New Manual for Gas Detection in the Refrigeration Industry

Samon (Sweden) a company focused on gas detection products for the refrigeration industry, has released a new manual on how, why and in what context gas detection equipment shall be used in the refrigeration industry. Current environmental focus and increased focus on personal has led to a couple of new ECregulations, with clear requirements for gas detection equipment in refrigeration applications and how these should be verified and documented. Unfortunately, knowledge about these new rules and regulations are consistently very low and many companies may involuntarily break the law or expose themselves to unnecessary risks.

The F-gas Regulation is effective since May 2006. It is an environmental law designed to deter and prevent emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases, in line with the Kyoto Protocol. The F-gas regulation is mandatory to comply with for all for all EC and EFTA member countries. According to the F-gas Regulation, all applications containing fillings over 3 kg shall be checked for leakage at certain intervals and applications with fillings> 300 kg shall have a fixed installed system for leakage detection. This system must be in place by 4 July 2010. With an installed gas detection system, control intervals may be doubled.

EN378, the European Standard for the Refrigeration Industry, has been in effect since February 2008 and directly affects the design, installation and maintenance of refrigeration systems in Europe. It states that applications with> 25 kg of fluorinated greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide or > 50 kg ammonia must have gas detection equipment installed in the machine room and in other spaces where people may be at risk. The requirement may also apply to smaller fillings if "Practical Limit" is reached.

New rules and regulations always create uncertainty about how to apply them. Samon’s Guideline is aimed translate the current directives and standards into effective systems solutions and to provide a general overview of when, how and why gas detection equipment is required.

The booklet is useful for everyone that in various ways are involved in installing, operating and maintaining refrigeration systems; because then there is most likely a need for a gas detection system.