Manual For Refrigeration Servicing Introduction Technicians

Manual for Refrigeration Servicing Introduction Technicians
Why you need this manual When to use this manual How to use this manual

Welcome to the Manual for Refrigeration Servicing Technicians. It is an e-book for people who are involved in training and organization of service and maintenance of refrigeration and airconditioning (RAC) systems. It is aimed at people who are:

4 4 4

•Service and maintenance technicians • Private company service/maintenance managers • Private company managers involved in developing their
service and maintenance policy

• Private company technicians trainers • Educational establishment RAC trainers and course
developers

• National Ozone Units (NOUs) responsible for servicing
and maintenance regulations and programmes related to theMontreal Protocol.

Introduction

Why you need this Manual
Over recent years, attention on the issue of ozone depletion has remained focused on the obligatory phasing out of ozone depleting substances (ODS). At the same time, awareness of climate change has increased, along with the development of national and regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets. In order to achievereduction in emissions of both ODSs and GHGs, attention has to be paid to activities at a micro-level. This includes reducing leakage rates, improving energy-efficiency and preventing other environmental impacts, by directing the activities of individuals, and influencing the design and maintenance of equipment. The manual is written for those who have a relatively comprehensive level of knowledge andunderstanding of RAC systems and associated technology. The material within this manual may be used for the purpose of developing training resources or parts of training courses, as well as general guidance and information for technicians on issues that are closely related to the use and application of alternative refrigerants. Most training courses are likely to cover a range of topics associatedwith RAC systems, and as such, the material within this manual may contribute towards those elements that address refrigerant use and handling.

Read on to find out how

4

2

Introduction

When to use the manual
The overall theme of this manual is to encourage technicians to work with systems in a more environmentally-friendly manner, and to get the equipment itself to have a lowerimpact. However, the primary motivation for technician operations carried out on a particular system is typically cost-orientated, rather than considering the environmental impact. It is often not recognised that actions resulting in a lesser environmental impact are consistent with a lower long-term cost impact. Conversely, the types of actions that are the “cheaper” options tend to lead togreater costs in the long term, as well as a worse environmental impact. For example:

• A system that is designed to work efficiently and is well
maintained may cost more to build, but the pay-back period is generally much shorter than the equipment’s lifetime. Similarly, the additional GHG emissions associated with constructing larger heat exchangers (for example) are minute compared to thereduction in GHG emissions from energy consumption that will be saved over the first year of operation. So, when installing a new system or working on an existing system, the actions taken should ideally lead to the system operating with minimal impact on the environment. To achieve this, several aspects should be borne in mind:

• A system that leaks may be topped-up or repaired. Topping-up
mayhave a lower immediate cost, whereas repairing the leak takes more time and therefore costs more. However, in the longterm, the repaired system is less likely to leak thus the costs cease, whereas repeatedly topping-up a system over months and years results in a very high accumulated cost. Obviously, preventing leakage and thus fewer journeys to the equipment and better resulting efficiency is much...