Refrigerant Containment
ASHRAE Technical Committee 3.8

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REFRIGERATION: Refrigerant Containment, Recovery, Recycling, and Reclamation
Containment of refrigerant is an important consideration during service and maintenance of refrigeration systems. The potential environmental effect of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerants on ozone depletion, and of these and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants on global warming, make it imperative that refrigerants are confined to closed systems and recovered during service and at the end of life. Containment must be considered in all phases of a system’s life, including (1) design and construction of leak-tight and easily serviced systems, (2) leak detection and repair, (3) recovery during service, and (4) recovery system disposal. Additional reference can be found in ASHRAE Standard 147-2013.

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TC 3.8 is responsible for the following Standards:

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 147: Reducing the Release of Halogenated Refrigerants from Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Systems
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 173: Method of Test to Determine the Performance of Halocarbon Refrigerant Leak Detectors
Proposed Standard: SPC 196P: Method of Test for Measuring Refrigerant Leak Rates

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