Trade Related Updates

8/14/2024

How will the phase out of R-410a Refrigerant affect the technicians and homeowners

In 2020, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act was enacted into law, which authorizes a 15-year phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) across of a variety of applications—including HVAC.

How will that affect me?

In 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will set a 750 global warming potential (GWP) limit for air conditioning. This means that R-410A, with a GWP of 2,088, will no longer be able to be used in new equipment. Self-contained HVAC systems using R-410A will no longer be manufactured or imported after January 1st, 2025, but there is a three-year sell-through period. Self-contained or packaged units can be sold, exported, and installed through January 1st, 2028.

So, what is the replacement?

The most common low GWP alternatives are classified by ASHRAE as mildly flammable, or A2L. Due to their mildly flammable characteristics, A2L refrigerants will require updates to standards and building codes to allow for their safe installation.

This new refrigerant will also require:

• Technician Education and potential certification.
• A change in some tools used by technicians
• An eventual change in homeowners air conditioning equipment. When the equipment breaks down, it is no longer cost effective to repair. The entire system must be replaced. Neither the R-410a condensing unit nor the air handler will be compatible with the A2L refrigerants.
• The R-410a refrigerant that is in many residential air conditioning units will begin being phased out in 2025 as well. Making availability and cost of the refrigerant a real concern going forward.

The Peterson School will be implementing training and certification on the new A2L refrigerant beginning in late fall…Stay tuned

 

Mass Oil Burner Technicians License Exam News

Massachusetts Oil Burner Technicians License Examination Review

Over the past year the Massachusetts oil burner technician’s license exam has undergone a review of its questions. The reason for this review was twofold, one to be sure that all of the questions are still relevant to the industry and two; to be sure the questions and answers reflect the current codes. Massachusetts utilizes two sources for the installation and inspection of oil heating equipment. The Massachusetts Fire Code 527 CMR 1.00 12/09/2022 edition and NFPA 31 2020 edition.

This process was completed by The Department of Fire Services, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Division. A committee was formed

A committee was formed of stakeholders consisting of inspectors, educators, fire officials and the Chief of Inspections. Each and every exam question and answer in the test bank was reviewed, and the source cited.

The chief of inspections of the division of inspection of the department of fire services, the supervising inspector of the division or an inspector of the division shall act as an examiner for the certification of oil burner technicians.

The Department of Fire Services, Boiler and Pressure Vessel Division is responsible for overseeing the professional trade licenses of Stationary Engineers, Firemen, inspectors, Oil Burner Technicians, etc. over 15,000 licenses in all. Currently in Massachusetts there are 8,814 active oil burner licenses and 93 oil burner apprentice licenses. On average there are 620 people who take the exam annually.

According to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 148 section 10C:  No person shall alter, repair or install any oil burning equipment or any of the appurtenances thereto, except for electrical wiring and connections, as defined by rules and regulations promulgated under the provisions of section ten governing the construction, installation and operation of oil burning equipment and the keeping, storage and use of fuel oil or other inflammable products used in connection therewith, unless he holds a certificate granted by an examiner for the certification of oil burner technicians. Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding sentence, the cleaning of an oil burner strainer or nozzle or the cleaning or replacement of a photocell, in any building or structure by the owner or manager thereof or by any regular employee of such owner or manager in a building or structure owned or managed by his employer, may be done without the holding by such owner, manager or employee of a certificate as an oil burner technician.

The boiler and pressure vessel division uses software to produce the exams. The exams are completely random. The inspectors have no idea which candidate gets which version of the test. All of the exam questions are classified into three categories, easy, medium and difficult. These categories are determined by the success of previous exam takers on each particular question. Each exam has 43% easy level, 39% medium level and 18% difficult level questions equaling 100%. The test bank consists of over 300 questions.

The oil burner license exam is held the last Wednesday of the month at the Department of Fire Services Stow MA. If a candidate did not have success on their exam, they may retake the exam 60 days after the last exam. A candidate may also appeal their exam. This is done by written request. The candidate meets with three examiners and discusses the question(s) that the candidate wishes to challenge. This is outlined in MGL 148 section 10G.

Application information can be found at: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-an-oil-burner-technician-or-apprentice-certificate