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Flammable Refrigerants

This webpage provides general information to air conditioning and refrigeration service technicians about certain requirements for working with systems charged with flammable refrigerants.

Fire hazard

What are flammable refrigerants?

“Flammable refrigerants" refer to both flammable and mildly flammable refrigerants. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard 34 classifies refrigerants based on their toxicity and flammability. Refrigerants are assigned to one of two toxicity classifications: A (refrigerants with an occupational exposure limit of 400 ppm or greater) or B (refrigerants with an occupational exposure limit of less than 400 ppm). Refrigerants are assigned to one of four flammability classifications (1, 2L, 2, 3) with flammable refrigerants classified as 2L, 2, or 3. These toxicity and flammability characters combine to form a refrigerant safety classification (e.g., “A2L” or “B1”). Common examples of flammable refrigerants include R-290 (Class A3), R-152a (Class A2), and R-32 (Class A2L). As used herein, “flammable refrigerants” refers to any refrigerants classified as 2L, 2 or 3.

Even if you don’t plan to work on systems with flammable refrigerants, you should be aware of some basic information about them in case you encounter such a system in the field.

Emerson uses or may use in the future, the flammable refrigerant types set forth here.  

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YOU MUST HAVE SPECIALIZED TRAINING BEFORE SERVICING SYSTEMS CONTAINING FLAMMABLE REFRIGERANTS

EPA certification is not enough. Servicing HVAC/R systems with flammable refrigerants requires additional certification. One such flammable refrigerant certification is the Hydrocarbon Training Program offered by the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES). (See below for more information.)

If you have not received certification for completing the Hydrocarbon Training Program and passed the examination, or received equivalent training and certification, do not service any system containing flammable refrigerants.

Fire hazard

           

FLAMMABLE REFRIGERANT CAN IGNITE OR EXPLODE.

If flammable refrigerant is released from a system, an explosive concentration can be present in the air near the system. If there is an ignition source nearby, a release of flammable refrigerant can result in a fire or explosion. While systems using flammable refrigerant are designed to mitigate the risk of ignition by the system if the refrigerant is released, fire and explosion can still occur.

Combustible Gas

ALWAYS USE A COMBUSTIBLE GAS MONITOR WHEN SERVICING SYSTEMS CONTAINING FLAMMABLE REFRIGERANTS. 

Before and during servicing, always check the area around the system with a combustible gas monitor rated for the specific class of flammable refrigerant (Class 3, 2 or 2L) in the system.[AS1]  Keep the monitor on until you can confirm that refrigerant does not reach detectable combustible levels. If combustible levels are detected at any point in the process, then STOP service, ventilate and evacuate the area. Do not perform any further service to the system unless you are specifically trained on flammable refrigerants.

How do I know if a system uses flammable refrigerants?
How can I determine which refrigerants a component is compatible with?
What tools and equipment are required to work on flammable refrigerant systems?
What are some safety procedures to know when working with flammable refrigerants?
How can I learn more about flammable refrigerants?
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Reference materials

1.    Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technology - Unit 9, sections 9.8 and 9.9
An HVACR textbook that covers the details of working with HFO (section 9.8) and HC (section 9.9) refrigerants, including the different types of installations and applications.

2.    Evolving Safety Standards for A2L and A3 Refrigerants
Covers the governing standards on flammable refrigerants, as well as the criteria evaluated to determine the safety of a flammable refrigerant. 

3.    New Refrigerants Designation and Safety Classifications
Presentation by Emerson on the overview of regulations driving refrigerant changes, description of the class 2L “mildly flammable” refrigerant, and basic servicing instructions for flammable refrigerants. 

4.    Safety Instructions for Copeland Brand Compressors
A general list of safety statements and warnings regarding the installation, commission, and maintenance of compressor equipment.

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