R290 Refrigerant: What UK Commercial Owners Need to Know

Picture a fairly typical delivery. A restaurant group orders eight new undercounter cabinets for a refurb, they arrive, get wheeled into position, plugged in and filled with stock. At some point somebody notices a small orange flame symbol on the compressor housing, next to a plate that says the refrigerant is R290 and the charge is 95 grams. Nobody mentioned any of this when the order was placed. The cabinets work beautifully. The site manager has no idea whether the sticker means something has changed for him.

Something has. Not much, but it is worth knowing.

R290 is refrigerant-grade propane, fast becoming the default refrigerant in plug-in commercial cabinets, bottle coolers and small integral units because it is not a fluorinated gas, sits outside the F-Gas quota entirely, and outperforms the R404A and R134a it replaces. It is flammable, classified A3, so the law caps how much can sit in one circuit and the cabinet is marked with the smallest room it may stand in. None of this is a reason not to buy it. It is a reason to read the rating plate and brief your team properly.

Why your next cabinet is likely to arrive charged with propane

Propane has been used as a refrigerant for a long time. What changed is regulation. GOV.UK sets the scope of the F-Gas rules out in one sentence: "If you work with hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) or sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) (F gases), you must follow the guidance for F gas users, producers and traders." (Fluorinated gases (F gases), GOV.UK). Propane is none of those things. It does not appear on the government's list of F gases, it holds no quota, and the supply squeeze on high-GWP refrigerants does not reach it.

Look at what it is replacing and the appeal is obvious. The same GOV.UK list puts R404A at a global warming potential of 3,922 and HFC-134a at 1,430, both inside the quota system. We covered the detail in our post on the January 2027 quota step; the short version is that high-GWP gas gets scarcer and dearer with every step, so manufacturers have moved whole cabinet ranges onto propane. On the thermodynamics it is an easy decision. Propane works with conventional oils and copper, and the components are familiar to any competent engineer.

Propane is not the only natural refrigerant, and not the right one for every job. Larger distributed systems are a different conversation, and we have set out how propane compares with CO₂ and ammonia separately. This post is about the equipment most hospitality and retail operators actually own: integral cabinets, bottle coolers, display units and small packs where the whole circuit lives inside the box.

Is R290 flammable? Yes, and here is what that means day to day

There is no point dressing this up. R290 is propane, propane burns, and the classification system says so. Refrigerants carry a letter for toxicity and a number for flammability, and R290 sits in class A3: lower toxicity, higher flammability.

In practice the quantities are small and the equipment is designed around them. A typical bottle cooler holds well under 150 grams of propane, sealed inside a welded circuit, with sparking electrical components kept away from anywhere gas could gather. Sited as marked, these units are safe, and they run by the million in UK shops and kitchens.

The legal layer sits with fire and explosion law rather than refrigeration law. Wherever a flammable substance is present at work, DSEAR applies, and HSE lists the employer's duties plainly: "find out what dangerous substances are in their workplace and what the risks are", "identify and classify areas of the workplace where explosive atmospheres may occur and avoid ignition sources (from unprotected equipment, for example) in those areas" (Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres, HSE). For a handful of plug-in cabinets in a ventilated room this is not onerous. It does mean three habits matter.

• Give the cabinets air. Ventilation grilles blocked by stock, boxes or a build-up of fluff are the everyday failure. The room needs to breathe and so does the unit.
• Respect the siting. An R290 appliance is marked with the minimum floor area of the room it may stand in. Three units wheeled into a tiny cellar store can breach what all three plates say.
• Keep flames and sparks away during any work. No naked flames, no grinding, no hot work near an opened-up cabinet. That is engineer territory, covered below.

