Refrigerant
The fluid that absorbs heat from the building by evaporating, then rejects it outdoors by condensing — the thermal carrier of the refrigeration cycle.
What does refrigerant do in the refrigeration cycle?
Refrigerant is the circuit’s thermal carrier: it absorbs heat from the building by evaporating in the indoor coil, then rejects it outdoors by condensing in the outdoor coil. The compressor and the expansion device maintain the pressure differences that make the cycle possible. An air conditioner’s entire performance rests on this change of state.
Which families are found in commercial buildings?
Greater Montréal’s installed base runs mostly on common HFCs (notably R-410A, with R-407C and R-134a on chillers); recent equipment is migrating to lower-GWP fluids, some of which are mildly flammable (class A2L). The exact fluid is identified on the nameplate — information to know before any service.
What do regulations say about handling refrigerants?
Halocarbons are governed by Québec and Canadian environmental regulations: mandatory recovery (venting to atmosphere is prohibited), handling by certified qualified personnel and tracking of top-ups. For a building manager, requiring those qualifications from a contractor is not a luxury — it is the baseline of compliance.