This video stems from the HVAC School podcast where Jason Obrzut discusses Big Refrigerant Changes to A2L. Jason is a member of AHRI’s Safe Refrigerant Transition Task Force and author of the RACT manual. To learn more about A2L refrigerants, check out the AHRI Safe Refrigerant Transition Task Force’s webinars, newsletters, and fact sheets at https://ahrinet.org/saferefrigerant.
Since the release of the podcast, the EPA has released its ruling on the HFC phase-down. Learn more by visiting the EPA’s site and checking their resources on the ruling at https://www.epa.gov/climate-hfcs-reduction/final-rule-phasedown-hydrofluorocarbons-establishing-allowance-allocation.
You can also check out the official EPA fact sheet at https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-09/hfc-allocation-rule-nprm-fact-sheet-finalrule.pdf.
ASHRAE designates refrigerants into categories based on toxicity (A or B) and flammability (traditionally 1, 2, and 3). So, the new A2L designation indicates that a refrigerant is relatively non-toxic but has a flammability value between 1 (low) and 2 (moderate). While propane (R-290) is a good refrigerant because it is natural and has low toxicity, it is very flammable (A3).
Future refrigerants will likely fall under the A2L designation; the mild flammability will probably be the tradeoff for efficient, low-toxicity refrigerant with a low environmental impact. However, A2L refrigerants cannot be vented, even despite their low GWP. We also cannot use these refrigerants in retrofits.
A2L refrigerants will likely become much more prevalent around 2023 as HFC refrigerants phase down. The phase-down period will be specified shortly, and it will begin with a 10% reduction; the specific parameters of the phase-down have yet to be set.
When working with A2L refrigerants like R-32, you can expect little to no change in how you work on equipment if you’re already employing the best practices. Sizing and capacity will hardly change in the residential market. In the commercial sphere, these systems still look and operate quite similarly to current units.
Jason and Bryan also discuss:
Refrigerant detection systems (RDS)
Flowing nitrogen and other best practices
Non-A2L HFC alternatives
Left-handed threads
Non-standard safety practices
R-32 properties
Refrigerant glide
To find A2L-compatible tools, check out https://www.trutechtools.com/a2l-compatible-tools.html.
Check out ESCO Group’s website at https://escogroup.org. Check out their EPA 608 training at https://escogroup.org/training/epa608.aspx.
We have also written an article about this topic, which you can read at https://hvacrschool.com/what-techs-need-to-know-about-a2l-refrigerants/
Check out information on the 2022 HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium/.
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Thank you both for the information. It was great.
I wonder if this new refrigerant has anything to do with population control.
And has anyone also experienced that ever sims R410a came leaks and failure is way more comen then before. Units on R410a need mager repairs earlier and more often then R-22, and yet we still want to keep high pressure refrigerants that are also flammable.
This sacares me as some one who hopes to own an hvac business. When shit dose hit the fan who will have the burden of prof with shit like propane and isobutane. Because yea the manufacturer is focused on preventing. But if there is one thing I have learned in hvac is that what the manufacturer says shouldn’t happen often dose.
Why are we talking so much about a2l’s when in my experience it seams like A3 is we’re there trying to go, which I think propane and isobutane. And in those cases what do y’all think of them. I find it hard to believe that at some point I will have 5 lbs of propane running trough my house.
I've been reading all these comments and no one has brought this up : Does anyone remember electing the EPA to rule over us and force this crap on the nation ?
maybe my old sniffer will come in handy after all ,,,,? it was made for flammable refrigerants ,,,,,thank you guys for teaching even the retired guys keeping their knowledge to a good level ,,,,god bless
"Slightly flammable" sounds like "sorta pregnant".
These evap coils are sitting on, under or adjacent to open flames from burners in heat exchangers.
Add to this that these evaporator coils have leaks today that we did not see in older equipment, before the industry used thinner wall copper and/or aluminum coils.
I heard the word hopefully in regard to nitrogen purging a few times😉…refrigerant does get trapped in the oil and brazing does cause it to release. JUST BRILLIANT.
Sounds like it's gonna be expensive in the residential market. Great Reset=the proletariat gonna be sweating in the summer….
