HVAC CFC Certification

HVAC technicians must possess a CFC certification.

According to the Clean Air Act of 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians who dispose of refrigerants to possess a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) certification. CFC refrigerants that leak have been found to deplete the ozone layer.

Types

The EPA requires HVAC technicians to obtain one of four CFC certifications. The areas are Type I (covers small appliances), Type II (high-pressure and very high-pressure appliances) and Type III (low-pressure appliances). Universal certification is granted to HVAC technicians who have earned all three other types of CFC certification.

Features

Technician certifications are completed at agencies and organizations approved by the EPA. The HVAC Pro, an HVAC/CFC certification agency of Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, holds one-day certification classes for HVAC techs in locations including New Orleans, Montgomery, Alabama, and Newark, Delaware. Classes are taught by CFC-certified individuals, and students are required to pass an exam. Classroom instruction includes refrigerant history and chemistry, legislation and regulations, refrigerant systems and components, and high- and low-pressure systems. Southwestern Community College in West Burlington, Iowa, offers a one-day universal certification course.

Fees

As of November 2010, the HVAC Pro charges $285 for CFC certification testing and instruction. Southwestern CC training and testing costs $195.

References

• Southwestern Community College: One Day CFC Certification
• The United States Environmental Protection Agency: Technician Certification

Resources

• The HVAC Pro