A Newsletter from National Refrigerants, Inc.

National NewsWinter 2010

In this Issue:• EPA Finalizes HCFC Rules—2—

• Ask the ExpertSend your questions for publication to info@refrigerants.com

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• What Does Oil Do In a Compressor?

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• NEW! NRI website• NEW! 2010 Refrigerant

Reference Guide

EPA Finalizes HCFC Rules

Feature:

National Refrigerant’s full service total quality programs include every aspect of refrigerant management including reclamation, cylinder refurbishing, refrigerant banking, refrigerant and oil analytical testing and technical support.

On December 15, 2009, EPA published two long-awaited rules that will have a major impact on our industry. The first rule, Adjust-ments to the Allowance System for Controlling HCFC Production, Import & Export (“Allocation Rule”), allocates the production and import of HCFCs including R22, R142b, R123 and R124 for 2010 through 2014. The second rule, Ban of the Sale or Distribution of Precharged Equipment (“Precharged Equip-ment Rule”), establishes regulations related to the sale or distribution or offer for sale or distribution in interstate commerce of air conditioning and refrigeration appliances containing R22, R142b and blends containing these refrigerants beginning January 1, 2010.

When considering the impact of these two rules on the air conditioning and refrigeration industry, it will be important to understand EPA’s definition of Appliance, Component and Manufactured:

Appliance: Any device which contains & uses a refrigerant and which is used for household or commercial purposes, including air condi-tioners, refrigerators, chillers and freezers.

Component: Any portion of the refrigerant circuitry that is necessary for the appliance to

function in its intended purpose (examples: condenser, evaporator, compressor, TXV, line set, coil)

Manufactured: The date of manufacture is when the appliance meets the following four criteria: 1) Refrigerant circuit is complete 2) Appliance is charged with refrigerant 3) Appliance can function 4) Appliance is ready for use for its

intended purpose

Allocation Rule EPA is allocating 80% of the estimated quan-tity of R22 needed for aftermarket servicing in 2010 and will decrease the allocation each year so that the supply of R22 will be less than the estimated demand. EPA will issue alloca-tions for 2015-2019 at a later date based on projected servicing demand for those years.

Virgin R123 and R124 are allowed in newly manufactured appliances until January 1, 2020.

As indicated in the chart below, reclaimed R22 will be necessary to meet the continued servicing needs of the installed equipment base:

National Refrigerants, Inc.11401 Roosevelt Boulevard Philadelphia, PA 19154800.262.0012 fax: 215.698.7466 web: www.refrigerants.com e-mail: info@refrigerants.com

Continued on pg.2

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Estimated R22 Demand for Service 137.7 M 127.6 M 117.2 M 106.7 M 96 M

EPA Virgin R22 Allocation 110.2 M 100 M 89.7 M 79.1 M 68.6 M

Shortfall to be filled with Reclaim R22 27.55 M 27.55 M 27.55 M 27.55 M 27.55 M

All numbers in pounds

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Precharged Equipment RuleThe Precharged Equipment Rule pro-hibits the precharging of all air con-ditioning and refrigeration appliances and components by OEMs beginning January 1, 2010.

The prohibition…• Does not apply to precharged appliances

and components that were manufac-tured prior to January 1, 2010

• Does not prohibit the sale or distribu-tion of pre-2010 inventory

• Allows the sale and distribution of uncharged appliances and components

• Allows the use of reclaimed R22 to field charge appliances manufactured after January 1, 2010

• Allows uncharged components to be charged with virgin or reclaimed refrigerant if used for service only

Below is a summary of the effect of the two rules on our industry:

PRECHARGED APPLIANCES & COMPONENTS MANUFACTURED BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2010:• No restriction on sale or distribution• Precharged components can only be

used to service existing appliances• Virgin or reclaimed refrigerant can

be used to service appliances

APPLIANCES & COMPONENTS MANUFAC-TURED AFTER JANUARY 1, 2010:• Appliances cannot be initially charged

with virgin refrigerant, reclaimed refrigerant is okay

• Components can be charged with virgin refrigerant if being used for service of existing appliance; otherwise, charge only with reclaimed refrigerant

IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS1) Virgin R22 may be used for the onsite manufacture (i.e. installation) of appliances for a specific project if the components being used on that project were manufactured before Janu-ary 1, 2010 and if a building permit or contract was issued and dated prior to January 1, 2010. Projects that qualify for this exception must be completed by December 31, 2011.

2) Thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) manufacturers can use R22 manufac-tured before January 1, 2010 to produce precharged TXVs until January 1, 2015.