So I really don't think super flammable refrigerant is the best idea, I live in Florida so number 1 Apts put the A/H's in the utility closet which is right next to the water heater, and some are gas, what if it leaks, number 2 what about ppl house up north that use gas furnaces? That's an open flame in the A/H's cabinet and if it leaks and the leak detecter module fails? Boom 🔥💥💥, what about a leak in the condenser coil or king valve, braze joints and someone walks but lighting a cigarette? What if the service king valve is leaking and a HVAC professional is brazing the line set on? Boom 💥 💥 💥. I'm just saying I know it's a what if but I'm in the HVAC service field and these but these are things I have run into in my job.
Forget bitcoin, 410a is a short term money maker
Going to build a couple of spec houses, maybe order equipment now and just store till I build them. I'm glad I'm close to retirement. Our government is going to paint us into a corner.
Just called out to recover refrigerant from 20 window units. Five of the were R32, the rest were R410. Told the scrapper to hold those off to the side, you need another recovery tank and I need to do some research before touching them.
This may all change with the recent SCOTUS ruling on the EPA
Iam glade stop using r410 it a environmental hazard 410 is a green house gas
Striker plates will show up in some cases with a thermal scanner.
So can I use a open flame to find a leak in the system
If your not smart enough to read the label, you shouldn't be touching it in the first place.
I love this… Just like electrical. Everything has GFCI or Arc fault. Next everything needs to be sprinkled. Everything needs to be filtered, water, cable, natural gas, eletrical, air cond. wood metal, carpet, fabrics,paint. Next we will need to quadruple the price of homes! What about taxes, and service Techs? Ouch! 1000.00 a pound for refrigerant! 12.00 a gallon for fuel! 250.00 an hour for service Only by authorized techs!
I listened to the podcast about the change, and the lines of "policy makers, EPA 'understand your frustrations'" sold it to me, Emerson is on the payroll. Every 10 years of change, really? They expect homeowners to be able to afford changing units every 10 years, and if they can't afford it, pay high prices for refrigerant being phased out and the cost rolling over onto them. On top of that, having us stock more than needed refrigerants in the truck. 2 different ones in high temp refrigeration now.
This industry is going to hell, i get the efficiency efforts and environmental efforts, there's a small amount of techs who recover, having us carry more than 3 recovery tanks for just a/c alone is going to make blowing the refrigerant charge a better option to contractors and techs, and absolutely just roll backwards on advancement. They need to stop testing on us, and stick to testing in the factories.
Someone needs to clean this mess up, streamline one refrigerant for high temp, 1-3 for medium to low temp, and regulate for special types of refrigeration. At least doing that would help somewhat.
Edit:
They also say this is for the sake of the environment… Yet bigger industry gets away with zero to none regulations, especially ones who cause more pollution than refrigerants could ever dream of
The old schoolers are going to need to get up to the news. Must of what I heard from them are scared of the new refrigerant.
Been working with r32 for four year now and it is very good and efficient less amount of freon in the system then r410
What about natural gas condensing units ? Where are they ? Why aren't they being pushed over electric ?
When will 410 units no longer be repairable? Some folks have just replaced their systems with the current 410A and have 10+ year warranties?
Was at a LG training facility last year and all the refrigerant lines were press fit. Makes sense with a flammable refrigerant.
As far as "bomb"
-maybe not—but just wait til the DIY crowd inadvertantly gets air introduced into the system (as often seen)-and a compressor coming apart sparks internally in that mix.. 🙁@24:27 R-22 GWP less than R-410a? why the hell did we changeover in the first place if not for EPA regs?
The idiots that are pushing this man made climate change is destroying this industry and putting people at risk. Does one really believe that leaks only occur in the summer?
Still a lot of gas furnaces that will provide a great ignition source.
It is disgusting. They switch to 410A, don't do compatibility studies with copper. Now I have 1 less than 9 year old system failing, the 2nd story is sure to fail as well. I'll have to buy a system that has refrigerant type that will be obsolete in 6 months. Bullshit. On top of that they want to sell inverter systems, communicating thermostats that don't work.
R466A looks like the safest