HCFC warning
January 1st 2009 As industry braces itself to meet
demands from users still reliant on
HCFCs in the run up to the ban,
Eaton-Williams Service (EWS) is
warning plant and processing
managers that at current reclaim
rates there will not be sufficient
quantities of recycled refrigerants
available to meet maintenance
demands between now and total
phase out in January 2015.
EWS says that although there are
alternative 'drop-in' refrigerants, care
needs to be taken as what is suitable
for an air conditioning system may
not suit a refrigeration application.
Ray Paice, national sales manager,
says "Many users will be under the
impression that 'drop-ins' are an
instant solution and don't realise that
they cannot simply 'drop in' an
alternative refrigerant on top of the
old one. The system will, as an
absolute minimum, need to be
thoroughly purged of all traces of
R22 and the oil replaced with a
compatible alternative."
Virgin HCFCs can be used up to
the end of 2009 and recycled HCFCs
up to 2015. More articles from Eaton-Williams Group Ltd: | 
