F-Gas

Following a long process through the European Parliament the F-Gas regulations became law when they were published in the EU Official Journal in June 2006. They entered into force on 4th July 2006 with much of the regulation applying from 4th July 2007.

The principal objective of the EC Regulation is to contain, prevent and thereby reduce emissions of F gases covered by the KyotoProtocol, so as to help combat climate change.

What are F-gases?

• F-gases contain HFCs, the most common form of refrigerant in use today. 
• Leakage of HFCs can be harmful to the environment whilst also decreasing your system’s energy efficiency – making it more expensive to operate.
•  It can also cause the system to fail, necessitating costly repairs that could have been prevented.

What does it mean for you?

As an operator, you bear legal responsibility for your equipment’s compliance with the new regulation. All stationary, hard-wired units are legally obliged to regular checking, the frequency of which is determined upon the amount of refrigerant in your system, e.g. 3kg requires one annual inspection whilst 30kg requires at least two a year.

Many Air Conditioning systems will use HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) refrigerants and these systems will have certain regulations and obligations concerning the use of refrigerants containing F-Gas and Ozone depleting substances.

How do you Comply?

If your systems use such refrigerants, you must ensure that they comply with current regulations and to remain within the law, you must:

• Arrange for leak checks in accordance with a leak checking schedule.
• Prevent & repair leaks as a matter of due care.
• Ensure that only certified personnel conduct leakage checks.
• Maintain records of refrigerants and servicing.
• Arrange proper recovery by certified personnel during servicing & disposal.

We at EPT are a registered contractor with Refcom and have all the correct F gas certificates, with all our engineers qualified to the latest City & Guilds 2079 standard.  

For more information on how we can assist you in complying with the latest legislation and properly maintain your air conditioning equipment to increase its longevity, please call us on 0800 783 1053.The upside is that your air conditioning equipment will be properly maintained and you will save in running costs and the longevity aspects too.