GLACIO Journal

Refrigerant is the part of the spec sheet buyers skip and regulators do not. It decides service cost, future compliance risk, and sometimes whether the machine can be sold in a market at all. If you are ordering a commercial ice cream machine, three letters on the nameplate matter as much as the compressor brand.

What the two refrigerants are

R404A is an HFC blend widely used in commercial refrigeration. It is effective, well understood by technicians, and has a very high global warming potential — commonly cited around 3,900 under the AR4 scale. That number is why it is being phased down.

R290 is propane, a natural refrigerant with a GWP of about 3. It is efficient and cheap, but it is flammable (safety class A3), so charge size, component design and installation rules are stricter. Equipment using R290 must be designed and certified for it — you cannot retrofit a machine by changing gas.

Why it matters to a buyer

• Regulatory risk. The EU F-gas regulation phases down high-GWP HFCs and has restricted HFCs at or above GWP 2500 in new equipment. R404A sits well above that line. Other markets are moving in the same direction at different speeds.
• Service cost. R404A is still widely available, but prices and technician familiarity shift as phase-downs tighten. R290 service requires technicians trained for flammable refrigerants.
• Efficiency. R290 generally performs well in small commercial systems, which is why it is popular in compact units.
• Resale. A high-GWP machine can be harder to place in markets with restrictions, especially as rules tighten.

Questions to ask the supplier

• Which refrigerant does this build use, and what is its GWP?
• Is the same platform available with an alternative refrigerant for my market?
• What certifications does the refrigerant circuit carry for my destination?
• What charge size, and does that affect installation clearances or ventilation?
• What does the service manual require, and do local technicians work with this refrigerant?
• What is the leak-check and record-keeping obligation in my market?

What to do with the answer

If you are buying for the EU, treat refrigerant as part of the compliance decision, not an afterthought: confirm the current restriction status for your equipment category and get the refrigerant declaration with the documents. For other markets, ask your local service partner which refrigerants they can support — a machine you cannot get serviced is a machine you cannot run.

If you are buying used, check the nameplate and the service history: a converted or topped-up system without a documented leak repair is a future problem, not a bargain.

The practical recommendation

For dense, low-volume artisan equipment, R290 is increasingly the forward-looking choice where the platform is certified for it. For higher-capacity machines and markets where service infrastructure still centres on HFCs, R404A remains workable — but budget for the compliance direction of travel rather than assuming today’s rules are permanent.

The power requirements guide and the voltage guide cover the electrical side of the spec sheet; the maintenance checklist covers the checks that catch a refrigerant problem early.

FAQ

Can I change the refrigerant after delivery?

No. The machine is designed, certified and charged for a specific refrigerant. Converting requires engineering changes and re-certification, not a gas swap.

Is R290 dangerous?

It is flammable, which is why equipment using it must be designed and certified to the relevant safety standard, with charge limits and installation rules. Handled as designed, it is a mainstream commercial refrigerant.

Will R404A be banned everywhere?

Not on one date. The EU has already restricted very high-GWP HFCs in new equipment; other markets are moving at different speeds. Check the rules for your destination and plan beyond the current order.

Does refrigerant affect running cost?

It can, through efficiency differences and through service and gas prices as phase-downs tighten. Efficiency is a system property — compressor, heat exchanger and charge all matter.

If you need a machine for a market with refrigerant restrictions, tell us the country and application — an export engineer replies within 24 hours with the compliant refrigerant option. Request a refrigerant-compliant quote.

Sources: EU F-gas regulation phase-down context (high-GWP HFC restrictions); published GWP values for R404A and R290; GLACIO factory data (TECUMSEH compressors, R404A builds). Confirm current rules for your market before ordering.