Future Life is committed to environmental responsibility and compliance with F-GAS legislation. Our products, which include refrigerants, are subject to these regulations due to their potential impact on global warming. As part of our dedication to sustainability and legal adherence, we require certain steps to be taken with every purchase.
Upon purchasing a product containing refrigerant, we kindly ask our customers to provide an F-GAS registration number or contact. This information is vital for us to verify against the F-GAS register, ensuring that the delivery and installation of our products are handled by certified individuals or companies. This process is not only a legal requirement under the F gas Regulation (EC517/2014) and the Ozone Regulation (EC Regulation 1005/2009) but also a crucial step in our effort to contain, prevent, and reduce emissions of F gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol.
These regulations impact various sectors, including stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning, fire protection systems, and mobile air-conditioning, among others. They mandate the use of qualified personnel for installation and maintenance to prevent leakage and ensure the responsible handling of these gases.
If you have any questions or require further clarification regarding our FGAS compliance process or any other aspect of your purchase, please do not hesitate to contact us.
FAQs
Source: REFCOM
What do the Regulations seek to achieve?
Fluorinated gases have a high global warming effect if released into the atmosphere.
The principal objective of the EC Regulation is to contain, prevent and thereby reduce emissions of F gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol.
There are obligations in the F gas Regulation (EC517/2014) and the Ozone Regulation (EC Regulation 1005/2009) that affect many industry sectors. In some cases the obligations lie with the owner / operator of the equipment. In other situations the obligations lie with third parties, such as equipment suppliers, maintenance contractors and waste handling companies.
The following is a summary of uses and sectors affected. More details of the various obligations and a full listing of affected sectors is available from the Environment Agency.
Stationary Refrigeration and Air-conditioning - Users of these systems have numerous obligations to prevent leakage of F gas refrigerants. RAC systems using hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) refrigerants such as R22 need to address a ban on the use of this refrigerant which came into force January 1st 2015.
There are also many obligations that apply to RAC system suppliers and maintenance contractors, especially related to the use of appropriately qualified personnel and certification of companies.
Fire Protection - users of fire protection systems have many similar obligations related to leakage prevention and use of qualified personnel.
Mobile Air-Conditioning, Solvent Cleaning & Switchgear containing sulphur hexafluoride - the obligations for these sectors are more limited in scope mainly relating to proper recovery of gas during maintenance and at end of life.
Bans - A number of sectors are affected by bans on F gas usage, these include novelty aerosols, one component foam, magnesium die casting and non-refillable containers. See Defra guidance document IS26 – The Phase Down Programme.
Other sectors - Some sectors such as electronics manufacture, foam blowing and aluminium smelting have no specific obligations under the Regulations, but all users should be aware that emissions of F gases are very harmful to the environment and should be making all practical and economically feasible efforts to reduce emissions.
Why is a mandatory certification scheme required?
Commission Regulation 2015/2067 of 2 April 2008 sets out the requirements for a company certification scheme for businesses working with stationary refrigeration air-conditioning and heat pump equipment containing or designed to contain fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-Gases) in accordance with Article 10.7 of EC Regulations 517/2014 on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases (the EC F-Gas Regulation).
What is meant by installation?
Commission Regulation 2015/2067 defines installation as follows:
“installation” means joining two or more pieces of equipment or circuits containing or designed to contain fluorinated greenhouse gas refrigerant, with a view to assembling a system in the location where it will be operated, including the action by which refrigerant conductors of a system are joined together to complete a refrigerant circuit irrespective of the need to charge the system after assembly.
Who enforces the regulations?
The Environment Agency and devolved equivalents is the regulator for F-Gas legislation, and co-ordinates with local authorities and Trading Standards as necessary.
Further F-GAS details
For further in-depth information and resources on FGAS regulations and compliance, we encourage you to visit the REFCOM website
REFCOM is renowned for its expertise and comprehensive coverage of F-gas legislation. Their website offers a wealth of knowledge, including the latest updates, guidelines, and support tools to assist you in understanding and adhering to these important environmental regulations.
