Why is it important to always choose a licensed air con technician?

Nowadays, there are more and more ‘tradies’ ready to offer their services to you. However, this does not mean they are actually qualified for the job. Having the right licenses and certificates is of utmost importance, especially in the air conditioning world. So here is what you need to know about choosing a licensed air con technician.

Licensed air con technician vs. fake tradies

There are times when the air con breaks down without warning and you desperately look for a technician to fix it. But instead of calling the first one in your Google search results, we recommend you to do some research first. Before hiring any person for the job, ask yourself:

• What type of job is that tradie qualified to do?
• What about their license?

Who needs a licence?

First and foremost, any person who carries out work in relation to refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) equipment must hold a Refrigerant Handling Licence.

This ARC tick is your tradie’s ‘must-have’ certificate. This basically means to do anything with a fluorocarbon refrigerant, or a component of RAC equipment, that poses the risk of refrigerant emissions. For instance, it can be decanting the refrigerant or manufacturing, installing, commissioning, servicing, maintaining or decommissioning RAC equipment.

What type of license can a tradie have?

In general, there are two types of licences that the Australian Refrigeration Council issues for qualified individuals. In order to perform any kind of air conditioning jobs, installers should hold at least one of them:

• Full Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) Licence

This certificate allows technicians to take care of all air conditioning-related services. This may include installation, service, repair, maintenance or decommissioning of any system, no matter their cooling capacity. This is the type of license you may want to look for if you want extra peace of mind.

• Restricted Split System Air Conditioning Installation and Decommissioning (Splits) License

Also known as Certificate II, this allows technicians to work only with a single head split system air conditioner of less than 18kW cooling capacity. Bare in mind that a technician holding this kind of license can only take care of the installation, commissioning and decommissioning the system.

Look for tradies having the correct licence and qualifications

Remember that it is your responsibility to check whether a tradie qualifies or not for the job. Without appropriate qualifications, they may be operating illegally. Always ask to see their licence and check what services they can do before beginning their work. At Jaric Air Conditioning, we are fully qualified to handle and perform any air con service so you will be in good hands at all times.

If you need any domestic air conditioning services, call Jaric Air Conditioning 1300 452 742 and get personalized advice and solutions for your home and business.