Danfoss eases hc product sales

Danfoss has relaxed its rules for sale of compressors and controls for use with flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants.

The Danish manufacturer previously required customers to sign agreements to ensure that relevant safety standards and local legislation were being followed. This requirement is now removed in EU and EFTA countries, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and China where safety standards are an integrated part of the legislative system.

It particularly applies to ethane (R170), propane (R290), butane (R600), isobutane (R600a), and propylene (R1270).

Danfoss has never demanded special agreements to be signed for R32 and the other currently available A2L gases HFOs R1234yf and R1234ze due to their lower flammability.

The move comes as Danfoss believes that with the new ISO5149 safety standard, soon to be published, there is now an international safety standard for larger systems.

“This relaxation is due to a combination of increased usage with the resulting increased competence in the market, and the fact that safety standards are in place (specifically  EN 378 and EN/IEC 60335) and are an integrated part of the legislative framework,” the company said in a statement.

Danfoss added that it firmly believes that if safety standards are followed, then flammable refrigerants are safe, no matter where in the world they are used.

Danfoss products for flammable refrigerants still comply with EU Pressure Equipment Directive for fluid group I and are compliant with the requirements for IEC 60079 and ATEX zone 2, making safe systems easy to build.

The change of the Danfoss policy is a result of a close review of the policy and an acknowledgement of the increasing use of and competence about hydrocarbons. This review have also resulted in Danfoss running a conversion project, where many standard non-electrical products with connection sizes less than 25mm are upgraded to flammable refrigerants.