The trade in counterfeit refrigerants is not new and has been around at least since the 1987 Montreal Protocol changed the landscape with the phasing out of CFCs and HCFCs and their replacement by more sustainable but mostly higher-priced alternatives. However, counterfeiting is now on the rise with attractive financial gains for the fraudsters. ASHRAE has created over 400 ‘R’ numbers over the decades, including those already phased out in law, giving fraudsters plenty to work with. Unsurprisingly, this leads to a variety of undesirable, expensive and potentially dangerous consequences.
Counterfeits are, of course, imitations of the genuine refrigerants. They are designed to deceive for financial gain, being falsely labelled and often, though by no means always, sold in illegal disposable cylinders. They are usually sold at discounted prices, giving the false illusion of saving money. In many cases, they may be disguised behind similar Pressure/Temperature curves, which can make them seem more like the genuine article.
Counterfeits frequently contain already banned refrigerants such as R12 and R22. Flammable hydrocarbons have been found in automotive A/Cs designed for R134a or R1234yf, making them non-compliant with Vehicle Type Approvals. Many cylinders labelled as 'R410A' have reportedly been found to contain dangerous cocktails of R32 and R40, also known as methyl chloride or chloromethane, which is highly flammable with its flash point of -20°C.
There is huge potential for serious equipment damage and safety hazards, including fire and explosion risks, when these fakes are charged into AC&R systems. Risks to the health and safety of engineers and contractors, and in worst-case scenarios, potentially to anyone in proximity to a compromised installation. The many dangers include:
- System freezing caused by excess moisture crystallising and blocking TX valves, filters, receiver dryers and evaporator tubes
- Corrosion and acid formation
- Sludge formation caused by acid in the system
- System breakdown due to incompatibilities
- Fire and explosion risk in extreme cases
- Insufficient system cooling leading to compromised perishable products, including foods and medicines
- Harms to the Environment
- Invalidating manufacturer warranties
- Legal liability for dealing in or using counterfeits could fall on you or your company
- Reputational harm.
These risks can be mitigated in various ways.
- Source your refrigerants from authorised suppliers who can guarantee the quality
- Check cylinder labels, serial numbers and seals
- Be wary of below-market prices. Is the price too good to be true?
- Obtain a certificate of analysis from your supplier
- Check the temperature/pressure relationship of the gas inside the cylinder. There are Apps available to help with this; Danfoss, for example, has one covering around 80 refrigerants.
However, as counterfeits are mimics, they will often have quite similar P/T curves, making it more difficult to confirm that the refrigerant actually is what it says on the cylinder. The much more precise method of detection is to use a refrigerant gas analyser.
Refrigerant Identification and Analysis instruments that are capable of identifying a wide range of refrigerants cost around £5,900 to buy, which reflects the complexity of the technology and the production processes required to make them.
Bearing in mind the financial, health risk and reputational costs of inadvertently selling or using rogue refrigerants, the upfront cost of these instruments can potentially be recovered from a single effective identification. This type of equipment can make the job easier and safer for refrigerant importers and distributors, contactors and installers, recyclers, quality controllers and enforcement agencies.
Primalec is the UK Distributor for the two models of the Legend series portable refrigerant identifiers and analysers, which use Neutronics technology.
The pictured Legend HFC is the most competent portable refrigerant analyser to date, having replaced the Neutronics Ultima model. It analyses by percentages of R22, R32, R134a, R404A, R407C, R410A, Hydrocarbons and Air. It also identifies the presence of R12, R1234yf, R408A, R409A, R417A, R417A, R421A, R421B, R422A, R422B, R422C, and R427A. The example below shows 2 examples of analysis results - one out of specification, the other good.
The technology and production of this device are quite complex, and demand is currently outstripping supply, but the US manufacturer is ramping up production to meet the high demand for this sophisticated instrument.
The Automotive version of the Neutronics Legend is also available for the analysis by percentage of the refrigerants R1234yf, R134a, R22, HCs and air/unknown. This model costs around £3,500.