The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its new list of refrigerants it will classify as “delisted” between 2016 and 2020.
The list includes refrigerants used in new and retrofitted food refrigeration equipment, new and retrofitted vending machines, and new remote condensing units.
The list also includes refrigerant used in the manufacture of insulation products, air conditioning, and in automotive air conditioning.
This proposed rule is part of the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, under which the EPA continuously reviews alternatives to ODS to find substitutes that pose what the EPA says is a less overall risk to human health and the environment. The list of acceptable alternatives is is evaluated and revised based on what the EPA describes as "safer" alternatives become available for particular applications.
PDF OF THE ENTIRE EPA RULING CAN BE FOUND HERE
The list of delisted HVACR-related refrigerants follows.
• Retrofitted supermarket systems: R–404A, R–407B, R–421B, R–422A, R– 422C, R–422D, R–428A, R–434A, and R–507A as of July 20, 2016
• New supermarket systems: HFC– 227ea, R–404A, R–407B, R–421B, R– 422A, R–422C, R–422D, R–428A, R– 434A, and R–507A as of January 1, 2017
• Retrofitted remote condensing units: R–404A, R–407B, R–421B, R– 422A, R–422C, R–422D, R–428A, R– 434A, and R–507A as of July 20, 2016
• New remote condensing units: HFC–227ea, R–404A, R–407B, R–421B,
R–422A, R–422C, R–422D, R–428A, R– 434A, and R–507A as of January 1, 2018 .
• Retrofitted vending machines: R– 404A and R–507A as of July 20, 2016.
• New vending machines: FOR12A, FOR12B, HFC–134a, KDD6, R–125/290/ 134a/600a(55.0/1.0/42.5/1.5), R–404A, R–407C, R–410A, R–410B, R–417A, R–421A, R-422B, R–422C, R–422D, R–426A, R–437A, R–438A, R–507A, RS–24 (2002 formulation), and SP34E as of January 1, 2019.
• Retrofitted stand-alone retail food refrigeration equipment: R–404A and R–507A as of July 20, 2016
• New stand-alone medium-temperature units with a compressor capacity below 2,200 Btu/hr and not containing a flooded evaporator:
FOR12A, FOR12B, HFC–134a, HFC– 227ea, KDD6, R–125/290/134a/600a (55.0/1.0/42.5/1.5), R–404A, R–407A, R–407B, R–407C, R–407F, R–410A, R–410B, R-417A, R–421A, R–421B, R–422A, R–422B, R–422C, R–422D, R–424A, R–426A, R–428A, R–434A, R–437A, R–438A, R–507A, RS–24 (2002 formulation), RS–44 (2003 formulation),
SP34E, and THR–03 as of January 1, 2019.
• New stand-alone medium-temperature units with a compressor capacity equal to or greater than 2,200 Btu/hr and stand-alone medium-temperature units containing a flooded evaporator: FOR12A, FOR12B, HFC–134a, HFC–227ea, KDD6, R–125/290/
134a/600a (55.0/1.0/42.5/1.5), R–404A, R–407A, R–407B, R–407C, R–407F, R–410A, R-410B, R–417A, R–421A, R– 421B, R–422A, R–422B, R–422C, R– 422D, R–424A, R–426A, R–428A, R–434A, R–437A, R–438A, R–507A, RS–24 (2002 formulation), RS–44 (2003 formulation), SP34E, and THR–03 as of January 1, 2020.
• New stand-alone low-temperature units: HFC–227ea, KDD6, R–125/290/134a/600a (55.0/1.0/42.5/1.5), R–404A, R–407A, R–407B, R–407C, R–407F, R–410A, R–410B,
R-417A, R–421A, R– 421B, R–422A, R–422B, R–422C, R– 422D, R–424A, R–428A, R-434A, R– 437A, R–438A, R–507A, and RS–44 (2003 formulation) as of January 1, 2020.
Clarifications Provided
EPA is providing clarification on several questions identified during the comment period.
• These include clarifications of the terms EPA is using for the various end-use categories covered by this rule, including ‘‘supermarket systems,’’ ‘‘remote condensing units,’’ and ‘‘stand- alone equipment.’’
• Clarification is also being provided on certain types of equipment that do not fall within the categories and end-uses covered by this including blast chillers, certain ice makers, very-low temperature refrigeration equipment, and equipment that dispenses chilled beverage or food (e.g., soft-serve ice cream) via a nozzle.
There will be clarification of the terms “new” and “retrofit,” and how those terms relate to the service of existing equipment.