If you are replacing or making upgrades to your Industrial refrigeration system, you could be paying more for operating costs and maintenance than you need to. This is especially true if your refrigerating equipment uses a halon or halon replacement refrigerant. Here is a comparison of a typical ammonia cooling system to the Freon type systems used today.
Freon Type Systems
Standard refrigerant like R-22 is being phased out. In fact, after 2020 it can no longer be used in any commercial or industrial refrigeration manufacturing. R-22 manufacturing in North America has ceased because it has been proven to harm the ecosystem by depleting the ozone layer.
When a commercial refrigeration equipment needs repairs or service that results in recharging the refrigerant system, replacing it with R-22 is very expensive these days because the supply is limited and dwindling fast.
If your industrial refrigeration system uses R-22, you’ll need to think about retrofitting to an R-22 replacement or buying new equipment. Today’s equipment uses R-22 substitutes like R-32 or R-125 or several other replacements. Retrofitting for most R-22 replacements is expensive and in many older systems, simply not worth the investment.
Ammonia Cooling System
Ammonia is one of the most efficient refrigerants you can use, especially for large refrigeration applications. It’s readily available, so you don’t have to worry about the costs suddenly escalating. Ammonia is not hard to manufacture. It’s also friendly to the environment. Even though it can emit toxic fumes indoors, its odor makes leaks easy to detect and once evaporated, has no ill-effects on the ozone.
Which to Buy?
If you want more efficient and cost-effective refrigeration, an ammonia cooling system is the best choice. For smaller applications, it may not be as efficient, and an R-32 or R-125 system may be the better choice. Your industrial refrigeration experts can help you decide.
