Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector—Acceptable Subject to Use Conditions

HCFC Blend Delta and Blend Zeta are acceptable subject to the following conditions when used to retrofit a CFC-12 motor vehicle air conditioning system:

1. Each refrigerant may only be used with a set of fittings that is unique to that refrigerant. These fittings (male or female, as appropriate) must be used with all containers of the refrigerant, on can taps, on recovery, recycling, and charging equipment, and on all air conditioning system service ports. These fittings must be designed to mechanically prevent cross-charging with another refrigerant. A refrigerant may only be used with the fittings and can taps specifically intended for that refrigerant. Using an adapter or deliberately modifying a fitting to use a different refrigerant will be a violation of this use condition. In addition, fittings shall meet the following criteria, derived from Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards and recommended practices:

a. When existing CFC-12 service ports are to be retrofitted, conversion assemblies shall attach to the CFC-12 fitting with a thread lock adhesive and/or a separate mechanical latching mechanism in a manner that permanently prevents the assembly from being removed.

b. All conversion assemblies and new service ports must satisfy the vibration testing requirements of sections 3.2.1 or 3.2.2 of SAE J1660, as applicable, excluding references to SAE J639 and SAE J2064, which are specific to HFC-134a.

c. In order to prevent discharge of refrigerant to the atmosphere, systems shall have a device to limit compressor operation before the pressure relief device will vent refrigerant. This requirement is waived for systems that do not feature such a pressure relief device.

d. All CFC-12 service ports not retrofitted with conversion assemblies shall be rendered permanently incompatible for use with CFC-12 related service equipment by fitting with a device attached with a thread lock adhesive and/or a separate mechanical latching mechanism in a manner that prevents the device from being removed.

2. When a retrofit is performed, a label must be used as follows:

a. The person conducting the retrofit must apply a label to the air conditioning system in the engine compartment that contains the following information:

i. The name and address of the technician and the company performing the retrofit.

ii. The date of the retrofit.

iii. The trade name, charge amount, and, when applicable, the ASHRAE refrigerant numerical designation of the refrigerant.

iv. The type, manufacturer, and amount of lubricant used.

v. If the refrigerant is or contains an ozone-depleting substance, the phrase “ozone depleter.”

vi. If the refrigerant displays flammability limits as measured according to ASTM E681, the statement “This refrigerant is FLAMMABLE. Take appropriate precautions.”

b. This label must be large enough to be easily read and must be permanent.

c. The background color must be unique to the refrigerant.

d. The label must be affixed to the system over information related to the previous refrigerant, in a location not normally replaced during vehicle repair.

e. Information on the previous refrigerant that cannot be covered by the new label must be permanently rendered unreadable.

3. No substitute refrigerant may be used to “top-off” a system that uses another refrigerant. The original refrigerant must be recovered in accordance with regulations issued under section 609 of the CAA prior to charging with a substitute.

[61 FR 25592, May 22, 1996, as amended at 67 FR 4201, Jan. 29, 2002]