Refrigerant Gases, no longer 3 in 1 multi purpose!

Refrigerant Gases, no longer 3 in 1 multi purpose!

(From an old time served refrigeration engineers point of view)

Long before many of todays refrigeration engineers were born, a new ‘wonder refrigerant’ was developed. 

Most will have heard of it but never used it, although it does still exist. Replacing toxic, corrosive, flammable and pungent refrigerants like Sulphur Dioxide (S02, R764) and Ammonia (NH3, R717) I’ve only worked with these during dismantling old cold rooms, nasty stuff little PPE back then, just don’t breathe in or hang about was the safety advice!. 

This fantastic new refrigerant was developed way back in 1928 by a General Motors’ employee and over the years became the norm for domestic and commercial refrigeration. 

CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) 

This was considered a safe, non flammable, non toxic wonder gas. Could be used with any metals like copper and mixed with oils, unlike R717. 

The heroes of the day were, R12 a general temperature low cost refrigerant, was used by many to purge refrigerant lines and equipment and is low pressure. 

The company I started with in 1976 (Macason Refrigeration Ltd) used it for purging brazed refrigerant lines to blow out carbon! 

In fact, everyone seemed to do it, sometimes a vacuum pump wasn’t even used as we considered everything else had been purged out… 

Also used in fire extinguishers and aerosols. 

HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) 

Next R22

Often used in AC and low temperature equipment! A great higher pressure refrigerant at very low cost during it’s earlier life. 

Then the more specialist R502, used mostly in commercial cold storage freezers. 

We had a sign in the factory where R502 was stored, “Do not use for Purging….Too Expensive!” 

Sadly, at that time, some scientists found CFCs were contributing to ozone depletion and later global warming. 

So these refrigerants became less used and interim replacements found following on to ‘better’ refrigerants every few years, and the story doesn’t end there! 

HFC ( Hydrofluorocarbon)

Next R134a, R410A, R32 low flammability ( A2L).

HC ( Hydrocarbon)

Now R290 Propane ( A3) highly flammable.

HFO ( Hydrofluoro-olefin)

R1234yf ( A2L )and R1234ze (A2L)

In 20 years or so, we’ve moved from R22 to R407C, R410A to a current but bordering obsolete R32 and now a Guy Fawkes favourite R290.  I remember the service engineers vans; many dumpy refrigerant bottles, as you never knew what gas may be in a system, if labelled! 

The danger element has now moved from the wider environment to being localised by the engineer who makes an error, or faulty equipment. Time will tell…