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EPA Certified HVAC Technicians: Why Certification Matters for Emergency A/C Repairs

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HVAC Technician

If you are looking for a technician for emergency A/C repair or to maintain your existing HVAC unit or beginning to explore having a new air conditioning or heating unit installed in your home, then you may have noticed that some businesses, like ours, discuss their technicians being EPA certified. This may have led you to wonder why HVAC technicians would be EPA certified, since air conditioning and heating systems impact indoor air quality. However, the reality is that the chemicals used in most traditional air conditioning systems can negatively impact the environment if not used in an appropriate manner.

Section 608 of the Federal Clean Air Act mandates that technicians servicing stationary air conditioning or refrigeration systems be EPA certified.

Prior to the passage of the Clean Air Act, there were a variety of commercial refrigerants used in cooling applications that were extremely effective, but that also posed a risk to the environment. These chemicals, which were usually hydrocarbons, could be used safely in closed systems, but could interact with the atmosphere to lead to changes in ozone levels if released into the atmosphere. While a single instance would not be enough to impact the global environment, their increasing usage and the amount of the refrigerants escaping into the environment was believed to be contributing to environmental problems.

The federal government responded to an increase in air pollution by passing the Clean Air Act. Section 608 of the Clean Air Act deals specifically with air pollution linked to stationary air conditioning and refrigeration systems. It contains a mandate that technicians working on those systems be EPA certified, as well as various rules regarding the appropriate way to dispose of or recycle refrigerants used in cooling systems. Technicians who are unfamiliar with those rules are not only bad for the environment, they are also bad for you and can cause unwitting consumers to be in violation of some of the Clean Air Act’s other requirements.

Technicians who are not EPA certified may not understand modern air conditioning systems.

While Freon-based systems have been in the process of phase-out since the passage of the Clean Air Act, in 2010 manufacturers stopped making equipment that uses Freon. While it is still legal to recharge a Freon-based system with Freon, many existing HVAC units are not Freon based and require other coolants if they develop leaks. If a technician is not EPA certified, a customer should be concerned about other gaps in his or her training.

At Worlock Air Conditioning, our HVAC technicians are not only EPA certified, but also fully up-to-date on all of the latest systems by industry leaders such as Trane, Goodman, Carrier, York, and Lennox. You can be confident that our technicians will protect your home and the environment!

The post EPA Certified HVAC Technicians: Why Certification Matters for Emergency A/C Repairs appeared first on AC Service in Greater Phoenix AZ | Worlock Air Conditioning Specialists.

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