Residential air conditioning contractors can install new air conditioning units for you, from start to finish. However, you may think that this process does not look that difficult, so why not DIY and save a a grand or two? Actually, you cannot. There are some DIY things in regards to air conditioning that would be illegal if you attempted to do them. There are reasons why these things are illegal, too. Here are the DIY air conditioning activities that would be considered illegal, why they are illegal, and why you need a contractor to do an installation.
Buying Refrigerants
Refrigerants are necessary to make your A/C unit work. You cannot buy refrigerants because no one will sell them to you if you are not licensed to purchase refrigerants. Anyone that tries to sell refrigerants to you when you are not licensed can be arrested, fined, or even face jail time. That is in addition to the arrest, fines, and jail time you would face for attempting to buy refrigerants without holding the proper licenses.
Handling Refrigerants
Even if you manage to somehow purchase refrigerants without getting caught by authorities, handling refrigerants without another license is illegal. These are truly dangerous substances for which you have no training and education. Drops of refrigerant on your flesh can eat holes through it, and a trip to the emergency room to stop the destruction of body tissues and alleviate the pain from nerve and tissue damage would most definitely reveal how you got the injuries. Then you would have to speak to authorities, and you could be in a lot of legal trouble by that point.
Working on a Neighbor's, Friend's, or Family Member's A/C Unit
Contractors are all for the go-getters that love doing DIY projects, but HVAC (and particularly A/C and refrigeration) is not one of those areas anyone should be doing themselves. If you are working, or offer to work, on a neighbor's, friend's, or family member's air conditioner, you are doing something else illegal with regards to A/C. There are regulations in place that state that only licensed professionals should be managing repairs on someone else's air conditioning units. There are hefty fines in place for attempting to fix what does not belong to you and your property with regards to A/C. Leave this work to the professionals, who have licenses for buying refrigerants, handling refrigerants, and fixing or making repairs to these potentially dangerous appliances.
To learn more, contact a company like Bergmann Heating & Air Conditioning.
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