Air conditioners warming the globe

Do you have a licence to work on air conditioning systems?

There are national controls on refrigerants such as HCFCs, HFCs and CFCs as they contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer.

Refrigerants from automotive air conditioners contain halocarbon gases that contribute to global warming if released into the atmosphere.

"The way things are going the ozone layer will have fully recovered from the damage done to it by halocarbons by 2060" Peter Garrett said in the CoolChange newsletter for the refrigeration and air conditioning industry.

The atmospheric concentrations of halocarbon’s has decreased since the
1987 Montreal Protocol an international agreement to stop the depletion of the ozone layer.

However as Mr Garrett stated "The fluorocarbon refrigerants you now work with are relatively safe for the ozone layer but are potent greenhouse gases and so the good work to date in containing these substances in RAC equipment and reclaiming it for destruction at the end of life must continue."

This is why it is important that if your business fixes, decommissions, acquires, stores, or disposes of refrigerants you must hold a licence and dispose of the refrigerant appropriately.

All personnel working on air conditioning systems also require a refrigerant handling licence.

Licences can be obtained from the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC).

ARC continues to promote licenced operators with their website www.lookforthetick.com.au to educate consumers that they should always look for an authorised technician.

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)