FAQ

General

Do you offer courses at the weekend or the evening?
Currently all of our courses are during office hours, Monday through to Friday.

Where is Cuffley?
Cuffley is between Potters Bar and Enfield, Junction 24 and 25 on the M25, in Hertfordshire.

Where is the nearest Train station?
There is a station in Cuffley that is about 3 mins walk from the training centre. It is about 20 mins from Finsbury Park on the Hertford North line.

What is the nearest airport?
Stanstead and Luton are about 30 mins drive, Heathrow is about 45 mins. and both Stanstead and Heathrow have rail connections.

Can I park at the training centre?
We have 12 parking spaces at the training centre. There is a pay and display car park opposite with a height restriction of at least 2m or there is parking at the station with no restriction on height.

Do I need to bring any PPE?
No all the PPE that you need will be provided but you can provide your own if preferred.

F Gas

I am new to the air conditioning industry what qualifications do I need to get started?
The F Gas course is the legal minimum requirement and will need to be done first. Following on from that we would recommend the Split Air Conditioning Installation Course (City and Guilds 2081) followed by the Service and Maintenance course.

Do I need to do the brazing course before the F Gas course?
No as we offer the City and Guilds 2079 qualification there is no prerequisite to do the brazing as well.

Does the F Gas qualification expire?
No, as we offer the City and Guilds 2079 there is no expiry date on the qualification so it does not have to be renewed.

I do not have a formal qualification but I have been in the industry for 15 years what course would you recommend?
We would recommend attending the 5 day course as you will need to cover the theory behind the systems.

Do I only have to get one engineer qualified with the company?
No all of the engineers who are working with refrigerants will need to have the qualification i.e. ‘certified’ engineers working for ‘certified’ companies.

The F Gas certificate is only an update on the Safe Handling certificate, so why does it take so much longer to get the F Gas?
The F Gas course is not just an update of the old Safe Handling it is a completely new qualification and much more involved. It looks at the whole efficiency of the systems including the indirect emissions, Kyoto Protocol requirements, HFC refrigerants and CO2.

Is there any recommended reading before coming on the course?
We would suggest that you do not read or revise any of the subjects covered to avoid any confusion when you attend the course. Our courses are specially designed to take the candidate from any level through to passing the exam (provided they are on the correct course).

I’m not sure what to do for the best about getting qualified for F Gas. Can you advise me?
Yes, the most appropriate programme depends on your background, qualifications and training. We are careful to ensure that candidates are directed to the most beneficial programme that suits their needs.

Is there any practical training on the 3 day course?
No because the course is really revision designed for experienced, qualified refrigeration or chiller engineers used to working with DX systems.

People say that if my background is AC system installation I should consider doing the 5 day course? Can that be right?
Yes, actually we find that the 5 day programme is the most popular and successful because most AC engineers don’t get the opportunity of measuring superheat and subcooling and need the practical experience that is an integral part of the 5 day course.

What are the hours for the fgas course?
The fgas course starts at 9.30 and runs through to about 5.00, with an hour for lunch.

Technical Certificate/NVQ

Can anyone do the Technical certificate course?
Yes it is open to anyone of any age.

I cannot go to college in the evening do you have a different way of studying?
We run the Technical certificate / NVQ qualifications on a block release basis. There are six blocks (of two weeks) for the level two Technical certificate and then three further blocks for the Level 3 Technical certificate.

What are the hours for the Technical certificate / NVQ course?
The Technical Certificate / NVQ course starts at 9.00 and runs through to about 5.00, with an hour for lunch.

Split Air Conditioning (Heat Pump) Installation

Why do I need the F Gas before doing the SACIC course?
As you will be handling fluorinated gases during the SACIC course you will be required to have the legal qualification to do so.

Does anyone else offer the City and Guilds 2081?
No, currently Ellis Training is the only centre capable of offering this qualification.

BRA Flame Brazing

I am an experienced brazer and I only need to renew my qualification, do I have to do both days of the course?
No the two day course is set up for newcomers to brazing, you only need to attend the second day if you are renewing your qualification.

Vehicle Air Conditioning

I work with car and light van air conditioning systems, what qualification do I need?
You will need the Mobile air conditioning qualification which is the City and Guilds 5101 for us.

I work with all types of vehicle air conditioning and refrigerated lorries, what qualifications do I need?
You will need the full F Gas qualification as the refrigerated trailer falls outside the mobile air conditioning regulations and as such is not covered by the City and Guilds 5101 qualification.

Air Conditioning Energy Assessor Diploma

Are there any entry requirements onto this course?
As this is a technical course we need all of the attendees to have a City and Guilds 2079 before attending the course to ensure that they have the basic knowledge of the refrigeration cycle, which enables them to properly consider the energy efficiency of the air conditioning system.