ASERCOM offers flammable refrigerant guidelines

BELGIUM: ASERCOM, the European refrigeration and air conditioning components manufacturers group, has produced new guidelines for safe handling of components for flammable refrigerants. 

The 20-page document is designed to provide engineers, manufacturers and installers of systems that are operated in non-ATEX zones with handling recommendations on both A3 and A2L refrigerants.

“Although safety regulations document well how corresponding systems must be built, installed and maintained, the component manufacturers organised in ASERCOM have noticed a high degree of uncertainty among refrigeration and air conditioning specialists when dealing with flammable refrigerants,” said ASERCOM president Wolfgang Zaremski. The guide seeks to counteract this uncertainty.

While flammable refrigerants have been used in millions of household applications for decades, charge sizes have been limited to 150g per system. The move to lower GWP flammable refrigerants means that larger fill quantities are required. If handled incorrectly, says ASERCOM, these refrigerants pose a significantly higher risk.  

The guideline covers components found in vapour compression systems, ie valves, heat exchangers, compressors and other mechanical, electronic and electro-mechanical controls. 

It covers only the main stationary applications: chillers, split and multi split AC systems. roof top units, self-contained commercial refrigeration appliances and remote commercial refrigeration systems.

The document can be viewed and downloaded here.