Types of Refrigerant

Defined Refrigerant

The Refrigerant is important for cooling Refrigerants and air conditioners but it is usually not something people think about when shopping. However, with the rules of refrigeration changing and certain types of Refrigerants becoming illegal, it is important to understand the differences between Refrigerant types when it comes to replacing your Refrigerant or Refrigerant.

What is a refrigerant?

Refrigerant is a cooling agent that captures heat and leaves cool air behind as it passes through the compressor and evaporator. It fluctuates between a liquid or a gas state as the thermodynamic process passes.

How the Fridge Works

Here’s how the Refrigerant cools inside Refrigerants and air units AC:

The Refrigerant starts as a liquid when it passes through the expansion device to your unit. It stretches and cools due to a sudden drop in pressure that causes it to turn into gas.
As the gas Refrigerant passes through the internal evaporator coil inside the unit, it absorbs heat from internal products.
The unit coil then drains the gas from the Refrigerant and the sour heat away from the food products, increases the gas pressure.
Refrigerate hot and high pressure and pass through condenser coils. As it does so, it releases its heat into the atmosphere and cools it back into liquid.
The liquid Refrigerant re-enters the expansion device and the process begins again.
Fridge types
The following types of Refrigerants are the most common that you may encounter on your commercial equipment:

R-12 Refrigerant

Side by Side Refrigerants
Components: ChloroFluoroCarbons (CFC), Methane Based
Usage: Refrigerants and Air Conditioners
ODP: 1.0
GWP: Higher (10900)
Eco-Friendly: No.
Iyasha: No.
Banned in 1994

R-22 Refrigerant

Components: HydroChloroFluoroCarbons (HCFC), contains less chlorine than CFCs
Usage: Refrigerants and Air Conditioners
ODP: 0.055
GWP: Medium (1810)
Eco-Friendly: No.
Iyasha: No.
It will be banned in 2030

R-290 Refrigerant

Components: HydroCarbons (HC), Propane based
Usage: Refrigerants and Air Conditioners
ODP: 0
GWP: Low (6)
Eco-Friendly: Yes
Iyasha: Yes

R-134a Refrigerant

Components: HydroFluoroCarbon (HFC)
Usage: Refrigerants, Car Air Conditioning
ODP: 0
GWP: 1430 (Medium)
Eco-Friendly: Somehow
Iyasha: No.

R-404A Refrigerant

Components: HydroFluoroCarbon (HFC)
Usage: Refrigerants and Refrigerants
ODP: 0
GWP: Top (3922)
Eco-Friendly: No.
Iyasha: No.

R-410A Refrigerant Gas

Components: HydroFluoroCarbon (HFC)
Usage: Refrigerants and Air Conditioners
ODP: 0
GWP: Medium (2088)
Eco-Friendly: Somehow
Iyasha: No.

R-450A Refrigerant Gas

Components: HydroFluoroOlefin (HFO)
Usage: Refrigerants, Car Air Conditioning
ODP: 0
GWP: Medium (547)
Eco-Friendly: Yes
Iyasha: No.
Natural Refrigerants
Refrigerant Power Vent
To comply with Refrigerant rules, here are some environmentally friendly Refrigerants to choose from when buying new heavy equipment online:

R-290 Refrigerant Gas

Also known as Care 40
Complies with the SNAP Program approved by the EPA
There may be shipping restrictions due to the burning environment

R-450A Refrigerant Gas

Made in place of R-134a
It is considered the most efficient and least expensive option
Suitable for Refrigerants and suppliers of beverages, retail equipment, and water chillers
R-513a Refrigerant
Also known as Option XP10
Includes ODP of 0 and GWP low of 573
Is the most effective option in the Refrigerant for medium heat and cool air

R-600a Refrigerant Gas

Also known as Care 10 or Isobutane
Most popular in commercial and residential areas
Includes ODP of 0 and GWP of low 3
Refrigerant and global warming
The impact on the environmental Refrigerant is measured by the following factors:

Power of Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP)

Range 0-1
When the refrigeration steps are close to 1, it greatly damages the ozone layer
Chlorine-containing Refrigerants such as Freon or CFC Refrigerants can contribute to ozone depletion

Global Warming Power (GWP)

Range 0-2500 +
Less than 150 can be considered low, 150-2500 is medium and larger than 2500 can be GWP high
HCFC Refrigerants (HydroChloroFluoroCarbons) have a high GWP rating
Refrigerants with an ODP of 0 can be considered environmentally safe but unfriendly because they still have the potential to contribute to global warming.

Refrigerant rules

Due to the negative impact on the environment, there are existing refrigeration rules that list different types of Refrigerants and freezers that are banned. These are just some of the rules that exist:

The R-12 Refrigerant, which was the most popular Refrigerant on the market, was banned in the early 1990s for providing a greenhouse effect and all production ceased in 1994.
The R-22 Refrigerant was developed in the late 1990s to replace the R-12 temporarily due to its low ODP. Production is expected to end by 2020 and will be completely illegal by 2030 to comply with the Clean Air Act of 2010
The Refrigerant leak must be repaired within 30 days and the Refrigerant must be recovered, recycled, and disposed of properly by a certified professional to avoid penalties.
Refrigerants and fans need to be properly disposed of in accordance with EPA regulations.

Familiarity with the rules and regulations around the fridge can greatly help keep you in the forefront of style and help you choose the best commercial fridge for your business.