With many companies still unsure about some aspects of the EU F-Gas Legislation, we have listed the facts to ensure that your business complies with all the necessary regulations.
What is F-Gas and what are the new regulations?
The new F-Gas regulations became law on 4th July 2006 with the majority of measures taking effect from 4th July 2007. F-gases include all HFC refrigerants, such as R134a, and blends containing F-Gases such as R407C, R410A, and R404A.
The main objective of this regulation is to contain, prevent and thereby reduce emissions of the fluorinated greenhouse gases, addressing issues of containment, usage, recovery, destruction, reporting, labeling, training and certification for fluorinated gases.
Does this affect my business?
If you own stationary equipment containing HFC refrigerants you are legally obligated under F-Gas regulations. All leak testing must be conducted by a suitably qualified Safe Handler of F-Gas Refrigerant. Here at the Four Seasons Group our engineers are suitably qualified and we are registered with REFCOM, which is the industry register of companies competent to handle refrigerants in the UK.
How often does my equipment need to be checked?
- Systems with 3kg charge should be checked every 12 months (Most single cassette systems would fall into this category)
- 30kg charge, every 6 months
- 300 kg charge, every 3 months
- Equipment should be checked for leakage within a month of the initial leak being repaired.
- Leak detection systems must be installed for equipment containing a 300kg charge.
- Leak detection tests should be checked every 12 months
If you are unsure of the size of the charge of your system the Four Seasons Group are more than happy to provide further assistance on this matter following a site survey.
Record Keeping
Operators of equipment with more than 3kg will need to maintain records on the quantity and type of HFC installed. Any quantities added or recovered during maintenance, servicing and disposal will need to be recorded along with leak checks and any actions taken.
Equipment manufacturers and installers like the Four Seasons Group can maintain a running service record of all leak checks and repairs that have been carried out on each unit to ensure that records are available upon request by the authority.
Recovery
Operators of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment are responsible for putting in place arrangements for the proper recovery by certified personnel who comply with the training and certification requirements.
Key Dates
Further Information
Industry Information 