For more information, please visit EPA’s website : http://www.epa.gov/ozone/strathome.html n

Ask the ExpertQuestions & Answers regarding refrigerants, lubricants, chemicals, or regulations.

Please forward all questions for publication to info@refrigerants.com

Why do oil and refrigerant need to be mutually soluble?Mineral Oil and alkylbenzene are the tried and true lubricants used in CFC and HCFC systems. However, the lack of solubility of these lubricants with HFC refrigerants results in poor lubricant circulation. Polyolester lubricants were developed for use with HFC systems to match the solubility characteristics of the traditional refrigerants and lubricants. Refrigeration oil must have both thermal and chemical stability in order to achieve long term, clean operation. Thermal stability simply means the oil can operate well at high temperature with minimal changes, and chemical stability refers to the oil’s ability to remain intact in the presence of system components and contaminates at elevated temperatures.A soluble oil and refrigerant combination is where the liquid refrigerant dissolves the liquid oil completely. There will be only one liquid phase that is a mixture of refrigerant and oil. An insoluble oil

and refrigerant combination will have two different liquid phases — one that is lubricant rich and one that is refrigerant rich. It is possible to have an insoluble mixture in a portion of a heat exchanger as the liquid refrigerant either condenses or evaporates and changes the concentration of oil in the liquid refrigerant.

HVAC/R applications use a variety of compressors such as positive displacement and dynamic, in both hermetic and semi-hermetic motor designs. Positive displacement compressors can be either reciprocating or rotary, while dynamic compressors can be either centrifugal or axial. The oil in HVAC/R systems often travels with the refrigerant discharg-ing from the compressor. A typical new positive displacement compressor pumps somewhere in the range of 0.1 to 2 percent oil, while an older compressor may pump up to 3 to 5 percent oil. Many systems operating with a screw compressor utilize an oil separator for removing most of the oil from the compressed refrigerant. All systems require the oil to be carried with the refrigerant to prevent oil from accumulating out in the system.

The compressor discharges high pressure refriger-ant vapor and oil aerosol droplets that are carried to the condenser. Solubility between the refrigerant and oil does not play a significant role in the oil flow characteristics in the condenser because liquid oil is at high temperature and low viscosity, and it can be easily carried by the flowing refrigerant without stranding oil in the condenser.Depending on the design of the HVAC/R system, the refrigerant and oil mixture would either go through a liquid receiver or directly to the expan-sion device. In a mutually soluble situation, the oil and refrigerant flow together. In contrast, if the oil and refrigerant mixture is insoluble, only the liquid refrigerant rich phase is removed from the receiver. The oil rich phase accumulates in the liquid receiver as the refrigerant rich phase leaves the receiver. This could result in trapping significant quantities of oil in the receiver, and possibly causing oil starvation in the compressor. The viscosity of the oil increases in the evaporator because the low viscosity refrigerant is evaporating, and the remaining oil is at the lowest temperature

Continued from pg.1: EPA Finalizes HCFC Rules

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Please forward all questions for publication to info@refrigerants.com

in the system. If the refrigerant is soluble with liquid oil, then the dissolved refrigerant will reduce the viscosity of the oil and the suction gas can easily push the oil back to the compressor. On the other hand, if the refrigerant and liquid oil do not share any solubility, then the liquid oil is not thinned down by dissolved refrigerant and is not easily pushed out of the evaporator back to the compressor. The high viscosity oil may be caught up in the evaporator tubes, thus lowering the heat transfer performance of the evaporator. This may also result in oil starvation in the compressor.

In order to maintain sufficient oil circulation levels in the system and eliminate accumulation of oil in the liquid receiver and/or evaporator, the oil needs to share mutual solubility with the refrigerant. This mutual solubility is based on the chemistry between the oil and refrigerant. The accumulation of oil in the system could lead to insufficient oil levels in the compressor, possibly causing a compressor failure.

Continued on pg.4

WHAT does OIL do in a COMPRESSOR?Most people think all an oil does is lubricate. In addition to this important task, oil does much more in a compressor.Carries the load between moving surfaces. The oil must separate the two moving surfaces so they do not come into contact, which results in excessive wear. The higher the viscosity of the oil, the more load the oil can carry between the two surfaces. If the compressor surfaces transfer more load than the oil can carry, the two moving surfaces will come into contact with each other and may stick, weld together, or grind away at each other.

Friction reduction between two moving surfaces. The oil must help the two moving surfaces slide easily across each other when under normal loads. Even at normal loads there may be some slight contact between the high points of each surface. The ‘slipperi-ness’ of the oil reduces the amount of friction between the two moving surfaces.

