Pump |down

[Solair]

Am I allowed to pump down my home A/C unit in order to disconnect the pipe work and move the out door unit ?.Is this illegal ?
Im in the UK.
Do I need a qualified engineer ?.
I worked in the industrial/commercial refrigeration end for 8 years as a fitter.
Have no guages but when I was in the game I pumped a few units down without them though sometimes a small amount of refrigerant would escape.
Would appreciate your views.

[Argus]

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Times have changed.

On a legal technicality it is now illegal to work on refrigerants (i.e. pumping down or any invasive repairs) unless you have the relevant qualifications.

This is the UK regulation for HFCs that you could be prosecuted with (it's a fixed penalty, as far as I can see).

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080041_en_1

There is a similar law for HCFCs, and as it all comes from European law, there should be similar rules in place in Ireland and all the other member states by now.

Intentional or avoidable losses of refrigerant are not permitted and with the correct equipment and knowing what you are doing, it should be possible to open and work on a system without loss.

So the answer is no - but you may ignore the rules and you will probably get away with it.



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[Solair]

Thanks very Much.