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– Carry out a leak test before charging with refrigerant.
• Reassemble sealed enclosures accurately. If seals are worn, replace them.
• Check safety equipment before putting into service.
d) Decommissioning
• If the safety is affected when the equipment is putted out of service, the refrigerant charge shall be removed
before decommissioning.
• Ensure sufficient ventilation at the equipment location.
• Be aware that malfunction of the equipment may be caused by refrigerant loss and a refrigerant leak is
possible.
• Discharge capacitors in a way that won’t cause any spark.
• Remove the refrigerant. If the recovery is not required by national regulations, drain the refrigerant to the
outside. Take care that the drained refrigerant will not cause any danger. In doubt, one person should guard
the outlet. Take special care that drained refrigerant will not float back into the building.
• Evacuate the refrigerant circuit.
• Purge the refrigerant circuit with nitrogen for 5 min.
• Evacuate again.
• Fill with nitrogen up to atmospheric pressure.
• Put a label on the equipment that the refrigerant is removed.
e) Disposal
• Ensure sufficient ventilation at the working place.
• Remove the refrigerant. If the recovery is not required by national regulations, drain the refrigerant to the
outside. Take care that the drained refrigerant will not cause any danger. In doubt, one person should guard
the outlet. Take special care that drained refrigerant will not float back into the building.
• Evacuate the refrigerant circuit.
• Purge the refrigerant circuit with nitrogen for 5 min.
• Evacuate again.
• Cut out the compressor and drain the oil.
Transportation, marking and storage for units that employ flammable refrigerants
Transport of equipment containing flammable refrigerants
Attention is drawn to the fact that additional transportation regulations may exist with respect to equipment
containing flammable gas. The maximum number of pieces of equipment or the configuration of the
equipment, permitted to be transported together will be determined by the applicable transport regulations.
Marking of equipment using signs
Signs for similar appliances used in a work area generally are addressed by local regulations and give the
minimum requirements for the provision of safety and/or health signs for a work location.
All required signs are to be maintained and employers should ensure that employees receive suitable and
sufficient instruction and training on the meaning of appropriate safety signs and the actions that need to be
taken in connection with these signs.
The effectiveness of signs should not be diminished by too many signs being placed together.
Any pictograms used should be as simple as possible and contain only essential details.
Disposal of equipment using flammable refrigerants
See national regulations.
Storage of equipment/appliances
The storage of equipment should be in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Storage of packed (unsold) equipment
Storage package protection should be constructed such that mechanical damage to the equipment inside the
package will not cause a leak of the refrigerant charge.
The maximum number of pieces of equipment permitted to be stored together will be determined by local
regulations.
