Canada warns of potentially lethal counterfeit R410A

CANADA: Authorities in Canada have discovered counterfeit cylinders of R410A refrigerant containing potentially lethal methyl chloride.

The Canadian government’s Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has warned HVAC engineers and service providers, as well as refrigerant importers, to be on the look out for the cylinders falsely labelled as R410A. 

According to ECCC, the cylinders contain a mixture of R40, otherwise known as methyl chloride or chloromethane, and other HFCs. 

Blends of R40 and R22, falsely labelled and sold as R134a, were responsible for a number of explosions and deaths around the world in 2011/12. The issue was a particular problem in the refrigerated container industry and led to the grounding of thousands of reefers around the world. 

The involvement of R40 had first been reported in 2010, when fake R134a created havoc in as many as 60,000 car air conditioning systems in Korea. In 2015, a major legitimate Chinese refrigerant manufacturer warned that R40 was being used by counterfeiters in fake versions of its R22 gas.

R40 is extremely flammable and corrosive. It can react with aluminium in HVAC systems, forming trimethyl aluminium, a liquid at room temperature which ignites spontaneously on contact with air. Even brief exposure to high concentrations of R40 by inhalation can have significant effects on human health.

The ECCC warns that R40 should not be used as a replacement for R410A refrigerant, as it poses serious risks to human health and equipment safety.

R40 is widely available and cheap to produce. Blended with other refrigerants it can be made to mimic the performance of the genuine product. The increasing prices of refrigerants due to the worldwide phase down of HFCs, mean increased profits for counterfeiters from these dangerous blends.

The ECCC warns purchasers to be wary of refrigerant being sold cheap with  generic or unusual labelling, logos or seals, inconsistent text and font type or spelling mistakes on the product packaging, and the absence of safety instructions corresponding to the type of refrigerant.

It also warns to be on the look out for cylinders with valve types or colours that differ from those of standard HFC refrigerant cylinders.

Importantly, it advises verifying the refrigerant contained in HVAC systems prior to repairing or servicing equipment.

Related stories:

Methyl chloride found in more fake R22 – 3 June 2015
CHINA: Another Chinese refrigerant manufacturer has notified the market of the discovery of more counterfeit R22 containing dangerous methyl chloride. Read more…