An Often Overlooked Detail When Purchasing An Ice Bath: Refrigerant

When judging the cooling capacity of an ice bath, people often look at its cooling power and temperature control range, overlooking another crucial factor: the refrigerant.

What is refrigerant, and why does it play such a crucial role in the refrigeration system?

An ice bath chiller capable of achieving rapid cooling and maintaining a constant water temperature has four core components: the compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. These four core components correspond to the four-step cycle of the refrigeration process, which are: compression and heating, heat release and cooling, expansion and depressurization, and heat absorption and cooling. The refrigerant continuously circulates through these four core components, forming a precise refrigeration system.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Refrigerant

Different types of refrigerants vary in their performance across various aspects. Overall, the trend in refrigerant development is a gradual shift from environmentally harmful substances to more eco-friendly and efficient types. This article will now analyze the refrigerants commonly used in water chillers from the perspectives of refrigeration performance, safety, and environmental impact, to help users make a better purchasing decision.

The common refrigerants currently on the market are R410A, R134a, and R290. Among these, R410A and R134a belong to the second generation of refrigerants, while R290 belongs to the third generation. As first-generation refrigerants have a significant environmental impact and have been gradually phased out globally, they will not be discussed in this article.

Refrigeration Efficiency

The refrigeration performance of the refrigerant directly determines the cooling effect of the cold plunge chiller.

As a mainstream second-generation refrigerant, R410A is known for its stable and reliable cooling performance and is currently mainly used in high-power ice bath chillers.

R134a also has stable cooling performance, but its cooling efficiency is slightly inferior to R410A, so it is primarily used in small and medium-sized ice bath chillers.

R290, as a new-generation refrigerant, not only ensures cooling efficiency but also has a relatively excellent energy efficiency ratio.

To meet customer needs, Addotron has designed and launched ice bath chiller models that use three different refrigerants, aiming to provide customers with more diverse options.

Safety

Due to the special properties of some refrigerants, such as flammability and toxicity, safety is also a crucial factor when choosing a refrigerant. 

R134a and R410A are chosen by most users for their non-flammable properties. Although R290 has a relatively excellent energy efficiency ratio, its flammability requires stricter requirements for the product's assembly process. 

As a manufacturer specializing in ice bath series products, Addotron has extremely rigorous production and inspection procedures to ensure that all ice bath chillers, regardless of the refrigerant used, are strictly sealed to eliminate any safety hazards.

Environmental Protection

Environmental protection has gradually shifted from a fringe topic to a matter of close global concern. The current indicator for assessing a refrigerant's environmental performance is its GWP (Global Warming Potential); the lower the GWP, the better its environmental performance.

The GWP value of R410A is approximately 2090, which is higher compared to the other two refrigerants.

The GWP value of R134a is approximately 1430, which places it in the middle of the three refrigerants.

As a natural compound, R290 has a GWP value of approximately 3, which is significantly lower than the other two.

Refrigerant Parameter Comparison Table

Summary

In summary, choosing the most suitable refrigerant depends on your individual circumstances. If you're looking for higher environmental performance, a water chiller for ice bath equipped with R290 is the best option. If you're looking for a small or medium-sized ice bath chiller for personal use, one equipped with R134a is also a good choice. For more stable performance, consider R410A.

If you're still unsure about the right ice bath chiller configuration, contact Addotron. We'll customize a solution to meet your needs and help your business thrive.