The industry-wide transition to more sustainable, environmentally friendly materials is upon us – and come January 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s deadline for producing equipment with the R-410A refrigerant will be in full swing.
It’s vital technicians and contractors understand the ins and outs of working with R-454B by staying diligently aware of safety measures both traditional and new. While A2L refrigerants are the second-safest refrigerant class, there are still nuances to properly handling, installing and maintaining them.
Let’s break it down to the basics: What will this transition look like, and what safety considerations need to be at-play during the R-410A phase out?
Logistics for Contractors
Customers who are currently leveraging systems equipped with R-410A will continue to be serviced – therefore, technicians must be informed about both R-410A and R-454B, as well as the timeline of the phasedown.
During this transitional phase, equipment manufactured or imported prior to January 1, 2025, with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) above 700 can be installed until January 2026. After this point, any new residential heat pumps manufactured must utilize refrigerants with a GWP of 700 or less. For reference, R-454B’s GWP rating is 466, while R-410A’s is 2,088.
A2L Safety Basics
One of the most important factors to keep in mind during the shift to A2L refrigerants is that, although they are very safe to use, ASHRAE does classify them as mildly flammable. On the contrary, R-410A – which technicians have grown used to dealing with – is not flammable in standard environments.
Therefore, it is crucial contractors are trained and prepared to manage an – albeit, unlikely – risk of fire when handling R-454B.
To mitigate risk of fire, contractors must prioritize and follow through on proper handling and storing procedures – regardless of the risk being so slim. On the back end, many manufacturers are working on leak detection sensors to pick up on any R-454B vapors and ensure there’s no buildup.
From a contractor’s perspective, new precautions to consider start with transportation management.
Since contractors will continue to service customers with both R-410A and R-454B refrigerants, transporting the materials must be a meticulous process – as introducing the incorrect refrigerant into any given system will mix incompatible chemical properties. To get ahead of any errors, since both types of refrigerants can in fact be transported together, cylinders containing R-410A and R-454B will be in differently colored tanks – with R-454B cylinders sporting a red stripe or band to signify low flammability on a gray exterior, alongside a stamped refrigerant number.
Professionals are required to have a class B fire extinguisher and written inventory when transporting flammable materials, and cylinders must be arranged properly – in compliance with International Code Council (ICC) guidelines. They must be positioned upright and in a way that prevents movement, theft and tampering, and must also be handled as though they contain refrigerant, even if they appear empty. A timeless rule of thumb in this industry is to never consider a refrigerant cylinder empty until it’s been properly evacuated.
Additional Tips
Most evergreen safety concerns contractors will have already practiced remain true at a high level, regardless of the change in refrigerant type. Now is an optimal time to jog your memory on standard practices, and how they translate over to R-454B. These include:
- Performing a triple evacuation on heat pumps prior to charging – leveraging a vacuum pump rated for use with A2L refrigerants.
- Ensuring recovery tanks are certified and never filled to more than 80% by volume to prevent hydrostatic pressure and potential tank rupture.
- Determining the maximum concentration of refrigerant a particular unit can take according to Refrigeration Concentration Limits (RCL) prior to installation and/or maintenance. This reduces the risk of toxicity, asphyxiation and flammability.
- Making sure refrigerants are vacuumed out and charged with Nitrogen when air transport is required.
- Including the date the pressure test and evacuation was completed on the label of A2L equipment upon completing installation.
- Placing NFPA 704 hazard placards around the perimeter of the site when brazing a system that has been charged with A2L refrigerant. Tubing must also be pressurized, and the system vented.
How to Prepare Now
If customers catch wind of the HFC phasedown, they may pose questions and concerns about how it will impact them – especially if they hear there is a low flammability rating. To ensure they’re bringing the most accurate, current information to those they service, contractors should prepare to assuage any concerns by staying informed and completing manufacturer-prescribed trainings for dealing with new equipment.
For additional education, organizations such as the ESCO Institute and the ICC are rife with materials geared at familiarizing HVAC professionals with what this transition entails and how they can stay ahead of the curve.
Contractors should also start reworking their toolkit to account for servicing units manufactured before and after the January R-410A production deadline – as you’ll need A2L-rated tools to service a unit with R-454B. This includes recovering machines, vacuum pumps, leak detectors, manifold gauges and more.
All in all, contractors, it’s crucial to prepare on both the technical front by familiarizing yourself with logistics, equipment and safety procedures surrounding A2L refrigerants, while also being equipped to guide customers through a complex regulatory process – boiling complicated, technical information down to an understandable level and ensuring they’re set up with the most comfortable, cost-effective and sustainable systems.