Cooling of internal compressor parts. The oil carries heat generated by internal friction and the compression process away from the compressor. Since the oil is in such close contact with the internal components of the compressor, it easily absorbs the heat generated there. As the oil flows back into the compressor sump, it can transfer that absorbed heat outside the compressor. Some systems have an oil cooler to transfer large amounts of heat, while others rely on transferring the heat through air moving over the compressor shell.

The California Air Resources Board adopted the nation’s first comprehensive regulation affecting CFC, HCFC and HFC systems in commercial and industrial applications in December 2009.

The regulations apply only to large commercial and industrial systems that use more than 50 pounds of refrigerant for a single unit. This means the rule applies primarily to supermar-kets, food and beverage processors, cold storage warehouses, and industrial cooling processes. It does not apply to most bars, restaurants, liquor stores, or office buildings.

Beginning in 2011, the rule will require leak inspection, repairs, required service practices and record keeping. Leak inspections will vary from continuous leak monitoring to quarterly or annual leak inspections, depending on the type and size of the refrigeration system.

Registration, reporting and fee requirements will be phased in for facilities in the following three categories:

• In 2012: facilities with large systems using greater than 2,000 pounds of refrigerant must register, report and pay an annual fee of $370.

• In 2014, facilities with medium systems using between 200 and 2,000 pounds of refrigerant must register, report and pay an annual fee of $170.

• In 2016, facilities with small systems using greater than 50, but less than 200 pounds of refrigerant must submit a one-time registration with no annual fee or reporting.

Regulations applying to refrigerant distributors, wholesalers and reclaimers take effect January 1, 2011.

For more information, please go to: http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/reftrack/reftrack.htm

State Refrigerant RegulationsCalifornia Refrigerant Management Program

National Refrigerants, Inc.11401 Roosevelt Boulevard Philadelphia, PA 19154800.262.0012 fax: 215.698.7466 web: www.refrigerants.com e-mail: info@refrigerants.com

Launch of the Refrigerant Reference Guide Fifth Edition 2011This book has been called the “largest collection of refrigerant product information all in one book.”INCLUDES:v Technical data on commercially available productsv Tutorial on refrigerant blend behaviorv Information on very low temperature systems and oil additivesv Expanded retrofit procedures, including the most recent

advances in R-22 retrofit blendsv Updated EPA regulations and web links

v Newly designed website under construction featuring concise information on all products including refrigerants, chemicals, lubricants and services

v Easily accessible downloads of technical support information, Material Safety Data Sheets and more

To be added to the mailing list for future issues please email: info@refrigerants.com or fax a request to 215.698.7466

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On The Web

www.refrigerants.com

New Website Coming Soon!

Coming 2011

Prevents corrosion. The oil coats the metal surfaces and can prevent oxygen from attacking the metal surfaces. If the oil completely drains away from the surface during a prolonged off period, it may no longer protect the surfaces. Very low viscosity oils will not provide as much corrosion protection as thicker oils.

Noise reduction. The oil helps make the compressor run much quieter by helping cushion metal surfaces that are contacting each other. The oil helps prevent surfaces, like valves closing against their seats, from slamming into each other. The film of oil acts like a shock absorber to slow down the speed of the initial surface just before it makes contact with the other surface.

Holds contaminants from the system. The oil acts as the holding area for many of the contaminants in the system. Acidity, particles, moisture and oil breakdown products are concentrated in the oil sump in many systems. This is normally why changing the oil is a good practice when the system is contaminated. The fresh oil will also collect the contaminants from the rest of the system after it is restarted, which is why multiple oil changes work well to clean up badly contaminated systems. n

Continued from pg.3: What Does Oil Do In A Compressor?

A Newsletter from National Refrigerants, Inc.

National NewsSummer 2009

In this Issue:• Regulatory Update—2—

• Ask the ExpertSend your questions for publication to info@refrigerants.com

—3—

• Good Recovery Practices• Tech Tip—4—

• Coil Cleaners for the HVAC Industry

• State Update

HCFC REGULATORY UPDATEFeature:

National Refrigerant’s full service total quality programs include every aspect of refrigerant managementincluding reclamation, cylinder refurbishing,refrigerant banking, refrigerant and oil analytical testing and technical support.

Industry is anxiously waiting for EPA to fi nalize two rules pertaining to HCFCs. The fi rst rule, Adjustments to the Allowance System for Controlling HCFC Production, Import and Export, will issue production and import allocation for HCFCs (R-22, R-123, R-124, R142b, R-225) effective January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2014. The second rule, Ban on the Sale of Pre-Charged Appliances, will regulate the sale and distribution of HCFC equipment and components effective January 1, 2010.

