Refrigerant reclamation refers to the process of recovering used refrigerant and restoring it to a like-new condition. A refrigerant can be classified as reclaimed once it has undergone a purification process using equipment that meets AHRI-740 and ISO 11650 standards, followed by a laboratory analysis verifying that it fulfills the AHRI-700 quality criteria.
Natural resources are finite, and their continuous extraction generates significant emissions and environmental harm. While reclaimed refrigerants have the same GWP (Global Warming Potential) as their virgin counterparts, the carbon footprint of reclaimed refrigerant (per kg) is considerably lower compared to the production of new refrigerant.
Since 2020, the use of new high-GWP refrigerants has been strictly limited, with an exception made for reclaimed refrigerants.
Choose your F-gases responsibly – for the sake of the environment, the climate and to ensure a long lifespan for your equipment.
Maintenance ban on F-gases with high GWP
Service and maintenance of all refrigeration equipment with F-gases with a GWP of 2500 or more is prohibited. From 2026 the ban will be extended to air conditioning equipment and heat pumps. The bans mean that no new refrigerant covered by the ban may be added to the equipment. Among the most common substances in use, the maintenance ban applies to e.g. R-404A (GWP=3922).
The ban does not apply to reclaimed or recycled F-gases in the maintenance of refrigeration equipment until the end of 2029 and in the maintenance of air conditioning and heat pumps until the end of 2031. From 2032, stationary refrigeration equipment may not be serviced with refrigerants with a GWP exceeding 750. However, the use of regenerated and recycled substances in maintenance is permitted. Reclamation refers to the reprocessing of a recovered gas to the equivalent performance of a virgin substance. Recycled gases, may only be used by that maintenance company in their own maintenance sites or in other sites belonging to the company on whose behalf the refrigerant was recovered as part of maintenance or servicing.
An exception to the maintenance ban is allowed for substances intended for military equipment and for devices designed to cool products to temperatures below -50°C.
The maintenance ban should be taken into account when planning future equipment purchases. In the case of old devices, the service life and condition of the device as well as the purpose of use affect the solutions. Acquiring a new device or changing the refrigerant in an existing installation can be justified, for example, to improve energy efficiency. Professionals in the field are there to clarify the options for each device.
Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
https://www.ymparisto.fi/en/permits-and-obligations/f-gases-and-ozone-depleting-substances#maintenance-ban-f-gases-high-gwp
