The magic moment of Jan. 1, 2010—when HCFC-22 equipment would no longer be manufactured—was magical for only a few months.
By the middle of 2010, a number of HVAC equipment manufacturers had begun to ramp up production of R-22 equipment and dry-ship them without the refrigerant. Several industry observers think the shipments are in the tens of thousands with one such observer, Ted Gartland of HVAC distributor Allied Representatives, saying, “Millions will be sold.”
For apartment maintenance professionals, the development of so-called “dry R-22” condensing units means technicians can continue to maintain existing R-22 HVAC systems with less-expensive replacement parts rather than switching to new R-410A equipment, as long as a supply of R-22 is available at reasonable prices.
The reasons for the development—which, for many, was unexpected—include:
• The original U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruling of 2009—designed to curtail use of R-22—only said that entire systems could not be manufactured and that any replacement components for aftermarket use could not be pre-charged with the refrigerant.
• Condensing units constitute a component, not an entire system.
• An ample supply of R-22 is available at fairly reasonable prices.
• A sluggish economy is helping prop up R-22 supplies.
• There is customer demand for the less expensive R-22 components to use in repair of older R-22 components, rather than changing out to R-410A air-conditioning equipment.
Concerns raised include:
• The continuing manufacture of entire condensing units—while not in violation of the letter of the law with regards to the EPA regulations—may not be meeting the spirit of the law, even if that spirit is somewhat unclear.
• The possibility that the stepped up use of R-22 to charge the dry-shipped equipment onsite will increase the use of the refrigerant to the point where some R-22 equipment could become stranded and unable to be serviced with dwindling supplies of R-22.
• Some questions about the ability of service technicians to fully charge a residential air conditioner onsite, especially in terms of accidental venting.
New Rules Unlikely
The confusion goes back to late 2009, when the EPA’s final ruling related to R-22 equipment focused on not having R-22 in the units rather than what could be manufactured.
Though the possibility exists that EPA could clarify its regulations, EPA has not committed to any changes yet. If a rulemaking is required to clarify or modify the rule, a final decision could be a year or more away. At that point, the supply of R-22 could be so low as to make a revised regulation a moot point.
Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration (ACHR) News has learned that Carrier, Goodman, Lennox, Nordyne and Rheem all will produce dry R-22 condensing units.
Installation Challenges
One aspect of the issue in which there seems to be agreement is that the installation of dry-shipped R-22 condensing units should not pose a problem for apartment technicians. Anecdotal conversations with air-conditioning technicians point to just putting a larger amount of R-22 into a system rather than the typical topping off or taking out a bit of R-22 onsite, as was the case with pre-charged systems.
Technicians must be sure to remove the nitrogen from dry R-22 units before charging them with refrigerant, emphasizes NAA Education Institute National Maintenance and Safety Instructor Pablo Paz.
“These dry units are pressurized with nitrogen for shipping, and I have heard of technicians who forget to remove the nitrogen or do not know it is there and end up mixing R-22 with nitrogen, causing damage to the systems,” Paz says.
“In addition, they must be aware that the prices for R-22 refrigerant are going up and will continue to go up until the supplies run out. Installing a dry R-22 unit
is acceptable for repairing the system, but not during complete installation of a new system. When installing a complete new system, an R-410A system must be used.”
This article was excerpted from ACHR News. Peter Powell is Refrigeration Editor for ACHR News and can be reached at peterpowell@achrnews.com.