Podcasts
Listen and learn while you drive.
Get your virtual ticket to the Symposium
PURCHASE TICKET
Check out other formats
BRYAN ORR
Co-Founder and President at Kalos Services, Bryan has been involved in HVAC training for over 13 years. Bryan started HVAC School to be free training HVAC/R across many mediums, For Techs, By Techs.
Read more
Get Tech Tips
Subscribe to free tech tips.
HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs
Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.
R290 as a Drop In? – Short #234
In this short podcast episode, Bryan answers a listener-submitted question about using R-290 as a drop-in refrigerant for R-22 systems. It is NOT safe to use R-290 as a drop-in, but there are some similar properties between the two and some interesting thought experiments within this topic.
R-290 is propane, a hydrocarbon that belongs to the family of natural refrigerants. R-22 is an HCFC refrigerant that has undergone a manufacturing/importation phaseout in the USA. They are both single-component refrigerants, not blends. Both of them have similar operating pressures and oil carry. However, the latent heat of vaporization of R-290 is almost double that of R-22, which makes it extremely effective as a refrigerant.
The main issue with using R-290 is that it is highly flammable and explosive (A3), and it has very small charges (500 grams). Around 2010, some people started selling R-290 blends as drop-in alternatives for R-22. In theory, that combination would work very well, but it is not a safe or legal option.
R-290 is currently used in sealed, self-contained equipment. However, it could be the future, especially if our industry goes for refrigerants with lower GWPs and uses flame-free fittings and tubing cutters. It’s also worth noting that A2L refrigerants do not contain R-290 or any other hydrocarbons, but it is possible that the industry will gradually embrace the more flammable refrigerants like R-290.
Â
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.
Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android
04/01/2025
03/25/2025
03/20/2025
03/18/2025
03/13/2025
03/07/2025
03/06/2025
Search Results placeholder
Follow Us On Social Media And Podcast Platforms
Check our latest Tech Tips
Check our latest Tech Tips
Delta T is the difference in temperature between two points of the same medium. It is commonly used by scientists and engineers to analyze the amount of heat transfer in a system. In general HVAC terms, it is the measurable change in temperature between an air input and air output. However, it could also be […]
Read more
DISCLAIMER: HVAC School is NOT an official OSHA safety training resource! Although we provide safety tips in good faith, our website is not a substitute for safety training from an authorized OSHA training source. Many things may deter people from working in the HVAC industry. Perhaps surprisingly, exposure to heights could be the deal-breaker. (Not […]
Read more
You may have noticed that 3/8″ liquid lines are generally the norm in equipment 5 tons and under. We went to a job where the system had a 1/2″ liquid line, and it got me thinking about the ramifications of going larger or smaller on the liquid line. Liquid Line Basics The liquid line should […]
Read more
Download HVAC School App
