The A2L & Refrigerant Transition – Short #302

In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Roman talk about the A2L & refrigerant transition again, particularly sensors on R-454B and R-32 equipment.

Since the beginning of the A2L transition, we have seen the equipment evolve and begin requiring accessories, including refrigerant sensors and blower recirculation systems (BRS) or dissipation boards. In a BRS, the blower turns on and dilutes the refrigerant in the space to keep the refrigerant concentration below the lower flammability limit (LFL) and prevent ignition. Some systems may also have isolation valves and pump themselves down whenever the A2L sensor trips. These sensors use MOS technology, which measures gas changes by tracking electrical connectivity shifts; they have limited lifespans and can become corrupted over time.

In the field, you may notice a running fan without the outdoor unit running. Some diagnostic boards might give you error codes, but if you don’t and don’t have 24V when you troubleshoot the issue, you may want to check the sensor. The sensors could be wet, tripped by VOCs, or even have been cut out.

This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, TruTech Tools, Fieldpiece, and Filtrete.

Resources

• A2L Dissipation Boards and Leak Sensors
• HVAC School calculators
• Submit a podcast question
• Learn about the GRIT Foundation

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://www.hvacrschool.com/symposium.