| Refrigerant Leak Creates Environmental Problems for Businesses |
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| Environment - Environment |
| Written by Daniel Stouffer |
| Thursday, 19 February 2009 10:02 |
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A great concern for companies is a refrigerant leak in their refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) system or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. That's because gases that escape during a refrigerant leak pollute and damage the environment. To better monitor and maintain the operation of these business assets, many companies utilize a refrigerant management program.
A great concern for companies is a refrigerant leak in their refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) system or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. That's because gases that escape during a refrigerant leak pollute and damage the environment. To better monitor and maintain the operation of these business assets, many companies utilize a refrigerant management program. A refrigerant leak could be caused by many things. A valve in a refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) system or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system could weaken or rust could form in the filter dryers or heat pump accumulator. Sometimes friction causes small holes to form on a capillary tube, damage occurs to the line set that carries refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator coil, or there is a problem with the flare connection. With a refrigerant leak, thousands of pounds of gases go into the air. These gases have ozone depleting substances like hydrofluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons. These gases have been proven to have harmful effects on the environment and carry a high potential for global warming. It's not easy to find a refrigerant leak, mainly because of the complexity of refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) systems or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The refrigerant leak could be hiding in tubing that stretches hundreds of feet or in an inconspicuous area. A pressure switch or other operating or safety control could also be the cause of a refrigerant leak. To detect a refrigerant leak, many facilities rely on refrigerant management systems. With these systems, monitoring of the equipment is continuous. When a refrigerant leak occurs, detection is fast and exact and the area is pinpointed on a monitor display. In the United States, the EPA has set strict standards for regulating and monitoring a refrigerant leak. The Montreal Protocol and Kyoto Protocal were created to establish similar environmental standards internationally. These regulations include protocols for repairing refrigerant leaks or disposing of systems within a certain timeframe. These multifaceted regulations require facility managers to submit comprehensive reporting records. Because of the complexity of the requirements, many building managers rely on refrigerant management programs, such as those offered by Verisae at www.verisae.com for better facility oversight. Verisae at www.refrigerant-tracker.com/features-summary.html provides a Refrigerant Tracker that ensures a company stays in compliance with government environmental requirements. The Refrigerant Tracker tracks refrigerant usage, provides reports on a refrigerant leak and provides the required information for submitting reports by the specified deadline. Because a refrigerant leak releases fluorinated greenhouses gases that are harmful to the environment, refrigerant management programs have become essential to companies, building or facility managers, and compliance officers. Refrigerant management programs track refrigerant leaks and enable quick repair of the component. Refrigerant management programs, like those offered by Verisae at www.verisae.com, are much faster and accurate than manual systems. With a refrigerant management program, it doesn't matter how many refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) systems or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems a company operates or the number of locations the company has with the systems. The Verisae Enterprise Refrigerant Management software, for one, can manage all systems and identify a refrigerant leak when it occurs. As such, a refrigerant management program is an important tool for companies that want to work more efficiently and cost-effectively. About the Author: Daniel Stouffer has much more information on the importance of monitoring refrigerant leak. Learn about the Refrigerant-Tracker. |