Section 01 Alternatives to HCFCs in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector 32 Th e first so called R-22 “drop-in” alternatives or “service blends” was the R-417A, but lately R-422A, R-422D, R-424A, R-427A, R-428A and R-434A have been launched to offer alternatives tailored to general or specific R-22 applications. Almost all service blends (except R-427A) have a similar Su mmary HFC service blends “Service blends” are developed to offer a “drop-in” technology that lowers cost as compared to changing the oil, which is required, when adopting the same HFC alternatives used in new systems. “Retrofit” is the term often used to describe the procedure in which the refrigerant and the oil are changed (and, if necessary, certain parts of the equipment are also replaced). In this report,”retrofit” refers only to this procedure and not to the one using service blends. Most service blends are proprietary products marketed as a low-cost, easy-to-use solution, so sometimes the technicians using them do not have a full understanding of their characteristics and limitations. To overcome the need to change to ester oils when ODS are replaced by HFCs, a number of service blends have been developed to replace the HCFCs. One component (often a hydrocarbon), which changes the characteristics of the oil-refrigerant mixture in the system, is added. These alternatives are sold with the advantage that they offer a cost effective option to replacing ODS. A change in refrigerant will result in a change in the characteristics of the oil which affect oil transport and lubricity. It is recommended that before any decision to introduce a service blend is taken, an evaluation be conducted to determine whether the system will be significantly affected by the change in oil transport and lubrication. The first criteria when evaluating options for replacing HCFCs is to define the status of the existing system. Always check that the existing system is in sufficiently good shape to justify the required investment. Investment, even if limited, in equipment that is about to fail is a waste of money. The energy efficiency and historical leakage rates are important factors to consider before any decisions are made. If the equipment’s condition is such that replacement with a service blend is deemed the best option, additional measures to be taken in connection with the change should also be evaluated in order to minimize leaks and extend the equipment’s life time. The service availability during the remaining life time of the equipment should be ensured to avoid that a future lack of availability forces additional investments. The number of blends offered on the market makes the storage of service quantities a challenge for the service providers unless some standardisation occurs in the market. Below are the most commonly considered service blends for replacing R-22. R -417A R R-22 Replacements targeting small direct expansion systems R-422A R R-502 and low temperature R-22 replacement R-422D R R-22 Replacements in for example chiller applications R-424A R R-22 Replacements targeting small direct expansion systems R-427A R R-22 Replacements R-428A R R-502 and low temperature R-22 replacement R-434A R R-22 Replacements in for example chiller applications R -438A R R-22 Replacement targeting a wide range of operating conditions 1.4.5 HFC “Service Blends” used in existing systemsapproach in composition where one or two components are added (often hydrocarbon). This part of the blend composition is extremely soluble in the oil which results in the viscosity of the oil not increasing when the HCFC is replaced with a non-soluble HFC. This strategy has proved