Refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) systems are essential to many applications; however, refrigerant leakage poses significant technical and environmental challenges.
To address this issue, the GIZ Proklima program, in collaboration with the Ozone Technical Unit (UTO) of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia and the Green Cooling Initiative III project, has published a technical guide to help technicians and operators detect, evaluate, and correct leaks. This process is essential for improving equipment performance, reducing operating costs, and protecting the environment.
Negative Effects
Leaks in RAC systems can be small or significant and can compromise the integrity of the equipment. For this reason, leak tests are performed on individual components as well as complete systems. Leaks have negative effects in three main areas:
• Mechanical: They decrease the cooling capacity of the equipment.
• Environmental: Many refrigerants affect the ozone layer or contribute to global warming.
• Health and safety: Inhaling certain refrigerants can cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and, in severe cases, pulmonary edema.
Detection Methods
Regarding leak detection, the guide presents direct and indirect methods that should be performed with calibrated, appropriate equipment, especially when working with flammable refrigerants.
Direct methods allow for the precise location of the leak point. These methods include techniques such as bubble testing (with soapy water), using electronic detectors (such as semiconductor, infrared, and electrochemical), ultrasound, and tracer mixtures (such as nitrogen/hydrogen or helium).
Indirect methods are based on analyzing system indicators that suggest a leak is present, such as pressure and temperature variations (overheating and undercooling), increased compressor energy consumption, a decreased liquid refrigerant level, and frequent refrigerant recharging.
The guide is based on current technical standards for leakage control in RAC systems. The main standards include NTC 6228, NTC 6572, ISO 817, ISO 5149, and EN 378.
Implementing leakage control from the stages of manufacturing, installing, and operating systems is essential to protecting the environment, reducing operating costs, improving energy efficiency, and ensuring people's safety.
The publication is only available in spanish