Commercial, Demand Management, Energy Efficiency, Industrial  -  January 6, 2017

ASHRAE issues updates to refrigerant standards

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, or ASHRAE, has published two new major refrigerants-related standards as a package, with 30 new refrigerants and refrigerant blends added.

The society said in Jan. 4 news release that Standard 15, "Safety Standard for Refrigeration Systems," and its sister Standard 34, "Designation and Safety Classification of Refrigerants," constitute a complete set of requirements for the safe design, construction and application of refrigeration systems used in a wide variety of residential, commercial and industrial applications. For both of the standards, ASHRAE said the updates come from a continuing stream of changes made based on new science and research, experience, and proposals from designers, manufacturers and users.

The 2016 edition of Standard 15 incorporates addenda a, b, c, e and g to Standard 15-2013, which include changes to ensure improvement in the safe design, construction, installation and operation of refrigeration systems; ensure improvement in the safe design, construction, installation and operation of refrigeration systems; update requirements for safety relief systems, including revisions to relief vent pipe discharge locations and design provisions for headered relief vent systems; and updated design pressure requirements applicable to systems using carbon dioxide. 

The 2016 edition of Standard 34 incorporates 35 addenda to the 2013 edition. Among the key changes to the 2016 edition are the addition of three new refrigerants and 27 new refrigerant blends, and changed requirements for the refrigerant application process.