Environmental Specialties is pleased to announce two innovations to our ES2000 Reach-In product line, which will be introduced as Environmental Specialties’ standard configuration on October 1, 2020. Both of these changes are in response to regulatory subjects that impact the core storage markets.
First, the refrigerant used in our chambers will change from R404A to R448A, which reduces the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the refrigerant from 3922 to 1273, well below the 2500 GWP limit being introduced by several agencies around the world, including the US EPA. While this regulation is not fully in force yet in all locations, it is required for many of our customers and we are happy to announce that Environmental Specialties’ chamber now meets this new “greener” performance level with no degradation in the temperature range of the chamber. This is a positive enhancement for our company and the environment.
Second, the wiring configuration of our control system has been modified for safety. We have separated the high and low voltage components with NFPA 70E suggestions for arc flash avoidance in mind. Now, the low voltage and instrumentation wiring can be accessed with reduced PPE requirements for the technician. There is no external visual evidence of this improvement, but the technicians that service the chambers will now find it much easier and safer to perform maintenance.
As you have either been recently quoted or have recently ordered a chamber that would be constructed with these improvements incorporated, we need to notify you of these changes. We are aware that you may have internal documentation that would need to reflect the change in the refrigerant, at a minimum. Therefore, please alert us to any concerns you may have about these improvements.
Thank you for your continued use of and trust in Environmental Specialties’ chambers. We hope that you appreciate our efforts to produce safer and healthier products for us all.