R-22 Phase out January 1st, 2010
December 1st, 2009 commentsJanuary 1st is just around the corner. Now is the time to start preparing for the R-22 refrigeration phase out. Starting in 2010, manufacturers can only produce R-22 refrigerant to service existing equipment. All newly manufactured units will use an alternate refrigerant.
Important Things to know about the R-22 Phase Out
The phase out of the ubiquitous R22 refrigerant gas changes many things for the consumer. If you need to know more about the phase-out, you should read the following pointers.
1) In the United States, there are regulatory bodies like the EPA that have laid down strict guidelines with regards to the regulation and maintenance of refrigerant leaks. The Montreal protocol and the Kyoto protocols have been initiated on an international level to regulate similar parameters. These protocols are being put into place to regulate the repair of refrigerant leaks and the disposal of older machines that use such refrigerants. Read the rest of this entry »
Plan Now for Upcoming Changes in Refrigerants
May 22nd, 2009 commentsBe aware that prices of R-22 refrigeration may increase while supplies will likely wane. After January 1, 2010, original equipment manufacturers will no longer be able to sell equipment using R-22. The phase out of R-22 will be a lengthy process and market conditions may not be as greatly affected by the volatility that resulted in refrigerant price hikes characterized by the phase out of R-12.
Existing equipment using R-22 can continue to be serviced with R-22. However, chemical manufactures will no longer be able to produce R-22 after January 1, 2020. After 2020 the servicing of existing equipment will rely exclusively on re-claimed and recycled supplies of R-22.
If your equipment is more than ten years old, you may save significantly on your cooling energy cost by replacing it with a new more efficient model using R-404a or Scroll compressor technology.
Energy efficiency, system performance, hourly run time of equipment, reliability, and actual cost to operate (amp draw, run time, etc.) should be considered when deciding to purchase new equipment.
To help speed the transition away from ozone depleting refrigerants, choose a system that uses ozone friendly refrigerants.
Energy Efficient Copeland Scroll Compressors for Walk-ins
May 8th, 2009 commentsSave valuable resources with energy efficient Copeland Scroll compressors, permanent split capacitor motors and electronically commutated evaporator motors on your next refrigeration system purchase. Scroll condensing units are available for medium and low temperature refrigeration applications. The condensing units are optimized to work with HFC refrigerant R-404A, a reliable alternative to HCFC R-22. As the energy efficiency trend increases, the use of scroll compressors is a more important feature than ever before. Scroll compressors are inherently more reliable because they have significantly fewer moving parts and handle liquid slugs and debris more effectively. The scroll technology has only three moving parts, as compared to the standard hermetic compressors that have 150 plus moving parts. Scroll is effective in using less energy or amp draws verses the standard hermetic compressor. Copeland studies indicate that up to a 15% reduction in energy use is experienced for most applications. When adding the benefit of PSC motors on condensers and EC motors for evaporators, energy use will decrease. Sizing refrigeration equipment to operate for 14 to 16 hours instead of the traditional 16 to 18 hour run time will also save energy by using less kilowatts and costing less to operate compressors and motors.
Copeland Scroll Refrigeration Compressor