Four Types Of Refrigerants That Are Safer Than Freon

Since the Environmental Protection Agency determined that the more commonly used hydrochlorofluorocarbon refrigerant R-22, was not as healthy as experts thought, they have been working for the past several decades to phase out its use in the society and eventually ban it. The phasing out started in the year 2010 and was further implemented in 2015. However, the agency plans to severely limit in 2020 and do away with the refrigerant altogether in 2030, meaning it will be illegal.

As more people work to ascertain that their refrigerant-based equipment and machinery will still work in their homes, companies and other sites, they are searching for not only environmentally friendly but cost-effective and efficient alternatives for freon. So, to help those of you who are looking to replace R-22 or Freon, we have created a list of 4 types of refrigerants that have been proven to be safer.

In this read, you will find four common refrigerants that are suitable and safe alternatives. However, you should keep in mind that these options have their own ups and downs and many uses as well as safety precautions that need to be taken seriously.

R-134A

Norflurane usually referred to as R-134A is a haloalkane refrigerant with thermodynamic properties. It is made of a single component and isn’t blended like most R-12, and Freon options are. Due to this, working with R-134A doesn’t need the use of several recovery equipment.

As per the EPA regulations, any product that utilizes or recycles a blend needs a separate device for each component. Today, R-134A is the only refrigerant option that is approved to retrofit Freon air conditioning systems in cars, which is ideally its most popular usage. However, the retrofitting process ought to follow the procedures in place to avoid safety hazards and other issues.

Normally, retrofitting is an easy process. The procedure includes switching the car’s receiver/drier or accumulator, removing the old compressor and replacing the air conditioner’s high-pressure switch. Regardless of this process being easy, it’s still essential that it’s done carefully and properly. If any Freon is left in the machinery, it could lead to cross-contamination.

R-134A is considered to be among the best alternatives due to what some professionals call an insignificant effect on the O2 layer. Some say it has an O2 depletion potential of 0, but some regions are still not convinced that it’s the best Freon alternative and have actually been phasing it out along with R-22. Still, it’s still available in the U.S and can be easily bought in the majority of auto shops.

R-404A

This is another widely accepted refrigerant that has an ozone depletion potential of 0, which means it is an excellent alternative to Freon. R-404A is usually utilized for refrigeration equipment that needs a temperature between 15 degrees and -45 degrees Celsius, which is translated to  59° F and -49° F respectively. It is often used in the industrial and commercial transport sectors because of the vast temperature range.

The composition of R-404A is quite similar to Freon and sometimes provides improved performance. Since it has no rapid reaction to moisture and air, it’s considered to be safe for numerous uses. It is ideally colorless, non-flammable as well as odorless.

However, similar to any other refrigerant, you should always take the required safety precautions to be safe. Direct contact with this form of refrigerant may cause frostbite and exposing it to high heat or fire for too long may cause the tank to fracture, thus causing a rocket-effect. R-404A is quite common, and it is available in stores that specialize in heating and cooling machinery. It is also available on Amazon for purchase.

R-407C

Due to R-407C’s thermodynamic features that are fairly similar to those of Freon, it is a common alternative to those who want to retrofit their Freon machinery and equipment.

The blend of hydrofluorocarbons constitutes a mixture of difluoromethane,1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane and pentafluoroethane. This is also a widely accepted alternative that is pretty popular in ductless split systems as well as packaged air conditioners, light air conditioning, water chillers and direct expansion systems that are in commercial, industrial and residential places. It is ideally used in medium temp refrigeration equipment.

R-407C is utilized in newly produced appliances. Those that utilize nitrogen as a holding charge are especially ideal with this type of refrigerant as it utilizes polyol ester oil. While it’s most common to use in new refrigeration systems and appliances, R-407C can also be retrofitted in limited Freon systems as long as the process involves a change in oil.

R-407C is also an excellent alternative to R-22 as it is safe for the environment because of its O2 depletion potential of 0. It comes in both drums and cylinders and it can be bought from well-known gas and refrigeration stores, of which Amazon is one of them.

R-410A

This refrigerant is a mixture of 2 hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, pentafluoroethane, and difluoromethane. It is known to be a non-ozone depleting compound and offers better energy efficiency than both R-407C and Freon. It also doesn’t utilize chlorine in its composition.

R-410A is considered to be more ideal that Freon because of its refrigeration capacity and higher pressure that leads to better performance. If you decide to buy a unit that uses this type of refrigerant, the process is ideally easy. As a matter of fact, most companies that specialize in refrigeration devices and air conditioning make units specifically for use with this type of refrigerant.

Even though it is most popular in chilling units, air conditioning, and commercial refrigeration, it’s essential to keep in mind that R-410A will not function in Freon air conditioning units. That is because it needs a different pressure gauge than what is normally used with Freon and that can be attributed to its higher pressure.

R-410A should be charged in liquid form and in little bursts. The refrigerant is sold under various trademarks including Genetron R410A, Florane 410A, Suva 410A, AZ-20, Puron as well as EcoFluor R410. As with the other three refrigerants, it is also easy to buy in heating and cooling stores as well as online. You can see bluon tdx reviews here and to get more information.