Championing refrigerant recovery and reclamation

Speciality chemicals supplier A-Gas South Africa claims to be taking the lead in preventing the venting of refrigerants into the atmosphere, which not only damages the ozone layer, but contributes to global warming.

The company is achieving this through its association with Rapid Recovery of the United States (US), which it acquired in 2016. The company is not only the largest refrigerant recovery company in America, but in the world. “We recover more refrigerant than any other single company globally,” Rapid Recovery MD Adam Dykstra reveals.

“Anywhere there is a regulatory compliance for a contractor, or a demand for such compliance from a customer, there is a need for high-speed refrigerant recovery solutions,’ Dykstra explains. He adds that the recovery equipment available to contractors today is off-the-shelf and bulky.

“We offer a service that essentially encompasses both a technical, compliance and legal solution. We not only help contractors to comply with the law, but also give their own customers peace-of-mind that they are dealing with professionals well-versed in the latest technology and trends.”

One of these latest trends is the A-Gas Rapid Recovery service, which offers contractors the latest equipment. “Our machines are based on the simple concept of a compressor and a condenser. The system recovers refrigerant from one unit to another really fast, preventing it from venting into the atmosphere.”

Sales manager Michael Labacher explains that SANS 10147 regulations have specific refrigerant recovery, tracking, handling, and documentation requirements. “A‑Gas Rapid Recovery provides all necessary documentation electronically to clients,” he says.

“Rapid Recovery is performed by us, while the contractor team can utilise its specialised skills to diagnose and repair the equipment, rather than handling empty and full recovery cylinders, and waiting on traditional recovery equipment. Custom-made petrol-operated machines are typically 10-times faster than a contractor’s recovery machine.”

Dykstra cautions that venting occurs when a line to a machine is simply cut, or it develops a leak, allowing the refrigerant to escape into the atmosphere. “The correct thing to do is to capture that refrigerant, keep it from damaging the ozone layer and also from causing global warming, clean it, and bring it back onto the market.”

He adds: “The A-Gas Rapid Recovery solution stops that one-way train from refrigerant coming in and going straight to the atmosphere through a piece of equipment that is not properly maintained or inefficient. By recapturing it and bringing it back onto the market, we also reduce the quantity of new refrigerant that needs to be produced, thereby lowering the global footprint.”