After January 1st, 2017, labelling requirements for products contained F-gas (fluorinated greenhouse gases) listed in the annex I of EU Regulation 517/2014 will be effective.

Scope

Refrigerator, freezer and air-conditioner product

Label Content

The label must state:

• that a sentence including the text ‘Contains fluorinated greenhouse gases’,
• refrigeration and air conditioning equipment as well as heat pumps, which are insulated with foam blown with fluorinated greenhouse gases, shall be marked with a label containing the following text: ‘Foam blown with fluorinated greenhouse gases’,
• the industry name for the F gas, or the chemical name if there isn’t an accepted industry name .

From January 1st, 2017 the label on any product apart from insulating foam must also state the:

• mass of F gas in the equipment (in kg), 
• carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent(in ton), 
• GWP(global warming potential) of the F gas,
• the mass of F gas in weight and in CO2 equivalent must also be included, along with the GWP of the gas. This information must also be included in instruction manuals,
• when equipment is pre-charged with fluorinated greenhouse gases and such gases may be added outside the manufacturing site and the resulting total quantity is not defined by the manufacturer, the label shall contain the quantity charged at the manufacturing site, and shall provide space on the label for the quantity added outside the manufacturing site as well as for the resulting total quantity of fluorinated greenhouse gases.

Hermetically sealed equipment

If F gas is ‘hermetically sealed’ within a product, the label must also state that’s the case. F gas is hermetically sealed if both of the following apply:

• any part of the product that contains F gas is welded or brazed shut, or permanently sealed in another way
• the product has a tested leakage rate of less than 3 grams per year

A system that meets these 2 conditions is considered hermetically sealed even if it has capped valves or capped service ports to allow access for repairs and maintenance.

Technical requirements for label

The label shall be clearly readable and indelible and shall be placed either:

(a) adjacent to the service ports for charging or recovering the fluorinated greenhouse gas; or

(b) on that part of the product or equipment that contains the fluorinated greenhouse gas, ｗｈｅｒｅ possible, adjacent to existing nameplates or product information labels of the product;
The label shall be in the official languages of the Member State in which it is to be placed on the market.

Where to find the GWP value of a HFC

The GWP of HFCs can be found in the Annex I of REGULATION (EU) No 517/2014. 

How to calculate the total GWP of a mixture

Example 1: for a blend of gases (R-404A) consisting fully of HFCs:
44 % HFC-125 (GWP=3500), 52 % HFC-143a (GWP=4470), 4 % HFC-134a (GWP=1430):
Σ (44 % x 3500) + (52 % x 4470) + (4 % x 1430) → Total GWP = 3922

Example 2: for a blend of gases (R-413A) containing also non HFCs:
88 % HFC-134a (GWP=1430), 9 % PFC-218 (GWP=8830), 3 % Isobutane/R-600a (GWP=3):
Σ (88 % x 1430) + (9 % x 8830) + (4 % x 3) → Total GWP = 2053.19

How to calculate the CO2 equivalents

Example: the CO2 equivalents of 1kg R-404A shall be 1kg ×3922=3.922 Ton CO2 equivalent

Label example (for one appliance with both factory charge and charge outside the manufacturing site, with foam blown with fluorinated greenhouse gases):

Our Services

• Intertek can provide GS and LVD certification service for refrigerator, freezer and air-conditioner according to the requirements of new Europe directive. 
• Our testing laboratories have been optimized to meet the demands of various standards, and provide efficient and accurate testing service and the best testing solutions.

About Intertek

Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains. Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.

www.intertek.com.cn