If you service legacy R-22 systems today, you know that R-22 has more than doubled in price over the last year. It is estimated that the HVACR industry in the U.S. requires over 70 million pounds of R-22 annually to service existing R-22 systems. The market price of R-22 is a direct result of the shrinking EPA allocation for domestic production and importation of HCFCs. It is why so many equipment owners, and their service providers, are replacing their equipment, or converting them to a more economically practical alternative refrigerant. Today there are a number of ozone safe R-22 replacements on the market, but ICOR’s NU-22B, originally introduced in 2001, has become the unofficial industry leader.
Today, NU-22B is available through more than 4,000 wholesale distribution outlets in North America. It is being successfully used in a wide range of R-22 applications, and some systems have been operating on NU-22B, with absolutely no performance issues, for over 15 years.
There are four basic principles to insuring a successful system conversion to NU-22B, or any R-22 alternative.
1) The systems must be originally designed for use with R-22.
2) The system utilizes direct expansion metering, i.e. fixed orifice or TXV.
3) The system should be fully operational and free of any inherent deficiencies.
4) The system charge should be optimized by using the superheat / subcooling method, whenever it is applicable.
NOTE: Conversion requirements will vary depending on the R-22 replacement you choose. Always follow the refrigerant manufacturers full conversion guidelines.
ICOR International continues to lead the industry in educating technicians on the proper use and handling of alternative refrigerants. We conduct numerous training events each year across the country, and our website,www.icorinternational.com, is a valuable resource center for refrigerant related support. ICOR’s toll free Tech-2-Tech line, (866) 433-8324, provides technicians with comprehensive technical support on refrigerant related issues.
NU-22B has proven to be a safe, reliable, and user friendly option for servicing legacy R-22 systems, and it will be an industry staple for many years to come.
This article was sponsor by ICOR International, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN. To learn more about ICOR International, visit www.icorinternational.com or call (866) 433-8324.
- NU-22B Leading the Way in R-22 System Service (Sponsored) - January 16, 2017