The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has alerted the industry to the growing safety risks posed by increased use of flammable refrigerant gases in air conditioning and heat pump systems.
BESA’s latest technical bulletin (TB57) points out that there are currently no UK regulations governing the purchase and installation of systems using R290 (propane) because, as a hydrocarbon, it falls outside the scope of the F-Gas Regulations.
However, propane use is already growing fast and will continue to accelerate in step with the phase down of refrigerant gases with higher global warming potential (GWP).
Under new European Union rules, stationary split air conditioning and heat pump equipment with capacities below 12kW will be required to use F-gases with a GWP below 150 from the start of 2027. For larger systems, the GWP will have to be below 750.
This means the most commonly used refrigerants in these systems will be phased out to be replaced by R290 in many smaller systems. While the UK is not bound to EU legislation, it is expected to adopt the same rules because of its commitments, under the Montreal Protocol and Kigali Amendment, to minimise the global warming impact of refrigerant gases.
