What is a refrigerant?
In short, refrigerants are gases or liquids that change form and thus convert into energy. This energy is used in most cases to create cooling in a refrigerator or freezer. Refrigerants are also used in heat pumps, A/C systems, and in our case, to cool water. (The related term “coolant” is used instead of gases or liquids that transport heat away in a diverting loop, such as in a car radiator.)
Why is a water cooler an environmentally friendly alternative?
For primarily commercial purposes, it is unreasonable to flush water from the tap until it becomes really cold. The design and length of the building, as well as the type of water pipes, might even make it so that the water never really gets cold. A cooling system ensures that the water passing through is properly chilled, thereby avoiding unnecessary waste while waiting for tap water to become “cold.”
Over time, the energy consumed becomes negligible in comparison to the much more energy-intensive act of flushing water that just passes through to the drain. At Escowa, we take environmental awareness very seriously, which is reflected in our commitment to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, internal control, and the “Kranmärkt” certification from Säkert Vatten.
Other benefits of a water cooler
Other advantages of a professional cooling system are that it is used in conjunction with filtration so that the water passing through the cooler is purified from taste, odor, and particles*. Well-chilled water is also essential for good carbonation, making Escowa’s water coolers the first choice for commercial establishments that want to serve chilled, filtered, and carbonated drinking water.
A commercially installed water cooler must also be maintained with annual service and disinfection. This is the responsibility of the facility owner.
*Water from an “approved source” is often of varying quality. However, the term generally refers to water that is considered safe for drinking, whether it comes from the municipal water supply or a private well.
We are accredited for handling refrigerants
Another advantage of choosing Escowa as your supplier is that we are certified by the accredited certification body Incert to handle refrigerants and fluorinated greenhouse gases according to the regulations 2015/2067 and 2016/1128. This allows us to service, refill, and repair compressor equipment with refrigerants (R134a).
Through in-house service, we extend the lifespan of our units, which has a positive environmental impact. With extensive quality and leakage control, we, as the only Swedish company specializing in drinking water solutions, also carry out repairs and refills for third parties.
The gas in our cooling units
Escowa only uses approved refrigerants, namely R600a and R290. It’s important to note that all cooling units manufactured before 2020 are allowed to be used as usual, but refilling gas is not allowed in most of these units (applies to units with a filling size corresponding to 40 tons CO2e HFC and a GWP factor of >2500 (R134 has a GWP of just under 1500)).
**The regulation applies to all types of compressors that use fluorinated greenhouse gases. However, most consumer equipment falls under such low thresholds that the rules for aftermarket handling do not affect water coolers like those Escowa produces and sells.
Properties of the New Gas
R600a (also Care10) is isobutane, and R290 (Care40) is propane. Both R600a and R290 have excellent thermodynamic properties, are non-toxic, and do not affect global warming or ozone depletion. A major advantage is that the new refrigerants are effective with the same efficiency but with less active material. The downside of isobutane and propane is that they are classified as flammable, which is why we do not replace R134a in old machines but instead switch to a new compressor design, already adapted to the new gas types from the start.
EU Directive on Phasing Out Fluorinated Refrigerants
There is currently a phase-out of fluorinated refrigerants (R134a, R404, freon, and similar), and as of January 1, 2020, the production and installation of cooling systems that use the old gas is prohibited under the EU F-gas regulation (2016:1128). This is part of an effort to reduce CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent, previously counted in tons) emissions by replacing fluorinated greenhouse gases with alternatives that have less environmental impact.
The goal is to reduce CO2e by two-thirds by 2030. The phase-out is already underway according to Regulation 517:2014, which came into effect on January 1, 2015. There was an intermittent exception for systems with a GWP of 150 or less, which was allowed to be used until 2022.
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