As with many questions about legal obligations, the answer is “It depends……….”
The following points should help you gain a better understanding.
Record keeping and maintenance requirements for companies that operate or service equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gas (F gas).
Many refrigeration, fire protection and air conditioning and heat pump systems contain hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs are a type of fluorinated greenhouse gas (F gas).
Companies that operate or service and maintain equipment containing F gas must meet these requirements.
Use trained technicians
Only trained technicians can carry out work on equipment containing F gases, including:
installation
testing for leaks
general maintenance
disposal or decommissioning when you no longer need the product
Label equipment
You must add a label if you add F gas to refrigeration, fire protection or air conditioning equipment when you’re installing it. The label must state:
that the equipment contains an F gas
the industry name for the F gas, or the chemical name if there isn’t an accepted industry name
Check for leaks
You are responsible for stopping leaks from your equipment.
Contractors that install, maintain or dispose of equipment share responsibility for trying to stop leaks with the operators of equipment.
You must check all equipment for leaks.
For equipment that contains F gas above certain thresholds, you must check for leaks at specific intervals.
Thresholds at which leaks check intervals are specified
The thresholds at which leak check intervals are specified are expressed in terms of CO2 equivalent.
They take into account both the quantity of F gas in the equipment and the ‘global warming potential’ of the F gas (how much the F gas contributes to global warming).
This table sets out the:
F gas thresholds, in tonnes CO2 equivalent, at which leak check intervals are specified
maximum allowed interval between leaks checks for equipment that meets each threshold
quantities of commonly used HFCs equal to each threshold
Special cases and exemptions
If you install a system to automatically detect leaks, the maximum interval between leak checks is doubled. For example, you only need to leak check a product that contains F gas equivalent to 5 tonnes CO2 once every 2 years, if you fit a leak detection system.
if you’d like to learn more about leak testing and what you need to do, get in touch and talk to a member of our expert team today.
