An Overview of AHRI 700 Purity Standards

The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) 700 purity standards are used globally to verify refrigerant performance claims and ensure fair product comparisons. The AHRI does not set safety standards, and it does not certify or guarantee product safety. AHRI standards result from advanced and accepted industry practices for designing, installing, and operating refrigerants that comply with national safety standards and codes. The following is a brief look at the AHRI purity standards and their impact on refrigerant management.

The Scope Standard

This standard specifies the purity requirements of acceptable levels of contaminants in refrigerants containing hydrocarbon, fluorocarbon, and carbon dioxide. It involves refrigeration management regardless of the source, and it lists acceptable methods of testing.

Specifications for Refrigerants

The refrigerant standard sets purity specifications, verifies composition, and defines testing methods for accessibility. It is meant to guide manufacturers, reclaimers, distributors, installers, contractors, and users, among others, of refrigerants containing hydrocarbon, fluorocarbon, and carbon dioxide.

Characterization of Refrigerants and Contaminants

This standard of single component fluorocarbon and zeotropic/azeotropic blend refrigerants and contaminants includes Isomer content, water, halogenated unsaturated volatile impurities, and chloride, among others.

Sampling of Test Procedures

These precautions specify methods and limits of refrigerant management for cylinder preparation, vapor phase sampling, and handling low-temperature refrigerants. The precautions also address liquid and liquid phase sampling, record weight, refrigerant identification, and water content, among others.

Particulates and Solids

While addressing noncondensables, other volatile impurities, and other refrigeration, this standard focuses on the halogenated, unsaturated volatile, impurities, individual listed volatile impurities, and sulfur odor in hydrocarbon refrigerants.

Reclaimed and Repackaged Refrigerants

This standard sets test procedures for refrigerant management in determining the quality of the new and the reclaimed as well as repackaged refrigerants for use in new and existing equipment within the scope of AHRI. They are designed as referee test methods. If other procedures are used, the user must show results equivalent to the specified referee test methods.

Reporting Procedure

The manufacturer, repackager, or reclaimer of the packaged refrigerant is identified. The refrigerant is identified by its accepted number and chemical name. The test results are tabulated accordingly. Although confirmation is voluntary, it cannot be claimed or implied for equipment or products within the scope and purpose of the standard.

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