The Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s annual Training Event and Trade Show (MACS 2018) was held Feb. 14-17 in Orlando, and we learned a lot about what’s going on in the industry, some changes that are taking place, and even about where the industry might be headed in the near future. Here’s a recap of just a few topics we discussed at the event.
| (Images courtesy of Ward Atkinson) Looking at the back of these small cans of R-1234yf refrigerant, you’ll see the flammability warning symbol, there to remind users about the hazards involved with this mildly flammable refrigerant. For safety, always check the system for leaks, and follow up your repairs with both a vacuum decay and pressure test before charging the system |
EPA’s HFC regulation thrown out
By now you probably know that in 2015 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized what’s known as “Rule #20,” which removed R-134a from their SNAP list of acceptable substitute refrigerants for newly manufactured passenger cars and light trucks beginning with the 2021 model year. They did that because of the refrigerant’s high GWP (global warming potential), which is 1,430 times higher than CO2, and also to nudge the industry closer in line with Europe, which banned the gas in 2017.
Right after that rule was announced, a lawsuit was brought against the EPA by refrigerant manufacturers Mexichem and Arkema, which said that EPA did not have the authority to regulate HFCs, since they don’t deplete the ozone layer. (In 1990’s Clean Air Act Amendments, Congress and the President gave the EPA the authority to regulate ozone-depleting substances such as R-12, but has not since directed them to regulate global warming gases like R-134a). In August, a U.S. District Court of Appeals agreed, reversing the regulation.
This action is seen as a setback for advocates of climate protection and HFC reduction, including Chemours and Honeywell, manufacturers of R-1234yf refrigerant, the HFO that has been replacing R-134a in mobile A/C systems since 2012, and which is now being used in approximately 60 percent of all newly manufactured U.S. vehicles and almost 100 percent of those currently being sold in Europe.
Although they struck this down, the court offered that the EPA could accomplish the same goal using its authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act, or by using a “retroactive disapproval” approach. Chemours, Honeywell and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), along with lawyers from the Trump Administration, helped to defend the EPA’s position in several court hearings, including a January 2018 appeal that upheld the previous court’s ruling. Where this goes from here is still unknown, but with talk of possible congressional legislation to ratify the Kigali Amendments, it’s surely not over yet.
So, what does this mean for the mobile A/C industry? We’ll have to wait and see, but we can expect that those manufacturers who have already switched their vehicles over to use R-1234yf will continue to fill them with the gas. We may even continue to see vehicle platforms change over to yf in the coming years, as many are planned changeovers that are far along in the refresh or redesign process and are unlikely to be reversed.
For some brands that have not yet made any changes to their U.S. models (like Acura, Daimler, Infinity, Mazda, Porsche and Volvo), we expect that unless the EPA appeals this Court’s ruling —and wins — or revises the previous rule or even writes a new one, they will continue to use R-134a in their air conditioning systems perhaps even into the next decade.
There is also widespread support for the current changeover (and a lot of time and money has already been invested) by industry advocates, OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, parts, tools and equipment manufacturers and distributors. Many repair shops and technicians have also invested in tools, equipment, education and training to work with the new refrigerant.
Yet there may be a tiebreaker in this scenario, as there has been talk that if the EPA can’t work this out, then California may step in and do it for them. Some think it would be less complicated for Sacramento to adopt a similar regulation than it would be for Washington to work this out. If it does go through, our expectation is that, similar to how the Right to Repair law works in Massachusetts (where only Massachusetts has the law, but the OEMs honor it across the country), then too would California have a law that’s honored across the land.
Big changes for small cans
The summer of 2017 brought a newcomer to A/C service, which was small cans of R-1234yf refrigerant. So far there are two companies manufacturing them, and while each has a different take on the amount supplied, both cans are the same size and have similar features. Honeywell is making cans that contain 8 ounces of yf, while Chemours makes cans with 12 ounces.
Although MACS does not recommend performing A/C system service with these small cans (their use is not supported by SAE or any vehicle OEMs, and there is no way to accurately charge a system with small cans), the reality is that these cans have been around for a long time and aren’t going away anytime soon. And since they are so prevalent in the marketplace and are now being filled with a mildly flammable refrigerant, there a few things you ought to know.
| EPA rules on small cans to service MAC systems |
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When did EPA’s seal top regulation begin? January 1, 2018. The rule actually comes from EPA’s purchase restriction, which requires anyone who wants to purchase ANY mobile A/C refrigerant to be certified under Section 609 of the Clean Air Act (through a program such as MACS). There is however, an exception for sales of small cans (2 pounds or less), as long as they are equipped with a self-sealing valve. What small cans require a seal top? Seal tops are required for an aerosol can containing HFC-134a or HFO-1234yf refrigerant, including those with oil, leak sealant, and dye, when used to recharge MAC systems. When is a seal top not required? When HFC is a propellant to inject additives and not used as a refrigerant to recharge MAC systems. Is there a federally mandated return program for small cans? Currently there is NO federally mandated program, but California still has a can return program in that state. What sales records must be kept? Distributors and wholesalers must keep refrigerant sales records and verify purchasers are (or employ) EPA Section 608 or 609 certified technicians when selling a container designed to hold two pounds or more of refrigerant. |
R-1234yf is classified by ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers) as an A2L refrigerant, which means it’s mildly flammable compared to other refrigerants and chemicals used in vehicles and service facilities. Leaking systems should not be charged without first performing a leak detection procedure (and repairing that leak), followed up with proper vacuum decay and pressure testing. Not doing so can result in several safety and liability issues, including EPA Section 609 compliance. Proper equipment procedures should always be followed.
