The HVAC/R industry is in the middle of a fundamental shift: mildly flammable A2L refrigerants are replacing legacy A1 refrigerants across new equipment, and technicians who aren't trained on A2L-specific safety and handling requirements are increasingly at a disadvantage — and at risk. This one-day, in-person seminar gives working HVAC/R technicians the safety knowledge and hands-on procedures they need to service, charge, and diagnose A2L systems with confidence and in compliance with current code.

Participants work through A2L classification and safety fundamentals, ignition-source control and ventilation requirements, tool and jobsite readiness, and the workflow changes A2L introduces to installation and service calls. The day builds to scenario-based diagnostics and leak-response practice, and closes with either a structured in-field shadowing experience with a working HVAC professional or an on-site capstone lab rotating through airflow, electrical, refrigerant, and A2L-readiness stations.

This seminar is offered as a standalone, technology-focused TechCred credential; TechCred participants may take it independently of the other two HVAC seminars. It is also Seminar 3 of Walsh University's IMAP-funded HVAC Diagnostics (ILT) microcredential — IMAP participants must complete all three seminars (IoT Fast Track Airflow, IoT Fast Track Measurements, and this one) to earn the full HVAC Diagnostics (ILT) credential.

Participant preparation

Current EPA Section 608 certification and working knowledge of refrigerant-circuit diagnostics required.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:

  • Explain what “A2L” refrigerant classification means and how A2L refrigerants differ from legacy A1 refrigerants in flammability, handling, and equipment design.
  • Identify ignition sources and apply risk-control measures required for safe A2L service work.
  • Apply ventilation, work-area, and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements specific to A2L handling.
  • Assess tools, equipment, and jobsite readiness — including recovery machines, vacuum pumps, and cylinder labeling/segregation — for A2L service calls.
  • Apply code-compliant procedures for A2L recovery, charging, and commissioning, and identify required service documentation.
  • Diagnose common A2L system issues through scenario-based troubleshooting, including a suspected-leak response scenario.
  • Communicate A2L diagnostic findings and recommendations clearly to a customer, using proper documentation practices.
  • Apply safety-first practices during a supervised in-field shadowing experience or capstone lab simulating real A2L service conditions.

Modules

  1. Refrigerant Landscape and A2L Safety Fundamentals
  2. Tools, Jobsite Readiness, and Workflow Impacts
  3. Diagnostics Scenarios and Leak Response
  4. Applied Capstone and Certification Review

Course Details

Format: One-day, in-person seminar

Certificate: Participants who complete this seminar receive the Walsh University HVAC Diagnostics: Applied Skills for New Refrigerant Technology (A2L) Certificate, documenting applied technical proficiency in mildly flammable (A2L) refrigerant safety, code-compliant handling, and diagnostic procedures for next-generation HVAC/R systems.