FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I get rid of my old fridge and what are my responsibilities?
A. Probably the best way is to get someone else to do it for you who owns a ute or trailer, although not always convenient or possible, let alone the hassle for those who have to organise this “mission”. The only responsibility the owner of the equipment has under law is to make sure the doors are removed if you are leaving it on the footpath for pick-up by others. Carbon Collectors believe it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure the refrigerant gas has been recovered before disposing of the fridge to waste and therefore offer our services to persons who want to do the right thing for the environment when it comes to disposal of End-of-Life equipment.
Q. What is refrigerant gas and why is it in my fridge?
A. Fluorinated Refrigerant Gases or F-Gases are used Worldwide in all types of Vapour Compression Systems ie. Refrigeration and Airconditioning equipment. They are volatile substances that boil off at very low temperatures (<>-400C) while absorbing heat from the product, space, liquid, solid or whatever may require cooling to a set temperature and humidity level. One of the reasons they are used is due to the fact that unlike water, they have no Solid State ie they do not freeze. All Vapour Compression Systems work on the principles of Temperature Difference, Heat Exchange and Pressure/Temperature relationship.
Refrigerant and oil circulates through the ‘sealed system’, Low Pressure/Temperature refrigerant absorbs heat and boils off in the Evaporator, the Low Pressure/Temperature Superheated Vapour is ‘sucked’ back to the Compressor where the Pressure/Temperature is increased to a point that the High Pressure Superheated Vapour can be rejected by the Condenser and Sub-cooled back into its’ Liquid State. Leaving the condenser it travels along the liquid line to the Refrigerant Metering Device which in turn lowers the pressure/temperature of the refrigerant to allow it to absorb more heat from the evaporator, and on it goes.
Q. Why should I recover my refrigerant gas before disposing of my old fridge?
A. Most fridges built in the past 20 years would contain HFC R134a refrigerant and prior to that you would usually find CFC R12 as the refrigerant of choice before it was phased out due to its high ODP and GWP. HFC R134a is a Synthetic Greenhouse Gas and when released to the atmosphere can attribute long term to the warming of the Earth due to its CO2 equivalent and Estimated Atmospheric Life. CFC R12 is still in circulation in many old beer fridges and freezers despite being phased out 20 years ago, and should definitely never be released to the atmosphere due to its high Chlorine content. All efforts should be made to identify, recover, and ultimately eliminate these harmful refrigerants from entering our environment.
“Every Little Bit Counts” when it comes to refrigerant recovery, everybody should have the opportunity to fulfil their environmental requirements when considering disposal of End-of-Life equipment. That’s where Carbon Collectors Refrigerant Recovery can help by enabling an affordable service to the Public in as many locations around Australia as possible.
Q. How is refrigerant gas recovered and where does it end up?
A. Refrigerants are recovered using dedicated recovery equipment operated by fully trained and appropriately licenced personnel. The recovery process is quite simple once the refrigerant has been identified and access to the system pipework has been achieved, the length of time taken to recover is relative to the size of the equipment to be recovered. Once the refrigerant has been completely recovered from the End-of-Life equipment the Reclaim Cylinder is returned to Refrigerant Reclaim Australia who has 150 collection points located around Australia. It is then transported to a secure facility in Victoria where it is subjected to an Australian designed Plasma-Arc process, destroying the refrigerant and turning it into a salty water solution.
Q. Who is qualified to recover refrigerant gases from End-of-Life equipment.
A. Only fully trained and appropriately licensed persons can handle fluorinated refrigerants. The refrigerant licensing system is administered by the Australian Refrigeration Council (Arctick). At a minimum a person must be the holder of an Arctick Restricted Refrigerant Recoverers’ Licence to be suitably qualified to recover refrigerants from End-of-Life equipment.
Q. What should I do if I see someone illegally venting/releasing refrigerant gas to the atmosphere?
A. Fines and penalties apply to persons identified as deliberately releasing refrigerant to the atmosphere. The Australian Refrigeration Council has Inspectors throughout Australia actively auditing legitimate businesses and seeking out illegal operators and un-licensed persons working in the HVAC/R and End-of-Life equipment Industry.
Q. What obligation do I have to recover refrigerant from my End-of-Life equipment.
A. For the average consumer there is no legal obligation for you to recover refrigerants from End-of-Life equipment, it’s more about the moral and environmental benefits. Most people working in the HVAC/R Industry are required to be licensed to purchase, handle and recover refrigerants and are legally obliged to recover refrigerants for their customers.
Q. Are there any Carbon Collectors Refrigerant Recovery Licensees in my area?
A. Carbon Collectors Refrigerant Recovery was established in SE QLD in 2013 and has plans to expand Australia Wide through a Licencee Network operating in exclusive divisions according to the State Electoral Divisions in each State and Territories. If there isn’t one near you yet, then it won’t be far away as the Refrigerant Recovery Revolution rolls throughout Australia in 2014, establishing a network of Carbon Collectors Licencees who will be fully trained and licenced and ready to respond to any type of refrigerant recovery, anywhere, anytime… because “Every Little Bit Counts”.
Q. How can I become a Carbon Collector Licensee in my area.
A. Carbon Collectors Refrigerant Recovery Licensee agreements are available to any person/s who may be interested in a change of career, learning new skills and knowledge and considered becoming their own boss. The refrigerant recovery revolution has begun and there is little to no competition completely dedicated to refrigerant recovery. Dedicated divisions can be secured for as little as $19,500.00 up to $29,500.00 with a minimum base of 30,000 up to and beyond 100,000 residents, including but not limited to Commercial and Industrial Businesses, Waste Transfer Stations, Government Departments, Auto Recyclers, Scrap Metal merchants and on it goes.
If you are interested and would like to discuss the finer details, contact Jon Morgan on 0400 832 469 for a confidential discussions on the benefits of joining the Carbon Collectors Refrigerant Recovery Network and the opportunities that are available Australia Wide in this exciting new business.