Top 10 tips on refrigerant legislation

1. Legal responsibilities

Operators or end-users have new legal obligations related to refrigerant containment, gas recovery and record keeping. HFC refrigerant gases commonly used in air conditioning and refrigeration are now subject to EC Regulation 842/2006 designed to limit emissions by containment and responsible use. HCFCs are covered by EC Regulation 2037/2000.

2. Installing and Commissioning systems to be leak-free

HFC and HCFC refrigerant based systems need to be checked for leaks before being put into operation. In addition to BS EN 378 and the manufacturer’s recommendations, it is important that during installation the pipework system is pressure tested to ensure it is leak-tight. All pressure testing must be recorded.

3. Installation of fixed leak detection systems

Leak detection systems must be installed on applications with 300kg or more of F-gases. With these, checking requirements are halved.

4. Personnel

The operator or end-user must ensure employed or sub-contracted staff carrying out installation, leak checks or repairs are qualified to City and Guilds 2078 or CITB refrigerant handling equivalent.

5. Customer Handover

New products and new field assembled systems where HFC refrigerant is added to the circuit must be labelled with type and quantity of refrigerant. Makers’ manuals must identify the gas contained, and whether the equipment is hermetically sealed.

6. Maintenance

All systems containing over 3kg of refrigerant need to be tested regularly for leaks following a standard procedure. Operators are responsible for ensuring checks are carried out and leaks repaired. Checks must be done by qualified persons and recorded. If a leak is found on a system containing HFC gases, a check must be done on the adjacent area within a month to ensure the repair has been effective.

7. System Records

Equipment containing over 3kg of HFC requires a system record of leak checks and refrigerant service activity. This must include the name of the qualified person who carried out the work. For equipment where the refrigerant charge size is not known, a qualified person must estimate it. Guidance is available from DEFRA.

8. Restrictions on certain refrigerants

R22 (an HCFC) remains a common refrigerant in air-conditioning and process engineering applications. Use of HCFCs for maintenance is banned from 2010 (for virgin fluid) and 2015 (for recycled fluid). Owners of such systems should now be planning for future cooling needs.

9. Further Guidance

See the website of ACRIB, the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board, www.acrib.org.uk

10. Help

For specific technical queries contact F-Gas Support on 0161 874 3663, or email: f-gas-support@enviros.com