By Daniel Stouffer

A great concern for companies is a refrigerant leak in their refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) system or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. That's because gases that escape during a refrigerant leak pollute and damage the environment. To better monitor and maintain the operation of these business assets, many companies utilize a refrigerant management program.

A refrigerant leak could be caused by many things. A valve in a refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) system or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system could weaken or rust could form in the filter dryers or heat pump accumulator. Sometimes friction causes small holes to form on a capillary tube, damage occurs to the line set that carries refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator coil, or there is a problem with the flare connection.

A significant amount of ozone depleting gases escape into the air during a refrigerant leak. These gases include hydrofluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons and are harmful to the environment. These gases also have a high global warming potential.

It's not easy to find a refrigerant leak, mainly because of the complexity of refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) systems or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The refrigerant leak could be hiding in tubing that stretches hundreds of feet or in an inconspicuous area. A pressure switch or other operating or safety control could also be the cause of a refrigerant leak. To detect a refrigerant leak, many facilities rely on refrigerant management systems. With these systems, monitoring of the equipment is continuous. When a refrigerant leak occurs, detection is fast and exact and the area is pinpointed on a monitor display.

In the United States, the EPA has set strict standards for regulating and monitoring a refrigerant leak. The Montreal Protocol and Kyoto Protocal were created to establish similar environmental standards internationally. These regulations include protocols for repairing refrigerant leaks or disposing of systems within a certain timeframe. These multifaceted regulations require facility managers to submit comprehensive reporting records. Because of the complexity of the requirements, many building managers rely on refrigerant management programs, such as those offered by Verisae at www.verisae.com for better facility oversight.

A Refrigerant Tracker, such as the one offered by Verisae at www.refrigerant-tracker.com/features-summary.html, allows facilities to keep accurate refrigerant usage records and properly report a refrigerant leak. A refrigerant tracker also ensures that a company is in compliance with all environmental requirements and submits records within the specified reporting periods.

Because a refrigerant leak releases fluorinated greenhouses gases that are harmful to the environment, refrigerant management programs have become essential to companies, building or facility managers, and compliance officers. Refrigerant management programs track refrigerant leaks and enable quick repair of the component. Refrigerant management programs, like those offered by Verisae at www.verisae.com, are much faster and accurate than manual systems.

Identifying and reporting a refrigerant leak is just one of the many benefits provided by a refrigerant management program. Another benefit provided by the Verisae Enterprise Refrigerant Management software enables multiple refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) systems or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to be managed by one person. This allow for companies to work smarter when managing their facilities. - 20761

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