This is a general guide, not legal advice, and the rules are updated from time to time. For the current detail, GOV.UK is the place to check: see certification for companies and qualifications for individuals.
What is F-gas?
F-gas is short for fluorinated gas. These gases are used as refrigerants in air conditioning, heat pumps, fridges and freezers. They work well, but they are powerful greenhouse gases, far better at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, so the rules are there to stop them leaking into the air.
What the rules are aimed at
- No venting. Refrigerant must not be released deliberately. It has to be recovered.
- Certified companies and qualified people. In Great Britain a company that installs, services, maintains or repairs air conditioning for other people needs F-gas company certification from an approved body. On top of that, each individual who works with F gas needs their own personal qualification. One does not replace the other.
- Leak prevention. Equipment holding 5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent of F gas or more has formal leak-checking and record-keeping duties. How much that is depends on the amount and type of refrigerant, and smaller domestic units can sit below it. Responsibility for preventing leaks is shared between the people who use the equipment and the technicians who work on it. Pressure testing is a normal part of a good installation.
- Phasing down supply. The rules also reduce the supply of higher-impact F gases over time, which pushes manufacturers towards refrigerants with a lower global warming impact. R32, used in many newer units, has a lower global warming potential than the older R410A.
What it means for you as a homeowner
You share responsibility for stopping leaks from equipment you own or use, and the technicians who work on it share it with you. In practice your part is to choose someone who is properly certified, because the work that matters most (connecting the pipework, charging the system, recovering refrigerant) is exactly the work the rules cover. A system that leaks loses refrigerant, which is bad for the climate, and cannot perform as designed.
How to check an installer
- Ask whether the company holds F-gas company certification and whether the technician holds a personal F-gas qualification. You are entitled to ask to see both.
- Be wary of anyone who offers to "top up the gas" without finding the leak first.
- Expect the installation to include pressure testing and a proper commissioning of the system.
- Keep the paperwork you are given at handover.
Our position
Lynx is F-Gas certified; ask us for the certificate details. If you want to talk through how that affects your installation or a service, ring us on 07942 371822, or read what is involved in an installation.