Adjustments to the Allowance SystemThe Allowance System rule is critical to the air conditioning and refrigeration industry because without it, no one will be authorized to produce or import HCFCs in the US after 2009. The US is obligated under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to limit HCFC production and importation in specifi c years culminating in a complete phase-out of the production and import of all HCFCs in 2030. The US has chosen to meet its Montreal Proto-col requirements by phasing out HCFCs on a chemical-by-chemical basis and phasing out the use of certain HCFCs in new equipment while allowing their continued use for service of exist-ing equipment.

EPA has proposed to limit the production and import of R-22 in 2010 to 80% of the projected demand for R-22. EPA intends to allocate 50,000 metric tons of R-22 based on the assumption that recycling and reclamation will make up the short-fall. After 2020, all sources of R-22 will be from existing inventories or supplies of recycled and reclaimed R-22. EPA also issued R-123 allow-ances that it believes will be suffi cient to service R-123 equipment through its useful life.

An existing US Clean Air Act regulation restricts the use of R-22 and R-142b produced or imported as of January 1, 2010, to service only. This means that as of January 1, 2010, newly manufactured appliances cannot be charged

with refrigerant produced or imported after January 1, 2010. The term appliance includes any device which contains and uses an HCFC as a refrigerant and which is used for household or commercial purposes, including air condi-tioner, refrigerator, chiller, or freezer. EPA has interpreted the term “manufactured” to be when the refrigerant loop is completed, the appliance can function, the appliance holds a complete and proper charge, and is ready for use for its intended purpose. Basically, according to EPA, if the appliance does not come from the fac-tory ready to plug-in and turn on, it is when the installation is complete that determines when it is manufactured.

Many companies and industry associations have requested that EPA take a more practical approach to the defi nition of manufacture. As proposed, the defi nition ignores the realities of the air conditioning and refrigeration industry and does not consider the inequity in treatment of appliances in their various applications. Everyone in industry is hopeful that EPA will take a more reasonable approach in the fi nal rule by making distinct the date of manufacture and the date of installation.

Pre-Charged Appliance RuleThe Pre-Charged Appliance rule must be con-sidered in conjunction with the proposed 2010 Allocation rule. The proposed Pre-Charged Appliance rule would ban the sale or distribution of pre-charged air conditioning and refrigeration products and components containing R-22, R-142b or blends containing one or both of these

Continued on pg.2

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A Newsletter from National Refrigerants, Inc.

National NewsWinter 2009

In this Issue:What is the best retro� t blend for R-22?—2—

Ask the ExpertSend your questions for publication to info@refrigerants.com

—3—

Lubricants and Chemicals—4—

Refrigerant BankingRegulatory Update

What is THE BEST retrofi t BLEND for R-22?

Feature:

National Refrigerant’s full service total quality programs include every aspect of refrigerant managementincluding reclamation, cylinder refurbishing,refrigerant banking, refrigerant and oil analytical testing and technical support.

Technicians and equipment owners are ask-ing this question more often as we approach the next step down in the production of R-22. It sounds like a simple question, yet the answer will depend on several key factors.

Air Conditioning versus RefrigerationThere is a fundamental difference between these two applications: evaporator tempera-ture. R-22 air conditioners, with evaporator temperatures from 35ºF to 50ºF, will behave much differently than refrigeration systems running at 20ºF (med temp) or -20ºF (low temp). Some blends will match R-22 proper-ties in A/C and others will be better suited for lower temperature operation.

Application of EquipmentAnother difference might be design capacity and run time for the intended application. Air conditioners are sized for the hottest few days of the year and will cycle consider-ably most of the time. A/C can tolerate lower capacity blends by simply running a little longer. “Storage” refrigeration applications are also sized for 18 to 20 hours run time during the day. Lower capacity blends can also be tolerated in these systems because there is allowance for longer run times. Where systems are sized to match the capacity of the load, or seem to be running all of the time, blends with higher capacity will be needed to maintain equip-ment performance.

Size of Equipment – Ease of Retro� t or ServiceSmaller, self contained refrigeration equip-ment or air conditioners will generally involve much less work to service or retrofi t. If major components need replacement, it may often be easier to replace the entire unit, although replacement cost will also be a con-sideration. Blends that require component replacements or major oil changes may not be the best choice. Service of larger instal-lations will more likely involve component replacement and planned retrofi ts can be