Question For Absolute-zero

[SKOOBY]

:cool:Do you have F GAS REGS certifcation in the USA and
does anyone police the conformity.
I Think it will improve the industry in the UK.
But there are stll a lot of engineers untested.

[abbsnowman]

Sorry to butt in here but are you refering to a form of training or aprenticeship?

[absolute-zero]

:cool:Do you have F GAS REGS certifcation in the USA and
does anyone police the conformity.
I Think it will improve the industry in the UK.
But there are stll a lot of engineers untested.

In a nut shell:D

Yes we do have a Environmental protection act laws, that says a technician that will be handling refrigerant or servicing refrigeration equipment be ceritified per montreal protocol treaty between the nations that participated.

Here in North america ,There are a few differnt claasifications for certification.

EPA section 608 Type 1, 2, and 3

Type 1 certifies a person to service hermetically sealed systems that contain 5 pounds of refrigerant or less.

Type 2 cerifies a person to service systems containing more than 5 pounds of refrigerant.

Type 3 Cetifies a person to service low pressure refrigerant systems.

Type Universal certifies a person to service all Type 1, 2 and 3


EPA section 609 Then is another cerification for automotive air condition which certifies a person to service air conditioning in automotive.

Currently here in North America, to service transport refrigeration units you need to have EPA section 608 type 2.

To service Auxillary power units like or Carrier Pro-Cool or Thermo king Tri-Pac, a person needs to be EPA section 609 certified.

Yes the laws are enforced, if a person gets busted or caught for handfling these systems with out a certification,,, heavy costly fines and imprisonment will be the end result.

I hope this helps answer any of your questions.

[Will]

Not so fast there AZ.
As I understand it....it depends on what your working on and what refrigerant it contains.

On one EPA page;

"Is EPA technician certification required to service R-410A systems?

No, EPA technician certification (i.e., EPA section 608 certification) is not required in order to service R-410A systems or other systems containing HFCs."
http://www.epa.gov/Ozone/title6/phaseout/technicians_contractors_faq.html

On another it says;

Technicians who repair or service CFC-12 and HFC-134a motor vehicle air conditioners must be trained and certified by an EPA-approved organization.
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/609/justfax.html


You can't really call the stuff we work on air conditioners, nor is it stationary equipment.

[absolute-zero]

Not so fast there AZ.
As I understand it....it depends on what your working on and what refrigerant it contains.

On one EPA page;

http://www.epa.gov/Ozone/title6/phaseout/technicians_contractors_faq.html

On another it says;

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/609/justfax.html


You can't really call the stuff we work on air conditioners, nor is it stationary equipment.

Will, your correct, the rules are vague,, although you do not have to be certified by epa to purchase HFC refrigerant that contain no ODPs it is till unlawfull knowling vent this classification, there fore when servicing equipment that contains HFCs, having recovery equipment is required and certification is required in use of refrigerant recovery, reclaimer, recycleing machines.

If your in this business your best bet is to get certified to cover your bumm, either way you look at it.

If you in Motor Vehicle Air Condition, get your section 609 cert.

If your doing transport refrigeration systems, get your section 608 cert.

There may come a day the EPA will want to audit you or your company and make you demonstarte the proper legal procedures in handling refrigerants. They also may want to audit your recovery equipment, you want to make sure that is all up to snuff and certified by third party.

Again the rules are clear on what classes of refrigerant you can buy as certified and what classes you cant, but none the less if you get caught venting, your going down with heavy fines, if you get caught operating a recovery machine that is not certified or being used by a certified person your going down.

[abbsnowman]

You guys can still get R12?
We had that banned in 1994.
Will, I think we may be neighbors. ;)
Good to see ya here.

[SKOOBY]

Thanks for that.Yes all our Engineers are certified but i cannot see that is highly policed in the uk.We track all the refigerant purchased and used and also the amounts reclaimed and recycled.All our mobiles have recovery equipment.
Do you carry out a lot of mobile work or is it mainly worksop repairs

[absolute-zero]

Thanks for that.Yes all our Engineers are certified but i cannot see that is highly policed in the uk.We track all the refigerant purchased and used and also the amounts reclaimed and recycled.All our mobiles have recovery equipment.
Do you carry out a lot of mobile work or is it mainly worksop repairs

Its not heavily policed in the transport side of things, but the company I worked for was audited a couple times over the years before.