditioning equipment.
Reaction among the car makers appears mostly positive. General Motors started using 1234yf in some 2013 models. Many other car companies are quietly making arrangements with chemical suppliers.
Car makers actually have incentives to act quickly, because switching refrigerants earns them significant credit towards meeting the global warming standards set under the Obama administration’s landmark Clean Car Peace Treaty. Those standards, applicable to 2012-2016 model cars, cover four greenhouse gases – CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, and HFCs. Switching from 134a to 1234yf yields twice as much credit towards the “CO2-equivalent grams per mile” standard as merely cutting leakage of 134a.

134a

R22 Phase-Out

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Phase Out of R22 in 2020
By Betty Stephens

R22 phase out

Chlorodifluoromethane, better known as HCFC-22 or R-22 is a common refrigerant that is currently being phased out in the U.S. due to its very high potential to exacerbate ozone-depletion (R-22 is also a global warming gas). U.S. EPA has tried to reduce use of this material by imposing strict quotas on its production. Since 2010, the agency has also banned sale of new air-conditioning units containing the compound, and has promoted recycling of the gas from old machines so it will not be released. However,  R-22 will still be produced in decreasing quantities until 2020.
With the phase out of the R22 now becoming eminent in the coming years, the US companies are now not investing in the R22 production. As the deadline is getting closer the availability of R22 is becoming difficult, which is making the operation and maintenance of the existing equipment quite expensive. Even the raw material used for the manufacture of R22 gas, mainly chlorine, fluorspar, and natural gas, have become highly expensive.
What does all this mean to the typical homeowner?
The choice is dependent upon several factors:
• How old is your indoor evaporator coil?
• How old is your condenser?
• Do you want the highest efficiency available?
• Do you want a unit that is environmentally friendly?
• What will be the cost of R-22 as supply goes down?
When you are replacing equipment with R410A the condenser and the coil must be matched. You can’t have a coil that uses R-22 and a condenser that uses R410A. If one piece of your cooling equipment fails you have to look at the age of the other component to make a choice. R-22 equipment is still available, but as time goes on the selection and efficiency range that is available will go down. In fact all manufacturers today are choosing to make their high efficiency equipment with only R410A.
Because of this R22 phase out you may have to replace both the condenser and the coil, even if one of those components is still working. Another factor to consider is the cost of R22 Freon as the supply decreases. R12 (which was phased out several years ago) went as high as $72 per pound. When you consider that an average system uses about 12 lbs that could get expensive in a hurry.
Large Businesses
By law, owners of large equipment (e.g., supermarket systems, commercial air conditioning units) have to ensure that the equipment is maintained and leaks are repaired by certified technicians.
Homeowners
Homeowners of smaller central A/C units are not legally responsible for refrigerant leaks, but anyone servicing the smaller equipment is still prohibited from knowingly venting R-22. While the choice to recharge leaky equipment may come down to economics (recharge vs. new unit) this choice may be short-sighted. The unit would likely continue to require routine servicing, with increasingly more expensive recharges.
Some of the things related to R-22 that are legal and some are not legal:
Legal:
• Production for servicing existing equipment installed prior to January 1, 2010
• Production and import by businesses that have prescribed allowances from U.S. EPA through 2020
Not Legal:
• Intentional venting.
• Leaks from large systems above specified leak rates that go unreported and unrepaired.
• Imports or production by businesses that are not authorized by EPA.
• Sale to non EPA-certified technicians.
What Happens to Old Refrigerators?
Of the 9.4 million fridges reaching end of life in the U.S., about 25 percent are resold into the aftermarket, resulting in increased energy demand from continued use of the older, less-efficient models. That leaves 7.1 million fridges to be de-manufactured. Of these fridges, the vast majority end up in landfills or metal scrap yards, where their coolant refrigerants and other hazardous materials may not be dealt with properly. EPA’s RAD program encourages voluntary, responsible recycling but less than 10 percent of the discarded fridges in the U.S. are managed under RAD programs.
While Federal law requires recovery of refrigerants and other hazardous waste prior to disposal or recycling properly recovering refrigerants adds time and labor to an already labor-intensive process. “Cutting the line, or venting the refrigerant before the refrigerator arrives at the recycling facility, unfortunately, may be a common practice before the old fridge is crushed for scrap metal.
Summary
Refrigerants with zero or very low global warming potential (GWP) are gaining more market acceptance, in lots of applications. This year, EPA added three hydrocarbons as acceptable alternatives in household and small commercial refrigerators and freezers through the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program. The newly-listed hydrocarbon refrigerants already widely in use in Europe can be used to replace CFC-12 and HCFC-22 in household refrigerators, freezers, combination refrigerator-freezers, and commercial stand-alone units.
U.S. EPA regulations related to fluorochemical refrigerants have resulted in a safe and smooth transition from CFCs to alternatives that are far better for the environment. However, it is challenging to ensure compliance with regulations that involve tens of thousands of certified technicians servicing millions of air conditioning and refrigeration units and systems across the U.S.
The EPA is expecting that allowance cuts for R-22 production will encourage greater recovery, and that refrigerant reclaimers will, in fact, be offering higher “bounties” for the gas.

HCFC 22 Phase out chart

EPA Regulations on R22 / SEER Ratings

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EPA Regulations on R-22 / SEER Ratings
By Betty Stephens of Quest Media

EPA

The EPA has begun phasing out the production of R-22 and has banned the production of HVAC equipment that uses R-22 in compliance with Title VI of the Clean Air Act. The refrigerant that replaces R-22 is R-410A. R-410A is an HFC refrigerant blend with common trade names such as GENETRON AZ-20®, SUVA 410A®, Forane® 410A, and Puron®.
R-22 will be manufactured on a limited basis after this year and after 2020 will not be manufactured after… The EPA suggests that contractors to recycle and rescue as much R-22 to be used to continue to service existing units…
R-410A requires more pressure to cool, so therefore it requires new compressor and piping. Both the outside and inside unit must be replaced and current piping would need to be flushed with a special chemical.
The use of R-410A, as opposed to R-22, does not affect the HVAC unit’s energy efficiency. The energy efficiency is determined by a system’s SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). As of 2006, the minimum SEER rating allowed to be manufactured in the U.S. is a 13 which is 30% more efficient than a 10 rating. To receive the ENERGY STAR, a system must have a minimum 14 SEER rating. Currently, you can find a residential split-system with a SEER rating of 20 or more, but at a substantial cost over the standard SEER 13 units.
Systems with R-22 may find as the manufacturing of the product is reduced, the supply becoming difficult to find. “Also the price of R-22 is rising. Although the continued use of existing appliances with R-22 is not banned nor is the EPA mandating all R-22 equipment be converted, that is a factor that a homeowner should take into consideration when faced with repairing or replacing their system. More factors to take into consideration are the cost, energy efficiency, reliability, and performance. The life span of the outside condensing unit is usually around 15 years and the furnace around 20 years.
To learn more click the following link for EPA’s phase out of R-22 and R142b:

http://http://www.epa.gov/Ozone/title6/downloads/homeownerbrochure.pdf

R22