Refrigerant Safety & Responsible Disposal
4 min read · Document by Australian Refrigeration Council · Page updated 29 July 2026
When an air conditioner is serviced, replaced or removed, the refrigerant gas inside it has to go somewhere. Done properly, it is recovered into a cylinder by a licensed technician, returned to the gas supplier, and destroyed safely. Done badly — or illegally — it is vented into the atmosphere, where some refrigerants trap more than 2,000 times as much heat as carbon dioxide.
This official ARC consumer brochure, produced with the National Environmental Protection Agency and Refrigerant Reclaim Australia, explains the recovery system that exists so that never happens. Here’s what it covers, what it means for you practically, and when it will matter in the life of your own system.
Key takeaways
- Refrigerant is safe sealed in your system, but harmful and illegal to release — recovery is restricted to licensed technicians.
- Some refrigerant gases have over 2,000 times the greenhouse impact of carbon dioxide.
- When a system is removed or replaced, the gas must be recovered (degassed) first, then destroyed via Refrigerant Reclaim Australia.
- A system low on gas has a leak. The law requires the leak to be fixed before recharging — refuse 'just top it up'.
- True Line includes decommissioning and degassing when replacing old systems.
Why refrigerant is tightly controlled
The fluorocarbon refrigerants used in most air conditioners, fridges and heat pumps are safe while sealed inside the system — but harmful if released. Escaped refrigerant can be hazardous to people nearby, damages the ozone layer, and is a potent synthetic greenhouse gas. That’s why recovery and disposal are restricted by law to ARCtick-licensed technicians, and why venting gas is an offence.
The brochure’s core message is the process behind the rules: a licensed technician recovers the gas when a system is installed, serviced, removed or replaced, and returns it to their supplier. Refrigerant Reclaim Australia then collects the recovered refrigerant and destroys it — transforming it, in the ARC’s words, into harmless salty water.
When this matters at your place
The obvious moment is replacing an old system: before the old unit comes off the wall, its refrigerant must be recovered — the industry calls it degassing. When True Line replaces a system, decommissioning and degassing are part of the job and the old unit is disposed of properly. If a quote from anyone is suspiciously cheap, it’s fair to ask exactly what happens to the old unit and its gas.
The less obvious moment is a repair on a system that has lost gas. By law, a leak must be found and fixed before new refrigerant is added — “just top it up” is both illegal and a waste of your money, because the new gas follows the old gas out through the same leak. A proper repair pressure-tests the circuit, fixes the leak, then recharges to the manufacturer’s specification.
What you can do as an owner
Three things. Use licensed technicians for any work involving the refrigerant circuit — see our companion resource on why the ARCtick licence matters. Don’t ignore a system that has gradually stopped cooling — low gas almost always means a leak, and a leaking system costs more to run every week you leave it. And when a unit reaches the end of its life, have it decommissioned by someone licensed rather than taking it to the tip yourself; our repair-or-replace guide helps you make that call with real numbers.
Who should read this
Homeowners replacing or removing an old air conditioner, anyone whose system has stopped cooling properly, and anyone comparing repair quotes that involve re-gassing.
Why this matters
Refrigerant handling is where cheap operators cut corners invisibly. Understanding the legal recovery process helps you spot a shortcut before it costs you a warranty, a re-repair or an environmental fine.
Common questions
What happens to the gas when my old air conditioner is removed?
A licensed technician recovers the refrigerant into a cylinder before the unit is disconnected, and returns it to their gas supplier. From there, Refrigerant Reclaim Australia collects it and destroys it safely. When True Line replaces a system, decommissioning and degassing the old unit is part of the job — the gas is never vented.
Is refrigerant dangerous to my family?
Inside a sealed, professionally installed system, refrigerant is safe. The risks arise when gas escapes — through an untreated leak or an illegal DIY removal. Released refrigerant can be harmful to people nearby and is a potent greenhouse gas, which is why recovery is legally restricted to licensed technicians.
My system has lost gas — can it just be topped up?
Under Australian law a refrigerant leak must be found and fixed before new gas is added. A reputable technician will pressure-test and repair first, then recharge. Anyone offering a quick re-gas without fixing the leak is signalling exactly the kind of shortcut the ARC brochure warns about.
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Related resources
Official industry publications and customer guides from our free Resource Centre.
