Standards

• Refrigerant monitoring systems are required in mechanical rooms by nationally accredited standards and state code. For example, the Michigan Mechanical Code requires the installation of refrigerant monitors. Refrigerant monitors and their specifications are standardized under American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 15.
  
  

Leaks

• ASHRAE 15 requires a refrigerant monitor be placed in an area of a mechanical room where a refrigerant leak might occur. These monitors should trigger alarms inside and outside the mechanical rooms, with self contained breathing apparatus supplied for workers in the mechanical room in case of a leak.
  
  

Types

• There are two types of monitors used in industrial applications, hand-held and area monitors. Hand-held monitors are used for identifying the location of a leak, while area monitors are a safety device used to monitor entire rooms.