Panasonic Reminds Industry to be Ready for the R22 Phase Out in 2015

03/12/2014

With the countdown well and truly underway for the R22 phase out, Panasonic is reminding distributors and installers to act now to replace all climate control systems still using the refrigerant gas.

From 1st January 2015, it will no longer be legal to top up or replenish a system using R22 gas. R22 refrigerant is a hydro chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) that is commonly used in air conditioning and contributes to global warming when released into the atmosphere.

As a leading manufacturer of air conditioning systems, Panasonic supports the international drive towards increased energy efficiency and believes that the proper enforcement of the R22 phase out will help to control the use of harmful emissions and ultimately offer greater protection for the environment.

The Regulations state that all services which are carried out must be done so by qualified and registered personnel and that the disposal of refrigerant should be treated in accordance with all of the relevant waste-handling and pollution-control guidance. For example, existing regulations require system operators to record:
• Refrigerant leaks and how they were repaired;
• How future leaks have been eliminated as far as reasonably possible;
• When regular leak testing has taken place; and
• Any supply of refrigerant that has been issued and the reason why.

Panasonic systems offer a renewal solution that enables rapid conversion of existing gas systems (including R22) into newer high-efficiency R410A systems at a dramatically reduced cost. All the ranges of air conditioning have the possibility to be installed on R-22 existing piping. By using the existing refrigerant pipework to speed-up installation and cut replacement costs, renewal costs can be brought down by around 30 per cent.

The good news for those needing to convert from R22 to R410A is the increased efficiencies from the replacement refrigerant. Typically, systems running on R410A offer a COP (Coefficient of Performance) of up to 4.56 compared with just 2.5 and below for older R22 systems. This delivers significant on-going savings in fuel costs for end users, helping to make the conversions pay for themselves.

Failure to comply with the Regulations will result in an enforcement notice, which allows the relative parties 28 days to undergo the work to amend their equipment, before a fine will be issued. All air conditioning inspections, which will determine the fate of the system and the action that will need to be undertaken, need to be completed before 31st December 2014 (when illegitimate systems will be shut down). If you have an existing installation that contains R22, Panasonic would be very happy to review it and offer solutions for replacement. To arrange this, please email uk-aircon@eu.panasonic.com

For more information on the F-Gas and ODS Regulations, contact the Environment Agency at f-gassupport@enviornement-agency.gov.uk, or ring the National Customer Contact Centre on 03708 506506.