F gas certification is a legal requirement for any company handling fluorinated greenhouse gases for other businesses or individuals. F gas is regularly found in air conditioning system refrigerants. In addition, any business which operates equipment containing F gases must fulfil certain obligations with regard to its installation, maintenance and disposal including regular leak checking, accurate labelling, and robust record-keeping.
It is important to understand that if you need to call in an air conditioning company to install, check, service, repair, decommission or dispose of your F gas-containing air-con system you must choose one with up-to-date F-gas certification.
Individual and Company Requirements for F Gas Certification
Both individual engineers and companies need to be signed off to carry out installation, service, checking or repair work on air conditioning that handles F gas. Individuals need to have a City and Guilds FGAS and ODS Regulations Certificate, CITB Refrigeration Certificate or an acceptable equivalent. Their employing companies (or themselves if they are sole traders) then need to record the certificate numbers to prove they have enough qualified engineers to provide F gas services.
They then need to submit written evidence of their handling procedures and any equipment used to prove that they can minimise emissions during work. These two elements form the basis of their company certification and can be audited at any time. F gas certification lasts for three years before it must be renewed.
By hiring an F gas-certified company such as K2 Heating and Cooling Ltd. for any installation or maintenance work you can be assured that you are fulfilling your legal requirements. We will be happy to discuss a regular maintenance plan with you, regardless of whether the system you use was fitted by us or another company.
Operator Requirements – Are you Compliant?
If you read no more of this article, please read the following two sentences:
- If you are responsible for air conditioning equipment on your premises then you have to comply with the latest (2014) EU-derived F gas regulations.
- That responsibility includes regularly checking for leaks and ensuring only F gas-certified engineers install, maintain and dispose of equipment containing F gases.
As well as ensuring businesses only use air conditioning companies with current F gas certification, the government also require active compliance through regular leak checking. The amount of gas in the system, the specific type of gas and whether any automatic leak-monitoring equipment is in place will affect the regularity of checks.
Although businesses are permitted to carry out their own in-house leak checking, they will still need to ensure that the individual responsible for the checks is personally qualified to handle refrigerant gases. In most cases, it is advisable to share that responsibility with a company holding an F gas certificate by setting up a regular maintenance plan.
Leak checking obligations for businesses with Air Con
In addition to ensuring only F gas certificated firms such as ours are commissioned to install, service, repair or decommission your air conditioning system, the Environment Agency requires you to regularly check your system for F gas leakage.
The specific rules regarding the frequency of F gas monitoring are complex and depend on factors such as the amount and type of gas used and whether a leak-monitoring system is in place. However, the rules are tightening all the time (for instance, the previous maximum duration threshold for monitoring equipment with small amounts of F gas has now become obsolete).
There are other stipulations that operators must follow to ensure f gas compliance (e.g. clear labelling and record-keeping) but the safest course of action is to speak to a certificated company like K2 and allow us to recommend and implement a maintenance plan. That way, we will handle all aspects of your compliance and ensure you are never at risk of a service ban.
Your responsibility for checking for F gas leaks
If you use the following equipment, you’re responsible for getting it checked for gas leaks:
- Stationary refrigeration equipment
- Stationary air-conditioning equipment
- Stationary heat pumps
- Stationary fire protection equipment
- Refrigeration units of refrigerated trucks and trailers
- Electrical switchgear
- Organic Rankine cycle
How often you need to check for leaks depends on the amount of F gas in the equipment and the type of gas (its likelihood to contribute to global warming). It is at least every 12 months though and some situations require checks to be done as little as 3 months apart. The government has a page available where you can check your equipment leak-checking requirements.
Call K2 for honest advice on F Gas certification
K2 Heating and Cooling Solutions Ltd. are F-gas registered engineers through REFCOM (www.refcom.org.uk) under REF1009232. REFCOM are one of three registrars stipulated on the government's website as having responsibility for F gas certification.
At K2, we are known for our plain-talking manner and common sense advice. If you are not sure whether your system contains F gas or what your obligations are we will be happy to give you the benefit of our experience. Drop us a line at 0800 107 5097 to discuss your needs.
You can also find out much more detailed information about F gas certification via the government website or by contacting the Environment Agency on 0370 8506 506 or through their email address: f-gassupport@environment-agency.co.uk
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