Refrigerant Management Resources

Refrigerant gas, responsible for keeping chillers cold, can leak out over time. When this happens, refrigeration systems work much harder, leading to higher electricity use (and bills) and a shorter lifespan for equipment. Refrigerant gases can be thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide at creating global warming impacts — even a small leak is a big problem. Consider this: A leak of just one pound of common refrigerant R-404a is equivalent to two tons of CO2 emissions. Fortunately, refrigerant leaks are preventable through proper maintenance and careful management.

Because of this huge impact the EPA’s Clean Air Act requires supermarkets to track refrigerant escape and keep records on site. This impact metric includes recording both the type of refrigerant and the pounds of refrigerant recharged.