Alexandria, VA (December 17, 2020) – The Air Conditioning Contractors of America announces the launch of its new A2L Refrigerant Training. A2L mildly-flammable refrigerants will be phased into the HVACR industry to replace Hydroflourocarbon (HFC) refrigerants in the residential marketplace. While mildly-flammable refrigerants are better for the environment, the handling and safety precautions that go along with their use are different than HFC or CFC refrigerants.
Bringing this A2L refrigerant training to the marketplace (specifically for equipment containing 6.6 pounds or less of A2L refrigerant), was made a priority by ACCA Board Chair, Lanny Huffman of Hickory Sheet Metal Co., Hickory, North Carolina. Buzz around A2Ls started in 2019, and Huffman took proactive measures by participating in a safe refrigerant transition task force, coordinated by the Air-Conditioning, Heating, & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), to best educate the HVAC industry at large.
“This training is necessary because there has not been updated training on HVAC refrigerants in years,” said Huffman. “With this transition to mildly-flammable refrigerants, this changes the handling protocol considerably. In the interest of consumer protection and HVAC employees, proper training needs to be in place to ensure the safety of all involved.”
To ensure accessibility, ACCA designed its new A2L Refrigerant Training to be affordable for entire teams. The cost of the 90-minute online course and digital workbook is $35 for ACCA members and $49 for non-members. Upon passing a test, technicians earn a certificate of completion that demonstrates a commitment to keeping customers and employees safe.
“The purpose of this training is to prepare early adapters in the industry for the transition from R410A to A2L,” said Wes Davis, ACCA director of technical services. “This transition is necessary because it is part of the Kigali Amendment, and we are taking important steps to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous refrigerants that are responsible for ozone depletion.”
The ACCA A2L Flammable Refrigerant Training was developed by using the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 15-2019, and UL240 standards.
For more information about the ACCA A2L Flammable Refrigerant Training, visit: https://www.acca.org/education/a2l-refrigerants.
For additional information, please contact Deb Weiner, ACCA manager of communications and strategic partnership at deb.weiner@acca.org or (703) 824-8862.