F-Gas Category II (IE) key terms

European Union law that controls fluorinated greenhouse gases. It sets rules on containment, leak checking, labelling, certification and training, and requires the supply of HFCs to fall year by year.

European Union law that bans the production, import, export and use of ozone-depleting substances, allowing only narrow exemptions such as feedstock use or essential laboratory work.

Any gas listed in the F-Gas Regulation as a fluorinated greenhouse gas, including HFCs, HFOs, PFCs and sulphur hexafluoride. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere and are covered by containment rules.

A substance that can destroy ozone in the stratosphere, listed under the Montreal Protocol. Examples include CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride and HCFCs; their production and use are now banned.

A figure showing how much heat one kilogram of a gas traps over 100 years compared with one kilogram of carbon dioxide, which is given the value 1.

The climate impact of a refrigerant quantity, calculated by multiplying its mass in tonnes by its global warming potential. Regulatory thresholds and quotas are expressed this way.

A figure comparing how much a substance damages stratospheric ozone relative to CFC-11, which is set at 1.0. Values below one indicate a weaker effect.

A family of synthetic refrigerants made of hydrogen, fluorine and carbon. HFCs do not harm the ozone layer but many have high global warming potentials, so their use is being phased down.

A refrigerant such as R-22 containing hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine and carbon. HCFCs damage the ozone layer and are also greenhouse gases; their supply and use are banned apart from limited reclaimed stock.

A refrigerant built on unsaturated carbon compounds, often written as hydrofluoroolefins. They have very low global warming potential but are usually mildly flammable and must be handled accordingly.

A mixture of two or more refrigerants that boils and condenses over a range of temperatures rather than at one fixed point, so it must be charged as a liquid to keep the composition correct.

The average time a gas molecule remains in the atmosphere before being broken down or removed, which determines how long its warming effect persists.

A personal qualification obtained by passing an assessment, required before a technician may install, service, leak check, recover or dispose of equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gases.

The planned reduction in the total quantity of HFCs placed on the EU market, measured in tonnes of CO2 equivalent and compared with an average baseline of 2009 to 2012.

The duty to mark equipment and refrigerant containers with the type of gas, the charge in tonnes of CO2 equivalent, and a warning that the gas is a fluorinated greenhouse gas.

Equipment that is supplied already containing refrigerant. Placing it on the market uses up part of the supplier's HFC quota, and it must be labelled and documented.

A documented inspection of equipment, using sight, soap solution or an electronic detector, to confirm that no refrigerant is escaping. Frequency depends on charge size and equipment type.

Permanently installed sensors that monitor a plant room or machinery space continuously and raise an alarm when refrigerant concentration reaches a set level.

The quantity of refrigerant in a system, expressed in tonnes of CO2 equivalent, that decides whether periodic leak checks, a leak detection system and records are required.

The duty to repair a leak as soon as practicable after it is found, to record the repair, and where the charge is 50 tonnes of CO2 equivalent or more, to verify the repair afterwards.

A record kept for each system showing the refrigerant charge, quantities added and recovered, leak checks, repairs and the identity of the technician. It must be available for inspection.

Equipment whose refrigerant circuit is sealed at the factory with no service connections that could leak, and which therefore has less frequent leak check requirements.

Measures that keep refrigerant inside the system during normal running, servicing and storage, such as good joints, prompt repair and careful recovery.

Collecting refrigerant from equipment or a circuit into a suitable container so that it can be reused, reclaimed or destroyed instead of escaping to the atmosphere.

A basic clean-up of recovered refrigerant, for example removing oil and moisture, so it can be used again, usually in equipment belonging to the same owner.

Reprocessing recovered refrigerant at an authorised plant to bring it back to the specification of new product, with laboratory analysis and a certificate confirming the result.

The permanent conversion of refrigerant into other substances by an approved high-temperature process, after which it can never be used as a refrigerant again.

A pressure vessel designed, marked and used for holding recovered refrigerant. It must never be filled beyond its stated filling limit and must be labelled with the gas it contains.

Drawing refrigerant out of a part of the system into a receiver or recovery cylinder so that section can be opened with little or no refrigerant released.

The controlled process of taking equipment permanently out of service, which includes recovering all refrigerant, labelling, and disposing of the unit and its parts correctly.

Using a vacuum pump to remove air and moisture from a system until a specified low absolute pressure is reached, before any refrigerant is charged.

A test in which dry, oxygen-free nitrogen is used to pressurise pipework to a set level so that leaks can be found by pressure drop or bubble solution.

Adding refrigerant to a system, in liquid form for blends, until the correct charge and operating conditions such as superheat or subcooling are reached.

Protective clothing and equipment such as gloves, goggles and face protection that shield the technician from frostbite, liquid refrigerant and oil spray.

The danger that escaping refrigerant pushes oxygen out of a confined space, which can cause dizziness, loss of consciousness or death without any warning smell.

A safety classification for refrigerants that are mildly flammable, such as R-32 and R-1234yf. Work on them requires control of ignition sources and specific ventilation precautions.

The difference between the starting and ending temperatures of a blend as it boils or condenses at constant pressure, which affects charging and superheat settings.