The R290 charge limit, and what it changed

The reason propane stayed out of bigger equipment for years was a charge limit of 150 grams per circuit, which restricted it to small appliances. The standard governing self-contained commercial cabinets is IEC 60335-2-89, which the IEC describes as specifying "safety requirements for electrically operated commercial refrigerating appliances and ice-makers that have an incorporated motor-compressor or split systems", while excluding "split systems having a refrigerant charge of flammable refrigerant exceeding 150 g in any refrigerating circuit" (IEC 60335-2-89:2019, IEC Webstore). The 2019 edition moved the market. Danfoss summarises the change: "The charge limits have increased from 150g to 500g for the most flammable A3" refrigerants, and "from 150g to 1.2kg" for the milder A2 and A2L group (IEC 60335-2-89 flammable refrigerant limit change, Danfoss).

That increase is why you now see propane in full-height display freezers and multi-door merchandisers that would once have run on R404A. Two details matter more on site than the headline number. Danfoss notes that "Remote condensing units should not have more than 150g of flammable refrigerant in any one refrigerating circuit", and that a circuit carrying the larger charge must be hermetically sealed, so "soldered connections are acceptable but flare connections are not".

The practical reading for an owner is this. Below 150 grams, propane goes almost anywhere. Up to 500 grams, it goes in self-contained cabinets with sealed circuits, sited according to the plate. Above that, on split systems and remote plant, you are back to the wider refrigerant conversation. The cap is why hydrocarbons dominate plug-in equipment and are rare on a distributed pack feeding a dozen cases: you cannot hold enough gas in one circuit.

How to tell if your cabinet runs on R290

Every commercial refrigeration appliance carries a rating plate, usually on the rear panel, inside the door frame or beside the compressor. It states the model, the electrical supply, the refrigerant and the charge. If it says R290, HC-290 or propane, that is what you have. Older units will say R404A or R134a. You may also see R600a, isobutane, a close cousin in smaller sealed appliances, treated the same way from a safety point of view.

On an R290 unit the plate, or a label near it, will also show the flame symbol and the minimum room floor area, calculated from the charge and the lower flammability limit of the gas. It is a hard constraint, not a suggestion.

Two habits are worth building. First, photograph the plate of every cabinet you own and keep the refrigerant and charge in your asset register. When something breaks at nine on a Friday night, the engineer on the phone can prepare properly if you can say what is inside. Second, check the plate before a cabinet is moved: a unit that was compliant in the kitchen can be non-compliant in the box room it has been pushed into.

What changes when an R290 cabinet needs work

Day-to-day care is the same as any cabinet: clean condenser, clear vents, no stock stacked against the airflow. The differences appear the moment the refrigeration circuit has to be opened.

A hydrocarbon circuit is sealed and stays sealed. There are no flare fittings to tighten, and adding service valves to a circuit designed without them is not a casual modification. Before any brazing, the charge is recovered, and the engineer works without naked flames nearby, with tools and gauges kept for flammable refrigerants. The gas itself is cheap. The discipline around it is what you are paying for.

Competence is the point owners most often get wrong. An F-Gas certificate is a legal qualification for fluorinated gases, propane is not one, so the certificate alone does not evidence hydrocarbon competence. What you want is an engineer who can show specific training on flammable refrigerants and works to the appliance standard. Ask before the cabinet is on the bench, because a circuit opened by someone who did not know what was in it is how the flammability stops being theoretical. Our commercial refrigeration repair team works on hydrocarbon cabinets across London every week.

R290 vs R404A, side by side

	R290 (propane)	R404A
Type	Natural hydrocarbon refrigerant	HFC blend
GWP (GOV.UK list)	Not listed, not an F gas	3,922
F-Gas quota exposure	None, outside the quota	Highest, first to be squeezed
Flammability class	A3, higher flammability	A1, not flammable
Where you find it	New integral cabinets, bottle coolers, display units	Older cabinets, packs, cold rooms
Circuit design	Hermetically sealed, soldered joints, no flares	Conventional serviceable circuits

If you are weighing an older R404A cabinet against a new propane unit, the refrigerant is rarely the deciding factor. Age, condition and what a failure costs you matter more, and our post on the repair versus replace decision covers how that judgement usually goes.

The energy angle

Propane's thermodynamic properties are strong. It carries heat efficiently, needs a smaller charge by mass to do the same work, and lets manufacturers reach energy label classes that were hard to hit on R134a. That is a large part of why the industry moved, not just the quota. On equipment that never switches off, a lower draw every hour of every day adds up.

