Following criticism from the Office of the Ombudsman after an investigation into a 2013 air conditioning fire and explosion that injured more than 20 people and caused extensive property damage, the Hong Kong government is advising the trade not to retrofit systems with flammable refrigerants. In its damning report into the 2013 Ma On Shan … Continue reading Hong Kong government advises against retrofits after HC blast
Numerous technicians in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Spain and Vietnam have been killed or injured in recent weeks in a spate mysterious air conditioning explosions, according to sketchy, often contradictory media reports from those countries. In the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, four or five workers were taken to hospital for treatment of burns ranging from seven to … Continue reading Mysterious spate of deadly AC explosions
This warning label attached to a cylinder of hydrocarbon refrigerant could be the manufacturer’s admission that its product is no longer considered a direct ‘drop-in’ replacement for R134a. The warning criticises major hose brands and hose types used by major motor vehicle manufacturers and recommends the retrofit to a ‘full barrier hose’ in order to … Continue reading Hydrocarbon refrigerant hose-down
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved hydrocarbon refrigerants R170 (ethane), R600a (isobutane), R290 (propane) and R441A (a blend of all four) for use in certain stationary refrigeration and air conditioning applications. The EPA has not changed its position on the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in motor vehicle air conditioning (MVAC) systems, with … Continue reading US EPA Approves HC Refrigerants
Refrigerant company Enviro-Safe has been fined $US300,000 and agreed to stop marketing and selling non-compliant, unapproved hydrocarbon refrigerants as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances in the United States. Under the consent decree, Enviro-Safe must also include warning on the packaging, website listings and marketing materials for its flammable refrigerants stating that the product is “flammable to … Continue reading US hydrocarbon refrigerant company cops $300K fine
Example how two truck occupants came to be seriously injured by hydrocarbon refrigerant escaping into their cabin and igniting as they drove down a suburban street in Perth, has been revealed in a report produced during an independent investigation of the incident. The explosion happened on April 28 this year, exactly five months after the … Continue reading Perth truck HC explosion: how it happened
Workshops using hydrocarbon refrigerants in vehicle air-conditioning systems could be pursued by insurance companies if any damage to a vehicle is caused by the use of flammable gases. This is in addition to the myriad possible refrigerant handling or occupational health and safety infringements that could occur during the process of filling an air-conditioning system … Continue reading Insurance headache for hydrocarbon refrigerants
