About the book
Discover how theoretical knowledge and practical application are brought together in this work – clear, understandable and state-of-the-art.
This book aims to help professionals operate heat pumps and refrigeration systems safely with flammable refrigerants. The focus is on propane (R-290) – representative of all hydrocarbons – because it is currently the most widely used natural refrigerant for refrigeration, air conditioning and heating technology.
The move away from fluorinated synthetic refrigerants requires a clear change in technology. Propane offers excellent thermodynamic properties and is climate-friendly, but it also poses a serious fire and explosion hazard. The aim of this book is therefore to protect people and property from the risks posed by explosive atmospheres – from planning and construction to daily operation.
What this book offers
How to use the book
It is not necessary to read every page. Depending on your role, the chapters will guide you to the relevant topics:
• Operators – duties, risk assessment, explosion protection documents
• Manufacturers – risk assessment, conformity, CE marking
• Specialist companies (installers/erectors) – assembly, risk analysis
To ensure that each chapter contains all the information that is essential for its target audience, certain content is deliberately repeated several times.
Which questions are answered:
• Is there a difference between heat pumps for businesses (‘commercial use’) and for residential buildings?
• What is the difference between risk assessment, hazard analysis and hazard evaluation?
• Is a risk assessment not required for small filling quantities?
• No explosion protection document is required for heat pumps?
• Does a hermetically sealed refrigerant circuit mean that no Ex-marked devices are required?
• No Ex-marked devices are required for ventilation?
• Why is it problematic to use semi-hermetic compressors without Ex marking – even if they are ‘tight’?
• Are possible and potential ignition sources exactly the same thing?
• Are there no legal regulations governing the ventilation of the cargo area of service vehicles?
„Lykke til” and „Good luck”
Stig Rath and Harald Erös
July 2025
About the authors
In 2018, Stig Rath and Harald Erös met by chance in Vienna after both had left a lecture in which natural refrigerants were labelled as dangerous. They quickly realised that they shared the same conviction: the future must be both safe and climate-friendly.
Combustible Refrigerants was first published in 2020. Now, after five years of intensive collaboration, they have brought together all their experience and knowledge in Propane, Naturally Safe! – the first book to provide a comprehensive overview of regulations, standards and best practices relating to fire and explosion hazards in refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump systems.
Stig Rath is a trained refrigeration and heat pump engineer, author of several textbooks on refrigeration technology, and has decades of international experience with all types of systems and refrigerants. He is chairman of Standard Norge Committee 033 for heating and cooling systems in buildings and has been appointed by Small Business Standards, an EU-funded organisation, to represent small and medium-sized refrigeration and heat pump companies (SMEs) in European standardisation work.
Harald Erös combines practice and theory: he is a master craftsman in heating, air conditioning and refrigeration technology and has also completed a degree in energy and environmental management as well as building technology and building management. He has been working in the refrigeration industry since 2002. He also shares his knowledge at the Refrigeration Technology Academy and in master classes throughout Austria, as well as at the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland. He is chairman of the Austrian standardisation committee ‘Refrigeration Systems and Heat Pumps’ and is active in international standardisation work. He is also a founding member and chairman of the Austrian Society for Refrigeration Technology (ÖGKT).
Click here for an excerpt
‘Propane – naturally safe’ gives you an initial impression of the content, structure and layout of the book.
Discover how theoretical knowledge and practical application are brought together in this work – clear, understandable and state-of-the-art.
