F-Gas Support can’t clarify air conditioning maintenance17 May 2010

F-Gas Support, the government agency set up to provide guidance on new laws concerning air conditioning maintenance, says there isn't 'serious ambiguity' over which rules apply to vans HGVs, trailers, coaches and buses.

Transport Engineer reported (March 2010, page 30) that the rules concerning vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes gvw, or running with over 3kg of refrigerant, were unclear, and that the agency's own data was, at best, ambivalent.

Whereas cars and small vans (Classes M1 and N1, with less than 3kg of refrigerant) are clearly covered by the MAC Directive (mobile air conditioning – EC directive 2006/40/EC), it is apparent that trucks may fall under alternative rules drawn up for stationary large refrigeration plant for buildings and heavy industry.

F-Gas Support's guidance states that Article 4.3 of the F Gas regulation "could be interpreted as applying to mobile equipment, such as refrigerated road transport and trailers, passenger transport ... and other mobile equipment that employs cooling provided by F gases".

Now, however, a spokesperson for F-Gas Support says: "The required qualifications for engineers carrying out refrigerant recovery from RAC [refrigeration and air-conditioning] systems have only been fully specified under EU Regulations for stationary RAC systems and for cars and light vans."

But what follows remains ambiguous: "For other forms of mobile RAC system there is no clear definition of training requirements. In these circumstances the operator needs to be satisfied that suitable training has been given," he says.

"For larger systems we generally advise operators to consider one of the stationary refrigeration qualifications, as these are more rigorous than those for cars and light vans."

F-Gas Support then goes on to suggest considering how the equipment works.

"Is it similar to an air conditioning system in a car? Then it would make sense to possibly choose one of the MAC qualifications, as this will provide personnel with the understanding and ability to properly recover gas and prevent emissions," says the spokesperson.

"Does it operate more like stationary refrigeration? Then it may make sense to choose a SRAC qualification, as this will give personnel a better understanding of how to properly maintain the system and gain best performance – important if transporting several thousand pounds worth of refrigerated foodstuffs. A MAC qualification will not cover this aspect."

The spokesperson also comments that, while Defra have stated that, in certain circumstances, an in-house qualification may be appropriate, "Our opinion is that this is not the preferred choice, [although] there is nothing in the regulation to say that this is not allowed."

Author
Brian Tinham

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