Refrigerant gas R32: useful information
The R32 refrigerant gas is gaining more and more popularity in the air conditioning and refrigeration sector. But what is there to know about this gas?
What is R32 gas?
R32 refrigerant gas is a refrigerant based on hydrofluorocarbons ( HFC ) which is used in air conditioning and refrigeration systems. It is considered a choice more ecological than traditional refrigerants such as R410A, as it has lower impact on the greenhouse effect according to a scale of values measured by the global warming index ( GWP ).
The R32 features further advantages compared to R410A:
- Need to load less gas
- Greater energy efficiency
At what pressure does R32 gas work?
R32 gas works at a similar operating pressure to traditional refrigerants , making it suitable for use in residential and commercial air conditioning systems.
When will it be mandatory to use R32 refrigerant gas?
In the field of air conditioning and refrigeration, various regulations have been introduced to reduce the environmental impact of this sector.
I old air conditioners in fact used Chlorofluorocarbons ( CFCs ) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons ( HCFC ) such as R22, gas highly harmful to the ozone layer and which contribute to increasing the greenhouse effect .
For these reasons, since 2010 the sale of air conditioners with these gases has been prohibited and in their place gases have been introduced. Hydrofluorocarbons ( HFC ), including R410A, still widely used today.
Since 2014, however, the European regulation 517 on F-Gases (fluorinated greenhouse gases), which also imposes a limit on the quantity of HFC refrigerants placed on the market and promotes their reduction : their consumption will have to decrease by 79% compared to 2010 values.
Furthermore from 2025 it will be prohibited to use gases with a high overheating potential, with a GWP greater than 750 . This effectively puts R410A out of play, as it has a GWP index of 2088, making the use of R32 mandatory in new installations, due to its GWP of 675.
What changes in the installation of air conditioners with R32 refrigerant gas?
The installation of air conditioners with R32 gas does not differ significantly from that of models with other refrigerants , such as R410A. For this reason it is possible to maintain the existing pipes in the case of replacing an R410A machine with an R32 one. However, it is not possible to change the type of refrigerant with which the appliance works. In other words, we cannot use R32 on machines that use another type of refrigerant .
As regards installation and maintenance operations, there are no differences between R32 and other types of refrigerant.
How is R32 gas refilled?
Recharging R32 gas occurs through a process similar to that of traditional refrigerants. Qualified installers use specific equipment to accurately measure and recharge gas in air conditioning systems such as the Seitron M4 manifold and the B100 refrigerant gas scale . The use of these tools allows you to correctly load the gas into the system by carrying out all the diagnostic tests foreseen in the installation/maintenance operations, such as for example vacuum measurement , pressure , temperature , over and under heating .
