Ever watched a show on television and heard some host exclaim, “Now don’t try this at home…?”
Generally, a comment like that is directed to younger more impressionable individuals who for whatever reasons have not quite mastered some of life’s basic skills.
That same warning can just as easily be directed to adults who get caught up in the “if-it-sounds-to-good-to-be-true” syndrome…
Some mass marketers and even a few retailers are aggressively promoting a hydrocarbon refrigerant “Do-It-Yourself” kit directly to homeowners and building owners as a replacement refrigerant gas for home or commercial air conditioning systems.
Unlike regulated, non-flammable refrigerants used in home and commercial air conditioning by qualified air conditioning technicians, hydrocarbon refrigerants are made up of a mixture of propane and isobutene and are extremely flammable – similar to the gas in a barbecue tank.
The use of a flammable refrigerant in a home or building could create a serious fire and explosion risk. Heating and air conditioning systems for homes and buildings typically have combustion flames and spark igniters that are ignition sources. A leak in the refrigerant system could bring flammable vapours in contact with one of these ignition sources creating the potential for a serious explosion and fire, which could result in injury or death. And then there are the myriad of justified concerns from environmentalists.
In the Canadian market, there are no air conditioning systems available for home or business uses that are approved by the government for hydrocarbon refrigerants. Using hydrocarbons in an existing air conditioning system could, at best, void the manufacturer’s warranty on the system. Hydrocarbon refrigerants are an issue of concern for the provincial and federal authorities. Homeowners and building owners should be fully aware of the potential hazards and liability of using hydrocarbon refrigerants in air conditioning systems.
aplusair.ca Heating & Air Conditioning wants to help you make informed decisions when it comes to the comfort and enjoyment of your home. With expert staff and second-to-none service, they can provide all your residential and commercial heating and cooling solutions. For more information, visit www.aplusair.ca