F-Gas qualification critical for technicians ahead of air con season, says LKQ Euro Car Parts

Date: Friday 25 February 2022

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LKQ Euro Car Parts is urging technicians to ensure they are F-Gas-qualified in line with legislation that restricts who can handle R134a Refrigerant.

From March, LKQ Euro Car Parts will only sell R134a Refrigerant – commonly known as ‘old gas’ – to customers who can prove they are trained to work with it.

All LKQ Euro Car Parts customers who have previously purchased R134a are being asked to submit their F-Gas qualification details via an online form – so that the sale of R134a is permitted on their accounts.

Those who are not qualified can complete F-Gas training via the LKQ Academy.

R134a Refrigerant is not present in any vehicles registered from 2017 onwards – at which point it was replaced by the more environmentally-friendly R1234yf, or ‘new gas’.

Both gases were used in the period 2013-2017, and before that, R134a was the only air con refrigerant in the market.

The make-up of the current UK parc is such that LKQ Euro Car Parts’ current advice to workshops is to be ready and able to work with both ‘old’ and ‘new’ gas, to avoid having to turn away work.

Colin Cottrell, marketing director at LKQ Euro Car Parts, commented:

“At this time of year, we always urge our workshop customers to start preparing for air con season – by buying in consumables and ensuring their machines are in good shape.

“We support any legislation that has technician safety at its heart – and in this instance, the legislation serves as a timely reminder for garages to get air con ready before the warm weather arrives.

“Air con servicing is a big seasonal revenue opportunity for independent workshops – and one we’re here to help them unlock, by providing products, training and equipment, while helping them stay on the right side of the law.

“We’ve got the best availability in the market when it comes to consumables, a team of experts ready to facilitate ‘old gas’ sales to those who are qualified, and an unrivalled logistics network making rapid deliveries every hour.”

For more information, visit https://lkqacademy.co.uk or https://omnipart.eurocarparts.com.

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