Is Your Chiller Legal?

By Mike Mullen, B.A., R.C.M. – Director of Property Management, Hamilton
From the WB Condo Connection, Volume 4, Issue 2
Effective January 1, 2012 the Ontario Ministry of the Environment made changes to regulation O.Reg 463/10). This regulation governs large
refrigeration equipment and chillers.
The purpose of the changes to the regulations are to phase out the use of Chlorofluorocarbons, more commonly known as CFCs. CFCs are most common in the air conditioning field as R11 and R12. The phase out actually started in Ontario in 1995 and R11 was no longer being produced as of 1996. Since this date, contractors were reclaiming and recovering the gas to keep systems operational.
No one can use large refrigeration equipment with one or more compressors with a total capacity of more than 22kw or use a chiller which holds refrigerant containing CFCs. There are no exemptions under this regulation. The changes made are being made to protect the ozone and the environment. In fact on July 1, 2012 R11 is now listed as a hazardous waste.
Many of today’s systems run on R123. This gas however is also expected to be phased out starting in 2020 and there will be a reclaiming and recovery effort to keep the systems running for 10 years following this date.
The new systems that are being installed today are running on HydroFlouroCarbons or HFCs. A common type of HFC is R134A or 410A. An average chiller that is maintained properly can have a life expectancy of approximately 23 years.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your chiller and the type of gas being used, consult your Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor for clarification. Persons who operate contrary to the regulation could be fined or thrown in jail. This includes members of the Board of Directors or the Air Conditioning Service Company.