Refrigerant management specialist A-Gas is streamlining the refrigerant recovery process with its Rapid Exchange® service, an on-site swap programme for exchanging recovery cylinders.
The programme has recently been enhanced by the company for an improved service that now includes on-site cylinder exchange, through which customers can join the A-Gas buyback programme with competitive buyback rates.
A-Gas launched the improved programme with the goal of making it assessable for professionals, contractors, and businesses in the US to get new, clean recovery cylinders.
Brad Williams, Network Sales Director for A-Gas Rapid Recovery and Rapid Exchange Services, said that the series is designed to simplify the refrigerant recovery process.
“Contractors and HVACR professionals can trade their full refrigerant recovery cylinders for new ones without fees and access A-Gas’ refrigerant buyback programme, while participating in the circular economy.”
EPA-certified technicians visit customer locations to facilitate the exchange process, and A-Gas handles the rest.
After cylinders are swapped, the recovered refrigerant is sent to an A-Gas facility, where it is reclaimed to AHRI-700 specifications before re-entering the supply chain. When refrigerants can no longer be re-processed, they are safely destroyed using proprietary PyroPlas® technology, which boasts a guaranteed destruction efficiency of 99.9999%.
Earlier this year, A-Gas expanded its Rapid Exchange programme to Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas.
Read more: A-Gas expands service offering in Salt Lake City
More environmentally friendly refrigerants
In the US, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2022 is encouraging the phasedown of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants in support of the switch to more environmentally friendly hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerants.
The AIM Act authorises the US Environmental Protection Agency to address HFCs in three main ways. First, by phasing down HFC production, consumption, and imports through an allowance allocation program; second, by helping sectors move to new refrigerant technologies with better environmental impact; and lastly, by regulating how HFC refrigerants are used less and reclaimed.
The legislation mandates the phasedown of HFCs by 85% from historic baseline levels by 2036. The phasedown schedule started with a 10% reduction in 2022, with a further decrease this year to 60% of baseline levels, followed by other key dates for further stepped improvements thereafter, all the way to 2036.
Read more: Improving refrigerants step by step
A-Gas is focused on environmental stewardship through the lifecycle management of refrigerant gases. The company manages the full lifecycle of refrigerants, from recovery, reclamation, and re-entry into the market to refrigerant destruction services for when gases are at the end of their useful life.
