Hvac School - For Techs, By Techs

Dr. Chuck Allgood from Chemours returns to the podcast to do some refrigerant myth-busting. Many people don’t understand why high-GWP HFCs can impact the atmosphere if the refrigerant is heavier than air. High-GWP HFCs exist for a long time, and they last long enough for natural mixing and the wind to distribute their molecules throughout the atmosphere. HFOs, by comparison, are more reactive in the atmosphere and have relatively short lifespans, meaning they have less of an effect on the environment. Even though refrigerants with lower GWPs are entering the market, it’s always been our job to keep refrigerants inside the system where they can’t harm the environment. However, when leaks occur, these lower-GWP refrigerants break down quickly outside the system but not inside it. Contractors and manufacturers should still work together to reduce leak rates as much as possible, even as we keep innovating. Another common myth is around “natural refrigerants,” which are common in some forms of refrigeration, but “