Did you know you must fit a leak detection system if your equipment contains F gas (sometimes referred to as Freon Gas) equivalent to 500 tonnes or more of carbon dioxide?
This includes stationary refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps and fire suppression systems, also rankine cycle systems and electrical switchgear installed after 1st January 2017.
It is vital that your leak detection system alerts you or your service company if it detects a leak.
In this guide, we will explain why refrigerant gas detection is essential and how you can ensure you comply with UK law.
UK Law and Refrigeration Gas Leak Detection
Not only does the law require you to have an installed leak detection system if your equipment contains 500 tonnes CO2 equivalent or more of F gas, but the UK government requires you to perform leak checks on equipment containing F gas between five to 10 tonnes CO2 equivalent every 12 months, 50 to 500 tonnes every 6 months, and more than 500 tonnes every 6 months.
Adding an automatic “fixed leak detector” or “stationary detection system” doubles the length of time required between leak checks for equipment that contains less than 500 tonnes of equivalent CO2. Note that the detector itself needs to be checked every 12 months to ensure proper functioning.
You can find out more information here.
Why is refrigerant gas leak detection so important?
Refrigerant gas leak detection is vital to any company with any form of refrigeration equipment on site, including hospitality, the food retail sector and food storage. It also applies to larger offices, hospitals, hotels and public buildings using air conditioning and Server and telecommunications buildings employing fire suppression systems containing F gas to extinguish fires by removing heat.
Impact on Climate Change
Currently, there is a target to cut CO2 equivalents for HFCs by 79% to reduce refrigerant emissions to help mitigate climate change.
Refrigerant leak detection plays a vital role in meeting this target by reducing leaks and ensuring leaks are found and repaired quickly.
Indeed, since the new legislation came into play, there have been significantly fewer leaks, improved system maintenance, better training of engineers and less use of lower GWP refrigerants.
But it’s not just about saving the environment.
Cost Savings
Installing an excellent refrigerant gas leak detection system enables businesses to retain optimum efficiency and save costs incurred when leaks go unnoticed. Energy consumption is minimised, and less top-up of gases will be required.
Safety
Safety should always be at the forefront for companies. According to the Health and Safety Executive, refrigeration gas detection is critical in reducing the danger to human life.
Freon gases are undetectable to humans as they have no taste, odour or colour. Without a reliable detection system in place, it would be impossible to spot a gas leak.
Exposure to Freon gases, found in refrigeration systems, can lead to severe consequences. F gas poisoning may lead to severe lung damage, long term brain damage, organ damage and even death. The outcome will depend on how quickly medical help can be sought.
Even mild exposure to refrigerant gases can cause eye irritation, breathing difficulties, headaches, nausea and chemical burns.
When Refrigeration Gas Leak Detection Goes Wrong
- In 2022, in Indonesia, six crew members on a trawler in the Bali Sea were reported to have died following a refrigerant leak onboard the boat.
News reports blame the deaths on an undetected gas leak from the onboard freezer. It was suggested that two of the crew had been poisoned by f gas while cleaning the ship’s hold. The other four died as they attempted to rescue their colleagues.
It was noted that health and safety regulations had not been followed.
- In May 2022, in the Bahamas, at a Sandals resort, an undetected refrigerant gas leak led to the death of three American tourists. The Freon gas leak was blamed on a faulty air conditioning system.
- Closer to home, in 2016, Carlsberg was fined £3 million after a worker at their Northampton plant was killed following an undetected gas leak from the refrigeration system.
What type of sensor is required for refrigerant gas leak detection?
Reliability and accuracy are the essential factors to ensure your refrigeration gas leak detection system complies with UK regulations and maintains the safety of your system.
A fixed refrigerant gas leak detection sensor is the most commonly used sensor to satisfy the requirements of the F-Gas Regulations. These can be multigas sensors or dedicated sensors dependent upon the refrigerants used. Installations are in plant rooms where the coolant is typically stored, and also in rooms that are occupied extensively…for example hotel rooms and hospitals.
Most refrigerants are detected using NDIR sensors or metal oxide sensors, these include CO2, HCs and HFCs, others, such as NH3 employ electrochemical sensors. The sensors mentioned are available from Omnisensors to be designed into leak detectors by OEMs, and with SmartGAS are offered as either a sensor module or a transmitter, ready for use by the end customer.
Our range of SmartGas Refrigeration Basic-Evo diffusion-based sensors are economical but deliver high-quality performance with a long lifespan. Made by SmartGAS, they offer reliability and simplicity while providing a cost-effective solution to gas detection. They stand out thanks to low detection limits, rapid response time, ease of use, low calibration effort low cost of ownership.
Lower volume systems require routine leak checks using a portable detector which is less costly than installing a sensor for continuous monitoring but will not offer the same level of assurance. The majority of portable detectors are designed around low power, low-cost metal oxide sensors.
If you want to know more, get in touch with our experienced sales engineers, who will help you choose the right gas detection system for your needs.
