Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine May 2025 Issue

HVACR NewsMagazine May 2025

Tech News

First and foremost, we need to document the use of refrigerant within the company so that we can track how it's being used and eliminate waste. At our company, all of our cylinders in use are tagged — both virgin refrigerant and recovery tanks. Our techs document how much refrigerant they use and recover, respectively, for safety and procurement purposes. Every technician is required to write down the job number and how much refrigerant was used on the tag. This practice also encourages accountability and gives us a record of what was charged or recovered in case we get callbacks related to undercharge or overcharge. Training for a Zero-Leak Policy In an ideal world, there would be no leaks, and even if there were leaks, every leak would be found, confirmed, and patched without a hitch. Unfortunately, that's not exactly realistic. Thorough nitrogen pressure testing, evacuation, and leak detection are the keys here, as is a solid visual inspection. Each time we braze, we should be checking joints and connections to look for any possible leaks or imperfections — that means using a mirror to see behind and underneath the tubing, too. We're not going to get too deep into this topic since we have a comprehensive article about leak detection and mitigation, but the bottom line is that the system needs to be able to hold steady whenever you pressurize it with nitrogen (the exact pressure should be on the equipment data plate).

Best Practices to Conserve A2L Refrigerant

Bryan Orr, HVAC School

If you own your HVAC company or are involved in management, you may have realized that our industry is currently facing a shortage of new A2L refrigerants, particularly R-454B and R-32. Our own company has faced limited availability and long lead times, mainly due to supply chain disruptions and the increased demand now that our industry is primarily installing new systems with these A2L refrigerants. (According to ACHR News, there is a shortage of cylinders that meet the required safety criteria for A2Ls, not a shortage of the actual refrigerant. You can read that article HERE.) Due to the shortage, prices have risen and will likely continue to do so, at least in the short term. The costs get passed along to our customers, and that's something we want to mitigate as much as possible. This tech tip will share our company's current plan to help our techs conserve R-454B whenever they're on the job. Tank Usage: Documentation, Documentation, Documentation