FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
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Can I switch out the HFC in my refrigerator with an alternative, without buying a whole new system?
It is possible to retrofit your system with an alternate refrigerant, but you shouldn't do it without further guidance. Tom Land, head of the sustainable refrigerants program at the EPA, recommends retrofitting a system with R-22 (ozone-depleting Freon) with R-404A (a potent HFC, but with no ozone-depleting potential). This swap, he says, is relatively simple. Check with your technician to see if this is possible.
Although many stores have switched from Freon to R-404A, this isn't necessarily ideal. Sure, it helps the ozone layer, but R-404A is about 2.2 times more potent than Freon. Therefore, the next ideal step could be a switch from Freon to hydrofluoroolefin (HFO)alternatives, circumventing the need to retrofit with an HFC blend. Luckily, there are options. R-448 and R-449 are HFO blends with properties similar to R-22. Contact your technician to look into this swap. This retrofit is not only good for the environment, but also good for the economy. Since R-448 and R-449 are rising in popularity, you can help refrigerant manufacturers have the economic incentive to push sustainable refrigerants.
If you aren't comfortable switching to HFOs, you could explore the possibility of retrofitting with R-407A or R-407C, an HFC strain with properties very similar to R-22. R-407 strains tend to be cheaper than R-404A, and also have half of the global warming potential.
For comparison:
It's important to note that a retrofit could backfire. Since 80% of a refrigerator's lifetime impact on the climate comes from energy use, efficiency is incredibly important in these systems. If you switch to an alternative refrigerant, you might actually compromise the efficiency of your system, causing it to work harder for the same result. Please confirm with a certified technician before you attempt to retrofit your system.
Although many stores have switched from Freon to R-404A, this isn't necessarily ideal. Sure, it helps the ozone layer, but R-404A is about 2.2 times more potent than Freon. Therefore, the next ideal step could be a switch from Freon to hydrofluoroolefin (HFO)alternatives, circumventing the need to retrofit with an HFC blend. Luckily, there are options. R-448 and R-449 are HFO blends with properties similar to R-22. Contact your technician to look into this swap. This retrofit is not only good for the environment, but also good for the economy. Since R-448 and R-449 are rising in popularity, you can help refrigerant manufacturers have the economic incentive to push sustainable refrigerants.
If you aren't comfortable switching to HFOs, you could explore the possibility of retrofitting with R-407A or R-407C, an HFC strain with properties very similar to R-22. R-407 strains tend to be cheaper than R-404A, and also have half of the global warming potential.
For comparison:
- R407A: 2107 GWP
- R407C: 1774 GWP
- R404A: 3992 GWP
- R-22: 1810 GWP+ozone-depletion
It's important to note that a retrofit could backfire. Since 80% of a refrigerator's lifetime impact on the climate comes from energy use, efficiency is incredibly important in these systems. If you switch to an alternative refrigerant, you might actually compromise the efficiency of your system, causing it to work harder for the same result. Please confirm with a certified technician before you attempt to retrofit your system.
How do refrigerators contribute to climate change?
Refrigerators contribute to climate change in two ways: energy use and emissions. Electricity powers refrigerators, generally from a non-renewable source such as coal or natural gas. Although it's not immediately evident, refrigerator use (assuming that your electricity comes from a renewable source) necessitates burning these substances, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This typically accounts for 80% of the refrigerator's lifetime impact on the climate. Our project mainly addresses the remaining 20% of impact--the emissions. These emissions are the CFC, HFC, and other substances that escape into the atmosphere if not reclaimed correctly.
What main types of HFC refrigerant ARE THE most common?
According to www.facilitiesnet.com/hvac/article/What-You-Need-To-Know-About-the-HFC-Refrigerant-Phase-Out-Facilities-Management-HVAC-Feature--17286, the following refrigerants will need to phase-out and disappear from production around 2025:
- R-22 (Freon)
- For all intents and purposes, R-22 is no longer in production (since 2010). By 2020, R-22 production must stop everywhere.
- R-410A (Puron, Suva 9100, or Genetron AZ-20)
- R-410A is very common in supermarket chillers and air conditioning units.
- R-404A
- R-404A is another popular refrigerant in the large chillers you see in supermarkets. It's a particularly bad HFC, which a GWP of 3922.
- R-134A
- Very widely used all across the world in air conditioning and small appliances. It was the first non-ozone-depleting refrigerant to be commercialized.
- Look inside your fridge at home: we can almost guarantee that it uses R-134A.
- By 2021, all automobiles must stop using R-134A in their air conditioning, unless the car's market is in a third world country where alternatives to HFC could not be processed.