TOP 10 F-Gas Legislation FAQ's

What’s happening January 1st? - From 01 January 2015 it will be ILLEGAL AND AN OFFENCE TO USE ANY HCFC GAS TO SERVICE, MAINTAIN OR TOP UP HVAC EQUIPMENT.  This includes the use of recycled and reclaimed HCFCs.  The most commonly used gas that is included in this ban is R22.

Consequence? -  We CANNOT service your air conditioning equipment containing R22 if it involves ‘breaking into’ the refrigerant system to diagnose the fault and/or replace a component.

How does it impact me? -  You will have to REMOVE AND DISPOSE of your existing R22 gas and select an alternative gas to operate your system. You will NOT be able to have your HVAC system serviced / maintained or repaired if it operates on R22 or another banned HCFC.

What happens to my old R22 gas? -  You are responsible for the disposal of your old refrigerant gas, however, Coolair as a Certified F-Gas Contractor can do this for you.  There would be a charge for this based on the quantity of refrigerant involved.

What alternative gas are Coolair using and why? -  Based on industry experience and advise, Coolair have selected the replacement gas R422D.

How long will it take to replace this Gas? -  This is system dependant.  A simple split system could take half a day, however, there would be much more time involved with large VRV systems and Chillers.​

Is there a performance impact? -  We are advised that their could be a reduction in heating and cooling capacity and also increases in power consumption.​

If I have a Component Failure—does this have F-Gas implications? -  YES if the component forms part of the refrigeration circuit—it is not possible to replace or repair these components as it involves breaking into the refrigeration circuit.​

Can we use any Air Conditioning Contractor to deal with the above? -  NO—Contractors must be Certified F-Gas Contractors, registered with the EPA and PAN.   All service personnel must be suitably qualified to F-Gas 2079 or equivalent.​

Any other issues? -  YES—Leak Detection Obligations, Maintaining Records and  Responsibility for Waste Gas Disposal​.

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For further information please contact the EPA @ (053) 916 0600 or Coolair @ (01) 4511244.