Obviously, HVACR contractors and their associations would like to see sales of these chemicals limited to just qualified technicians. For example, ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors Association) has already done much lobbying to bring about such legislation. So, should HVACR wholesalers vigorously support them in this fight? Let's consider the facts.

First, they say that HFCs (Hydro Fluoro Carbons) don't do any damage to the atmosphere - at least that's the current thinking of environmental scientists. However, they believed the same was true of HCFCs and CFCs until just a few years ago. And if we knew then what we know now, we would have started recovering and recycling refrigerants from the beginning. Then we probably would never have had the current extreme phaseout legislation. And if we find that dumping HFCs creates a problem sometime in the future, what will we switch to after that?