You might have heard how important refrigerant is to cooling systems like commercial fridges and industrial refrigerators. Without this simple chemical, we would not even have refrigeration technology.
Given its importance, it deserves an explainer article. We will discuss the common properties of refrigerants and why they allow your fridge to cool.
How Refrigerant Keeps Your Cool Room Running?
Refrigerant is a liquid chemical substance that runs through heat pumps. It undergoes chemical changes. The refrigerant absorbs heat and transfers it away without producing more energy.
This is extremely important because any extra heat will minimise the cooling function of your fridge, which will waste energy, cause parts to wear out, and compromise the overall cooling performance of the room.
Why You Need It – Energy Efficiency and Cooling Function
Without refrigerant, the parts in your fridge or air conditioner will heat more and more. When this happens, you will be stuck with a system that is supposed to cool, but the energy required to cool it keeps increasing because the machine is also heating up.
In a typical refrigeration cycle, low-pressure gas passes through the evaporator, where it absorbs heat from the air inside the cool room. The compressor then raises the pressure and temperature before the refrigerant moves to the condenser, where it releases heat. From there, the expansion valve drops the pressure, and the cycle starts again.
Refrigerant allows the machine to cool while removing heat. The same principle applies to HVAC and air conditioning systems, where refrigerant circulates to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.
How it Works
The liquid boils into a vapour (which uses up its energy and heat), then condenses back into a liquid. This needs to happen repeatedly without fail. Otherwise, overheating will occur, and the cool room will break down.
What are the Types of Refrigerants?
Water is a basic form of refrigerant as it can heat up and cool quickly and easily. However, a more reliable and efficient liquid is needed for commercial cool rooms in Sydney that operate on a large, extensive scale.
Common refrigerants include carbon dioxide, ammonia, and hydrocarbon refrigerants like propane. Each has different properties, and various laws and regulations govern their use, particularly around ozone depletion and global warming potential. These chemicals have extremely low boiling points compared to water, allowing them to extract heat better. But because the chemicals can be dangerous, the machine must be running perfectly. Older refrigerants with ozone-depleting properties have been phased out in favour of alternatives with lower GWPs.
Toxicity is not a real issue in commercial or food-based cool rooms, especially when installed and designed properly by professionals.
Responsible Handling and Maintenance of Refrigerants
A refrigerant leak can damage the ozone layer and pose safety risks, so removal and repairs should only be handled by certified technicians. Again, an experienced and expert refrigeration company could assist you with all your refrigerant needs, including disposal and maintenance.
If your commercial cool room or fridge is acting up or requires maintenance, don’t delay — especially for food-grade cool rooms. You can lose money and stocks if your fridge does not perform optimally.
Contact Us For More Information
For more information about the ins and outs of refrigerants, cool rooms or fridges, contact our team at 1300 598 508. Whether you need a repair, scheduled maintenance, or new equipment, we’ll get it sorted fast.