Mind the tap
With these new small cans, we’re entering into an era with at least four different types of small can adapters, and it’s very important to match them up properly, ensuring the correct can tap is being used. Failure to do so can not only prevent you from getting the refrigerant out of the can, but it could possibly leak out all of the contents, wasting the product, your money, and polluting the environment.
Current R-134a cans use a right-handed, ½” Acme thread for the tap, similar to the right-handed thread used on larger 30-pound cylinders. But when the standards were being discussed for cylinders of R-1234yf refrigerant, one of the first topics was changing the threads over to a left-handed design. The reason was simply to avoid possible cross-contamination of refrigerants, should someone try using the wrong one. The threads are the same, but yf adapters turn to the left.
There’s something else new with these cans, and that’s the self-sealing valve. Readers in California and neighboring states are probably already familiar with these cans, since CARB (the California Air Resources Board) first required their use some 8 years ago. But for the rest of the country these are new, and likely to cause confusion.
| Shown here are two of the different can tops on the market today. The one on the left has a pierce-top while the one on the right has a self-sealing valve. Make sure you use the correct adapter! The piercing can tap will damage the self-sealing valve, either trapping the refrigerant inside the can by making the valve unusable, or destroying the valve to the point where it will no longer seal, thereby leaking out all the refrigerant. |
The self-sealing valve is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s a small valve built into the top of the can that’s designed to reseal the container after use. That should be welcome news to frequent users, as many of you know that without these valves a small can must be used up right away after opening, because any remaining contents will be lost. In fact, we’ve heard that after California implemented self-sealing valves in 2010, sales of small cans were almost cut in half, indicating that they do indeed work by preventing the unnecessary venting of refrigerant.
But users must now be careful to use the correct can tap or else that self-sealing valve can be disabled or destroyed.
Can taps for R-134a have right-handed threads, so they won’t even fit onto the yf cans. But for a period of time we’re going to have R-134a cans both with and without self-sealing valves, as well as R-1234yf cans both with and without self-sealing valves. The reason is because the EPA rule requiring their use didn’t take effect until January 1 of this year, and all the cans that were made up until that date without the valves are still allowed to be sold.
The biggest problem occurs if someone tries using a piercing-type adapter on a can with a self-sealing valve. The piercing tap is likely to destroy the seal, either trapping the refrigerant inside (because the valve won’t reopen) or venting the entire can (because the valve won’t close).
| This manufacturer offers an adapter to connect their piercing-style recharge hose with their self-sealing cans. |
SL-MAC work continues
Most of you already know about the three mainstream mobile A/C refrigerants (R-12, R-134a and R-1234yf), and you may have even heard about R-744 (what we call CO2 when it’s used as a refrigerant). But there’s another low GWP (global warming potential) alternative out there, and if things go according to plan, it has the potential to make huge strides towards lowering the greenhouse gas emissions of several emerging economies around the world. It uses a refrigerant called R-152a (difluoroethane), but because it’s a fully flammable refrigerant, EPA won’t allow it to be used in a “direct expansion” system (one where the refrigerant directly expands in an evaporator located inside the passenger compartment). Instead, they require a “Secondary Loop” system (SL-MAC), which uses a refrigerant-to-glycol heat exchanger under the hood, and circulates chilled coolant inside the cabin.
| (Images courtesy of Mahle) Most A/C systems are Direct Expansion, meaning the refrigerant directly expands within the evaporator that’s located inside the passenger compartment. For safety reasons, systems designed to use R-152a will be Secondary Loop, instead using a refrigerant-to-glycol heat exchanger located inside the engine compartment. Chilled glycol will then circulate through a “Cooler Core” of sorts, to remove heat from the cabin. Think about your own car or truck for a minute. After you turn off the engine (while running your A/C), how long does it take before the air coming out of the vents starts to get warm? My car only takes about 8 seconds, and it’s already blowing warm, humid air. But with an SL-MAC system, depending on the temperature of the glycol mix, the size of the surge tank and the speed at which the circulator pump is running, it is expected that the system can continue to provide cool air for up to 2 minutes. In many areas, that’s longer than the average cycle of a traffic signal! During periods of idle stop, the engine (and compressor) could be turned off while the SL-MAC system continues to provide passenger comfort. |
It’s being developed jointly by two powerhouse companies, MAHLE here in the US and TATA Motors of India. Teams at these companies have been working on this project for several years now, and the first completed prototype has already been built-out by Mahle at their facility in New York. They upfitted a Tata Aria crossover SUV with an SL system that provides chilled coolant to both the front and rear evaporators. The system can provide just as much comfort while solving the flammability issue, but it also has the potential to avoid using the highly potent greenhouse gas R-134a in the millions of vehicles expected to be sold in the world’s emerging economies where R-1234yf is simply too expensive.
Because the refrigeration portion of an SL-MAC system is physically smaller than a comparable direct expansion system, it doesn’t require as much refrigerant. But probably the most noticeable benefit is that it can provide extended cooling time during idle stop periods.
