• Servicing shall only be performed as recommended by the equipment manufacturer.
Maintenance and repair requiring the assistance of other skilled personnel shall be carried
out under the supervision of the person competent in the use of flammable refrigerants.
• Please follow the instruction carefully to handle, install, clear, service the air conditioner
to avoid any damage or hazard. When maintaining or disposing the air conditioner, the
refrigerant (R290) shall be recovered properly, shall not discharge to air directly.
• No any open fire or device like switch which may generate sparking shall be around the air
conditioner to avoid causing ignition of the flammable refrigerant used.
1. Transport of equipment containing flammable refrigerants - see transport regulations.
2. Marking of equipment using signs - see local regulations.
3. Disposal of equipment using flammable refrigerants - see national regulations.
4. Storage of equipment/appliances - The storage of equipment should be in accordance
with the manufacturer's instructions.
5. 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. The maximum number of pieces of equipment permitted
to be stored together will be determined by local regulations.
6. Information on servicing:
• Checks to the area
Prior to beginning work on systems containing flammable refrigerants, safety checks are
necessary to ensure that the risk of ignition is minimised. For repair to the refrigerating
system, the following precautions shall be complied with prior to conducting work on the
system.
• Work procedure
Work shall be undertaken under a controlled procedure so as to minimise the risk of a
flammable gas or vapour being present while the work is being performed.
• General work area
All maintenance staff and others working in the local area shall be instructed on the
nature of work being carried out. Work in confined spaces shall be avoided. The area
around the workspace shall be sectioned off. Ensure that the conditions within the area
have been made safe by control of flammable material.
• Checking for presence of refrigerant
The area shall be checked with an appropriate refrigerant detector prior to and during
work, to ensure the technician is aware of potentially flammable atmospheres. Ensure
that the leak detection equipment being used is suitable for use with flammable
refrigerants, i.e. non-sparking, adequately sealed or intrinsically safe.
• Presence of fire extinguisher
If any hot work is to be conducted on the refrigeration equipment or any associated
parts, appropriate fire extinguishing equipment shall be available to hand. Have a dry
powder or CO2 fire extinguisher adjacent to the charging area.
• No ignition sources
No person carrying out work in relation to a refrigeration system which involves exposing
any pipe work that contains or has contained flammable refrigerant shall use any sources
of ignition in such a manner that it may lead to the risk of fire or explosion. All possible
ignition sources, including cigarette smoking, should be kept sufficiently far away
from the site of installation, repairing, removing and disposal, during which flammable
refrigerant can possibly be released to the surrounding space. Prior to work taking
place, the area around the equipment is to be surveyed to make sure that there are no
flammable hazards or ignition risks. No Smoking signs shall be displayed.
• Ventilated area
Ensure that the area is in the open or that it is adequately ventilated before breaking into
the system or conducting any hot work. A degree of ventilation shall continue during the
period that the work is carried out. The ventilation should safely disperse any released
refrigerant and preferably expel it externally into the atmosphere.
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