Provider guide to refrigerant tracking

Importance of refrigerant tracking for the environment
Refrigerant tracking is essential for environmental protection. Proper tracking helps prevent the release of harmful refrigerants into the atmosphere, significantly impacting global warming and ozone depletion. This guide aims to help you understand how ServiceChannel manages refrigerant tracking and how this can benefit your business.

The regulatory landscape and financial implications
With ever evolving EPA regulations, the financial implications of non-compliance can be severe for your customers, including hefty fines. Staying compliant with these regulations is not just about avoiding penalties, but also about maintaining a positive brand image and contributing to a healthier environment.

Embracing corporate sustainability goals
Many companies are now setting and promoting their own sustainability goals. Increasingly, top brand, multi-location ServiceChannel customers prioritize sustainability in their operations. This evolving landscape presents a significant business opportunity for certified and eco-friendly service providers.

The business opportunity for you

By aligning your services with these goals and leveraging ServiceChannel’s Refrigerant Tracking Manager, you can enhance your partnership with existing customers and attract new ones:

• Broaden your service offerings: Expand your service and partnership with customers by offering comprehensive refrigerant management services from certified technicians.
• Win new customers: Many ServiceChannel customers with refrigeration critical to their business are actively seeking the best providers. Highlighting your service offerings and uploading your certification can set you apart as a preferred choice.

ServiceChannel Refrigerant Tracking Manager: Your pathway to growth

ServiceChannel offers you the perfect gateway to capitalizing on this growing market. The integrated Refrigerant Tracking Manager embeds refrigerant tracking in your customer’s workflow and enables you to fully service refrigeration and HVAC work orders. 

Benefits for your customers
ServiceChannel’s Refrigerant Tracking Manager reduces regulatory risk for your customers by automating the scheduling of maintenance, repairs, and follow-up verification based on specific leak thresholds mandated by the EPA. This ensures compliance, improves sustainability, and optimizes asset performance, ultimately enhancing both their brand image and their bottom line.

Benefits for you
For you and your technicians, ServiceChannel’s Refrigerant Tracking Manager streamlines your processes, helping you manage compliance requirements effortlessly. Your technicians can enter key information from the field via their ServiceChannel Provider mobile app. This improved efficiency allows you to focus on delivering top notch service, which can also boost your performance scores.

Best practices for refrigerant tracking

Engage with customers through ServiceChannel
Customers can engage you for refrigerant tracking services through various options provided by ServiceChannel, including planned maintenance and repairs. Make sure your customers understand ServiceChannel’s refrigerant tracking solutions. Leverage these solutions effectively to enhance your service delivery and customer satisfaction.

Know the key EPA requirements
Regularly review the latest EPA regulations to ensure ongoing compliance. These include specific requirements for tracking refrigerant usage, managing leak events, and ensuring timely repairs. A link to the official EPA compliance guide is included below.

Align with customer sustainability goals
Understand and align with the internal sustainability goals of your customers. By helping them adhere to their specific refrigerant usage limits and reduction targets, you can support these goals. ServiceChannel makes it easy to align your refrigeration and HVAC services with your customer’s sustainability initiatives. Plus, all of your EPA-required technician certifications are recorded, reinforcing your role as a key partner in their environmental stewardship.

Automate compliance with ServiceChannel Refrigerant Tracking Manager
Take full advantage of ServiceChannel Refrigerant Tracking Manager which essentially automates the entire compliance process, from scheduling maintenance to managing repairs and follow-up verification. This reduces the administrative burden and ensures that all regulatory requirements are met efficiently.

Manage work orders efficiently
ServiceChannel ensures effective and compliant work order management by incorporating regulatory updates directly into your workflow. Key areas include:

• Leak management: Track and document leak events from multiple assets in a single work order.
• Refrigerant use documentation: Accurately record refrigerant usage in real-time.
• Regulatory compliance: Automatically stay updated with regulatory changes, ensuring compliance is maintained.
• Invoicing: Ensure work orders are fully documented before invoicing. Note that any work orders in “Completed/Pending Refrigerant Use” status cannot be invoiced until the refrigerant information has been added.

With these ServiceChannel tools, you can streamline your operations, maintain compliance, and deliver exceptional service to your customers.

Reclaim, Recovery, and Disposal of Refrigerants
In addition to tracking and managing refrigerant usage, proper reclaim, recovery, and disposal are critical to compliance and environmental stewardship. Here’s how ServiceChannel can assist:

• Refrigerant Reclaim: ServiceChannel facilitates the reclaiming process by ensuring all reclaimed refrigerant is documented and processed according to EPA regulations. This helps in reusing refrigerant safely and economically.
• Refrigerant Recovery: The platform allows for meticulous documentation of refrigerant recovery during maintenance or decommissioning of HVAC systems. This ensures that recovered refrigerant is handled properly and reduces the risk of environmental contamination.
• Refrigerant Disposal: ServiceChannel ensures that all disposed refrigerants are tracked and managed according to regulatory guidelines, providing proof of proper disposal and supporting environmental sustainability.

Set up for success

Keep your provider profile updated
Ensure that your provider profile on ServiceChannel includes details about your company and service offerings. This enhances your visibility to potential customers.

Upload certifications
Uploading your technicians’ certifications builds trust and demonstrates your compliance with regulatory standands.

Educate your customers
Make sure your customers are aware of the benefits of ServiceChannel’s Refrigerant Tracking Manager and how they can engage your services. Start by reaching out to your primary point of contact at your customer’s home office and ask to be directed to the appropriate person or department responsible for refrigerant tracking initiatives.

Additional resources

EPA Industrial Process Refrigeration Compliance Guide
Ready for Change: A Breakdown of the Latest Sustainability and Refrigeration Regulations
Bridging the Green Gap: Addressing the skilled trades shortage in sustainable asset management

More detailed instruction in ServiceChannel University for using ServiceChannel refrigerant tracking
Streamline Refrigerant Work order management
Efficiently record refrigerant usage for multiple assets
Understand refrigerant tracking requirements
Refrigerant usage guidance

More information to share with your customers
ServiceChannel Refrigerant Tracking Manager (video)
How to achieve EPA compliance with refrigerant tracking software