Get your Air Conditioning Guide

The ARCtick identifies businesses and licensed individuals who are authorised under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995, to install, service and repair fridges, freezers and air conditioners, in your home, office or car.

ARC, the Australian Refrigeration Council was appointed in August 2005 by the then Minister for Environment and Heritage to administer the national refrigeration and air conditioning permit scheme. ARC is an independent body. It does not have any commercial relationships with industry bodies, manufacturers or retailers. Its job is to administer the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning regulations related to the minimisation of avoidable emissions to the atmosphere of ozone depleting substances and synthetic greenhouse gases, like fluorocarbon refrigerants.

ARC is responsible for granting Refrigerant Trading Authorisations and Refrigerant Handling Licences, approved under the regulations.

Any business or individual that holds an authorisation and/or licence has the ARCtick of approval.

In short, to protect our environment and to make sure you get the most out of your air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.

Fluorocarbon refrigerants, used in nearly all refrigeration and air conditioning equipment in Australia, damage our environment. If they are released into our atmosphere, they contribute significantly to global warming and many also deplete the ozone layer.

As an example of how much harm these substances can cause, 1kg of R410a (the refrigerant typically used in split-system air conditioners) has the same global warming impact as two tonnes of carbon dioxide — that’s like driving a four-cylinder car for six months.

The harm is only done if the refrigerants are released into the atmosphere. Licensed technicians and authorised businesses have the training, skills and legal obligation to make sure that the emissions of these refrigerants are minimised.

Licensees are also required to work to legally mandated standards. This means that they have to do the job properly.

A Refrigerant Trading Authorisation is required when a business or individual acquires, possesses or disposes of refrigerant, while a Refrigerant Handling Licence is needed by any person that handles refrigerant. A Refrigerant Trading Authorisation is subject to conditions and auditing processes designed to minimise the risk of emissions while the refrigerant is in their possession.

The holder of a Refrigerant Handling Licence is an individual who is qualified in their field of activity and has met the licensing requirements under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995. The fact that a licence holder must adhere to an Industry Code of Practice and possesses the skills to do the job, minimises the risk of refrigerant emission.

Under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995, anyone wanting to install, service or repair a fridge, freezer or air conditioner (or any other piece of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment) must be a licensed technician; that is, they must hold a Refrigerant Handling Licence.

Both the authorisation and licence will display the ARCtick of approval.

The best way to find an authorised business to install, repair or upgrade your fridge, freezer or air conditioner, is to use the search facilities provided on this website.

The search facility is separated into different industry sectors — automotive air conditioning, domestic refrigeration and air conditioning, stationary refrigeration and air conditioning and split-system air conditioning. The reason for this is that different fields of expertise require different licences. For example, if a technician only works with split-system air conditioners the minimum licence required is a Restricted Split System Air Conditioning Installation and Decommissioning Licence. Similarly, if a technician only works with vehicles, their licence must be endorsed as an Automotive Air Conditioning Licence.

Every business listed on this website has the ARCtick of approval and has been listed under their various area (or areas where known) of expertise. For more information on licence types, visit the website.

The best way to check if a technician holds a current ARC Refrigerant Handling Licence is to use the 'ARC Licence Check' facility on this website.

You can enter a technician's licence number and surname and the search facility will advise you if the licence is current. If the licence is current, the search will also tell you what type of licence the technician holds, so you can always know if they are the right person for the job you need done.

For further assistance call ARC on 1300 884 483.

By complying with the fluorocarbon refrigerant regulations, you not only help protect the environment, you may be protecting the validity of your warranty. In some cases, a product's warranty may be dependent on the unit being installed by a licensed technician.

So make sure you do the right thing, and look for the ARCtick.

To be proactive as a consumer, always confirm any installation, service or repair of your refrigeration or air conditioning systems is carried out by an authorised business and appropriately licensed technician.

The greenhouse effect is a term that describes how natural gases in the earth's atmosphere reduce the amount of heat escaping from the earth into the atmosphere. The more these gases are released into the atmosphere, the more the earth will heat up. These gases act like a blanket around the earth — they allow the sun's rays in to warm the earth's surface, but they also prevent much of the heat escaping. It is a bit like car windows on a sunny day — they allow the sun's rays in to heat up the car, but prevent much of the heat escaping. That is why the inside of your car is warmer than the outside air on sunny days.

Increases in the earth's temperature can occur naturally as a result of climatic fluctuations caused, for example, by solar cycles and changes in the sun's radiation. Human activity such as burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and land clearing, however, are increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These extra gases are like additional blankets around the earth. They allow the sun's energy to reach the earth's surface, but they prevent more heat from escaping. This means that the earth slowly heats up. This is called the enhanced greenhouse effect — it causes global warming and it is changing our climate.

Ozone depletion refers to the destruction of the ozone layer, the commonly used name for a part of the atmosphere about 20 to 30 kilometres above the earth. The ozone layer prevents the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation reaching Earth's surface. Exposure to this radiation can cause skin cancer, eye damage and other health problems.

Ozone depletion is caused by, amongst other things, chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (known as CFCs and HCFCs, which are also powerful greenhouse gases) and halons. These chemicals destroy atmospheric ozone. Ozone depletion has been observed by scientists since the late 1970s and in many parts of the planet more ultraviolet radiation reaches Earth's surface than in the past.

More information about the Australian Refrigeration Council can be accessed through www.arctick.org 

For details of Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act (1989) and associated Regulations go to the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts website