What is R32?

R32 is a next generation refrigerant for air conditioners and it has certain advantages over traditional refrigerants, such as R410A and R407C.

One major advantage of R32 is that it has lower global warming and ozone depletion potential. It is a more environmentally-friendly refrigerant for air conditioning systems.

How Refrigerants Work in Air Conditioning

In an air conditioner, the refrigerant absorbs and releases heat, as it transmutes from liquid to gas and back.

The compressor in the air conditioning unit changes liquid refrigerant into a gas that is high-temperature and high-pressure.

This gas moves to the coil of the air conditioner, where it releases its heat, cooling down. It cools to the point where it causes evaporation when it meets warmer indoor air.

This acts to siphon heat from the air, cooling it down.

The refrigerant returns to a liquid state, and returns to the compressor to repeat its cycle.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Refrigerants

The Montreal Protocol of 1987 agreed to phase out greenhouse gas emissions. Ten years later, The Kyoto Protocol went further in its aims to reduce the emission of gases that cause global warming.

The earlier refrigerant R22 was found to produce greenhouse effects. It was phased out completely in 2016.

As a result, refrigerant blends, including R410A, have been widely used as replacements because they have zero ODP, ozone depletion potential.

ODP measures the destructiveness of gaseous chemicals to the ozone layer.

However, many refrigerants still have a high global warming potential (GWP). GWP is a measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere, within a specified time period.

The Benefits of R32 refrigerant 

The R32 refrigerant belongs to the HFC family of refrigerants. These hydrofluorocarbons do not contribute to depletion of the ozone layer.

Unlike blended refrigerants, R32 is a single component refrigerant, making it easier to reuse and recycle.

R32 has a higher volumetric capacity than other refrigerants, requiring less charge, and therefore saving energy.

It also has a higher coefficient of performance (COP) because it has a higher critical temperature.

Which Refrigerant is Better, R32 or R410A?

The most widely-used refrigerant in air conditioning in developed countries is currently R410A.

As a blended refrigerant, R410A has been the choice of refrigerant for reducing damage to the ozone layer.

However, it still has considerable global warming potential, and its GWP remains an issue.

R32, on the other hand, has an ozone depletion potential of zero, but also has around a third of the GWP of R410A.

According to global air conditioning manufacturer Daikin, if you converted all R410A air conditioners to R32, the impact from HFCs in 2030 would be reduced by around 19% of CO2, or 800 million tons.

R32 air conditioners are clearly more environmentally friendly than R410A air conditioners, both in their emissions and their energy efficiency.

R32 Air Conditioning and Your Bottom Line

With its energy efficiency and environmentally friendly advantages, R32 air conditioning provides the perfect opportunity to future-proof your commercial air conditioning system.

R32 is user-friendly, sustainable, easy to install, and, when necessary, recycle.

With R32, you could be investing in a pioneering air conditioning system for your business.

For more details about our specialist air conditioning installation services, call us on 0800 243 638, send an email to info@sovpsl.com, or complete our online enquiry form.



Author: Gareth Whalley
Sharing my vast knowledge in the Air Conditioning and Mechanical services field especially in HVAC installation, service and maintenance across a broad range of sectors, including Healthcare, Education, Transport, Banking, Retail and Commercial developments.