This unit involves the skills and knowledge required to undertake the recovery of refrigerants, perform pressure and leak testing, evacuations and refrigerant charging in split air conditioning and heat pump systems.

It includes working safely; applying relevant regulations, industry standards and codes of practice in recovering refrigerants; performing pressure and leak tests; evacuating and charging with refrigerant split systems; and completing all required documentation.

To undertake this unit, the learner must have a Trainee Refrigerant Handling Licence as it includes work on refrigeration and air conditioning equipment that carries the risk of a fluorocarbon refrigerant being emitted.

The skills and knowledge described in this unit require a national Refrigerant Handling Licence as it includes work on refrigeration and air conditioning equipment that carries the risk of a fluorocarbon refrigerant being emitted while decanting the refrigerant or manufacturing, installing, commissioning, servicing, maintaining or decommissioning refrigeration and air conditioning equipment.

The skills and knowledge described in this unit may, in some jurisdictions, also require a licence or permit to practice in the workplace subject to regulations for undertaking refrigeration and air conditioning work. Practice in the workplace and during training is also subject to work health and safety (WHS)/occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations.

ELEMENTS

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1

Prepare to recover refrigerant, pressure and leak test, evacuate and charge split systems

1.1

WHS/OHS hazards, risk control methods, relevant standards, codes and legislation are obtained and applied in accordance with workplace procedures

1.2

Safety hazards not previously identified are assessed, reported and advice on risk control measures sought from supervisor

1.3

Nature of the work is obtained from documentation or supervisor to determine the scope of work to be undertaken

1.4

Work activity is appropriately sequenced in accordance with job schedule

1.5

Relevant person/s is consulted to ensure work is coordinated effectively with others involved on the worksite

1.6

Refrigerant, lubricants and cleaning materials for work are obtained in accordance with workplace procedures and checked against job/task requirements

1.7

Tools, equipment and testing devices needed to carry out the work are obtained and checked for correct operation and safety

1.8

Preparatory work is inspected and checked to ensure no damage has occurred and complies with workplace procedures and job/task requirements

2

Recover refrigerant, pressure and leak test evacuate and charge split systems

2.1

Checks are carried out to ensure the system and/or component parts are isolated in accordance with workplace procedures

2.2

Machines, plant and circuits are isolated in accordance with workplace procedures

2.3

Refrigerants are safely removed from split system and placed into labelled containers in accordance with regulatory requirements, industry standards and codes of practice, and any electrical work is referred to a licensed electrician in accordance with workplace procedures.

2.4

Precautions are taken to prevent damage to components while pressure testing the system

2.5

Pressure testing is conducted using dry nitrogen at a pressure relative to the refrigerant to be used

2.6

Leaks are located and rectified using testing methods appropriate to system under test in accordance with industry standards

2.7

Split system is evacuated to required level and system is cleaned of all moisture and other containments in accordance with industry standards and codes of practice

2.8

A drop test is performed to test evacuation using an electronic vacuum gauge in accordance with industry standards and codes of practice

2.9

Component lubricants are checked and maintained in accordance with manufacturer specifications

2.10

Split systems are charged with refrigerant in accordance with manufacturer specifications, industry standards and codes of practice

2.11

Problematic situations are resolved in accordance with workplace procedures and reported to supervisor

2.12

Split systems are pressure and leak tested, evacuated and charged without waste of materials or damage to apparatus, the surrounding environment or services in accordance with relevant workplace sustainable energy practices

3

Report on refrigerant recovery, pressure and leak test, evacuation and charge work

3.1

Worksite is cleaned and made safe in accordance with workplace procedures

3.2

Contaminated refrigerant is dealt with in accordance with workplace procedures and legislative/regulatory requirements

3.3

Completion of work is documented and appropriate person/supervisor notified in accordance with workplace procedures

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements, performance criteria and range of conditions on at least two separate occasions and include:

applying relevant work health and safety (WHS)/occupational health and safety (OHS) requirements, including:

identifying hazards

risk control measures

using personal protective equipment (PPE)

applying safe working practices and relevant legislation, industry standards, codes of practice and regulations

completing required documentation, including reporting refrigerant recovery, pressure and leak tests, evacuations, charging refrigerant work and system operating conditions determining basic operating conditions, including:

ambient, evaporation and condensing temperatures

evaporator and condenser temperature differences

suction and discharge pressures

recovering, pressure testing, evacuating, charging and leak testing refrigerant in newly installed split systems to requirements using appropriate equipment, tools and measurement devices

starting up system and performing function checks

selecting, obtaining and checking relevant equipment, materials, tools and testing devices required to carry out the work, including:

A1, A2 and A2L class refrigerants, lubricants and charging equipment

oxygen-free dry nitrogen cylinder and regulator

pressure and temperature measurement devices

pressure testing and refrigerant leak testing equipment and tools

refrigeration evacuation equipment and measuring equipment suitable for A1, A2 and A2L class refrigerants

refrigerant recovery/reclaim equipment suitable for A1, A2 and A2L class refrigerants

refrigeration hand and power tools

refrigeration service tools

single head split air conditioning systems

using lubricants and cleaning materials safely in accordance with safety data sheets (SDS)/material safety data sheets (MSDS).

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements, performance criteria and range of conditions and include knowledge of:

equipment and procedures for working with refrigerants, including:

charging refrigerant into a newly installed split system detecting refrigerant leaks (electronic, bubbles and halide for R22)

contaminant detection and removal

evacuating newly installed split systems

pressure testing systems newly installed split systems using dry nitrogen

reclaiming/recovering refrigerants using recovery units and recovery cylinders

heat and heat transfer

leak detectors types, applications, operation and procedures

manifold gauges types, applications, operation and procedures

pressure temperature relationships and charts

pressure, units and measurement

refrigerant conditions, including saturation, superheat and sub-cooling

relative humidity, unit and measurement

relevant industry standards, codes of practice and regulations, including WHS/OHS legislated requirements

relevant manufacturer specifications

relevant risk mitigation processes, including risk control measures

safe working practices, safe handling and SDS/MSDS

sensible and latent heat

split heat pump Class A1, A2 and A2L refrigerant types, properties and applications

split heat pump refrigerant oil types, properties and applications

sustainable energy principles and practices, including:

environment protection requirements

sustainable energy practices

sustainable resources

system access fittings types, applications, operation and procedures

temperature, units and measurement

vapour compression cycle, basic operation and major system components.

Assessors must hold credentials specified within the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment must satisfy the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence and all regulatory requirements included within the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment must occur in workplace operational situations where it is appropriate to do so; where this is not appropriate, assessment must occur in simulated workplace operational situations that replicate workplace conditions.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Resources for assessment must include access to:

a range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or other simulations

relevant and appropriate materials, tools, equipment and PPE currently used in industry

applicable documentation, including workplace procedures, industry standards, equipment specifications, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals.

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.

Non-essential conditions may be found in the UEE Electrotechnology Training Package Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

testing and charging split air conditioning systems must include at least the following:

determining, using measurement and basic calculations methods, the operating conditions of vapour compression split system, including suction and discharge pressures

ambient, evaporator and condensing temperatures

evaporator and condenser temperature differences recovering Class A1 and A2L refrigerant from an existing split system, including split single head air conditioning and/or hot water heat pump systems pressure and leak testing a newly installed system

evacuating newly installed systems in preparation for charging with refrigerant

charging newly installed systems with Class A1 and A2L refrigerant

Electrotechnology

Refrigeration and air-conditioning