Building on over 15 years of practical experience with hydrocarbon refrigerants, the company owners Jane Gartshore and Stephen Benton provide a wide range of services for the refrigeration industry. This includes developing and presenting training on the safe use of hydrocarbon refrigerant, and working with end users and equipment manufacturers to ensure HCs are appropriately and safely applied. In addition, Cool Concerns provides practical help to reduce energy use and refrigerant leakage, and trains and assesses engineers.

Hydrocarbon projects around the globe

Established in 1991, Cool Concerns has been working on hydrocarbon related projects since 1995. Together with major hydrocarbon refrigerant suppliers the company developed a simple training programme for engineers to enable them to handle hydrocarbon refrigerants safely. The training is mostly for installation, service and maintenance engineers. Several thousand of engineers have already attended the training sessions in the UK and beyond. As well as HC refrigerant sessions Cool Concerns is also developing R744 training.

Jane Gartshore, who is immediate past president of the UK Institute of Refrigeration, and Stephen Benton have also actively participated in the ECOFRIG project. By providing practical help to developing countries such as India and Indonesia, the Swiss initiative is supported the direct switch from using ozone-depleting refrigerants to natural refrigerants. The project concentrated on providing information and training on the safe use of HC refrigerants to a range of manufacturers, suppliers, service companies and training providers.

Cool Concerns three main areas of activity comprise:

• Consulting services: The practical consultancy services range from advice on reducing energy and refrigerant usage, through equipment and component evaluation on to site troubleshooting, auditing and re-commissioning. Cool Concerns works with manufacturers to help them develop HC equipment ranging from appliances to chillers.
• Training services: Training tailored to individual needs, ranges from short sessions covering the basics to more in depth service and maintenance courses. In the company’s office and training centre in the English West Midlands, they also develop train the trainer packages for engineers worldwide.
• R&D projects: R & D projects range from development of systems running on natural refrigerants, such as hydrocarbons, to an evaluation of engineers’ tools and equipment.

Reaction

"HC refrigerants are important if we want to reduce the environmental impact of RAC equipment and improve system performance. They are very good refrigerants but must be carefully applied and handled to minimise risk. We are delighted to be a partner on hydrocarbons21.com and look forward to helping to promote the safe and appropriate application of HCs through this website," says Jane Gartshore, director of Cool Concerns.