The honest way to compare is not the refrigerant but the energy label on the cabinet. Two R290 units can differ widely, because the label reflects the whole design: insulation, compressor, fans and controls, not just the gas. Compare the labels and the annual consumption figure, and treat the refrigerant as a compliance question rather than an efficiency guarantee.

What to actually do differently as the owner

None of this is burdensome. It is a short list, and most of it is free.

• Read the plates before you site the units. Add up what each plate demands in floor area and check the room, especially cellars, stores and anywhere cabinets get crowded together.
• Brief the team. One toolbox talk covers it: keep vents and grilles clear of stock, report cabinet damage, and never let anyone poke at the pipework.
• Log the refrigerant in your asset register. Photograph the plate, record the gas and the charge, update it when equipment moves or is replaced.
• Tell your insurer what you are running. A quick note that new cabinets are hydrocarbon-charged avoids an awkward conversation later.
• Check your contractor's competence in writing. Ask who attends hydrocarbon work and what training they hold, before the first breakdown rather than during it.
• Never let anyone open a circuit casually. No topping up, no piercing, no DIY repairs. A sealed propane circuit is either left alone or worked on properly.

Do those six things and an R290 cabinet is, honestly, less trouble than the R404A unit it replaced. The gas will not run out or be regulated away, and the efficiency is better. The operators who get bitten are the ones who never knew what was in the box.

Frequently asked questions

Is R290 refrigerant flammable?

Yes. R290 is propane, classified A3, the highest flammability class in normal refrigeration use. The charges in plug-in cabinets are small, well under 150 grams in a typical bottle cooler, and the equipment is designed and marked around that. Sited as marked, ventilated and serviced by someone competent, it is safe.

What is the R290 charge limit?

For self-contained commercial refrigerating appliances, IEC 60335-2-89:2019 raised the limit for A3 refrigerants such as propane from 150 grams to 500 grams per circuit, with 1.2kg for the milder A2 and A2L group. Remote condensing units stay capped at 150 grams per circuit, and split systems above 150 grams of flammable refrigerant fall outside that standard. The figures that govern your installation are the charge and minimum floor area on the appliance plate.

How can I tell if my fridge or bottle cooler uses R290?

Read the rating plate, usually on the rear panel, inside the door frame or by the compressor. It states the refrigerant and the charge in grams. R290, HC-290 or propane means hydrocarbon, and an orange flame symbol nearby confirms it.

Do I need an F-Gas certified engineer for R290 work?

Not in the way you would for R404A. Propane is not a fluorinated gas, so the F-Gas certificate regime does not apply to it, and that certificate alone does not demonstrate hydrocarbon competence. You need an engineer with specific training on flammable refrigerants, working with the right tools and without naked flames.

Can I convert my existing R404A cabinet to R290?

No. R290 is not a retrofit gas. A propane circuit is designed from the start for a flammable charge, with sealed soldered joints, appropriate electrical components and a marked room size. Putting propane into a system built for R404A creates a hazard. If an old R404A unit is struggling, the choice is repair, a lower-GWP blend retrofit where the plant justifies it, or replacement.

Buying, siting or servicing hydrocarbon cabinets

The pattern I see is always the same. The refrigerant is the easy part of the decision, and the part everyone writes down. What decides whether an R290 fleet runs quietly for years is the unglamorous half: where the units stand, whether the plates were read, and who picks up the tools when one breaks.

If you are speccing new cabinets, consolidating an estate, or you have just discovered half your back bar runs on propane and want to know what that means for your cover, it is a short conversation. Talk to us about commercial refrigeration installation and we will go through what you have and what you are buying honestly, including the sites where the right answer is to leave well alone.

About the author: Ali Elm runs Be Cool Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, a family-run London firm that has been installing, servicing and repairing commercial refrigeration and air conditioning since 2004. His F-Gas certified team has delivered more than 2,000 projects across London and the South East.

Last updated: 24 September 2026