Air conditioning systems contain refrigerant gases, known as fluorinated greenhouse gases or F-Gases. Released into the atmosphere, many of them have a strong global warming effect. That is why the UK has rules on who can install, service and decommission systems that contain them.
What the rules require
In Great Britain, work on stationary air conditioning and heat pump systems that involves handling refrigerant must be carried out by an engineer who holds the appropriate F-Gas qualification. Category 1 is the highest level and covers installation, leak checking, servicing, refrigerant recovery and decommissioning on systems of any size.
The company doing the work also needs to be certified. Bodies such as Refcom keep a register of certified companies, and you can check it online before you hire anyone.
What it means for you as a customer
Your installation is legal
A system installed by someone without the right certification has not been installed in line with the regulations. That can cause problems later, for example with a warranty claim, a house sale or a landlord.
Your warranty is protected
Manufacturers expect their equipment to be installed by certified engineers. Extended warranties are often only available when the installer is registered and the installation is recorded.
The system is installed to a high standard
Certification is about more than paperwork. A certified engineer has been trained and assessed on the practical side of the job: brazing and flaring pipework, pressure testing with nitrogen, pulling a deep vacuum, charging accurately and checking for leaks. Those steps are what make a system efficient and reliable for years.
Watch out for "pre-charged" DIY kits
Some kits are sold as do it yourself systems with pre-charged pipework. Even where the connection is designed to be made without special tools, the system still contains refrigerant, and leak checks, servicing and decommissioning still need a certified engineer. If you are offered a cheap installation of a unit you bought online, ask the installer for their F-Gas certificate and company registration number before any work starts.
How to check an installer
- Ask for the engineer's F-Gas certificate and the company's registration number.
- Check the company number on the certification body's public register.
- Ask what testing they carry out before releasing refrigerant. You should hear the words nitrogen pressure test and vacuum.
- Ask whether you will receive a commissioning record when the job is finished.
Zephyr Climate's credentials
Our engineers hold F-Gas Category 1 certification, and Zephyr Climate is Refcom registered under number REF1023814. Every installation is pressure tested with oxygen free nitrogen, evacuated, commissioned and documented, and you receive the records at handover. We are happy to show any of this before you book.
Written by Zakaria Sinjab, F-Gas Category 1 certified engineer and director of Zephyr Climate Ltd.
