REFRIGERANT producer A-Gas (UK) is calling for a ban on the sale of refrigerants on internet auction sites. The company is concerned that buyers may not have the necessary specialist knowledge in the safe handling of refrigerants and points out that the contents of any cylinder being sold on auction sites cannot be guaranteed to be genuine.

Its concern follows the appearance in recent months of a number of the company's cylinders being auctioned via the internet.

A-Gas insists that it only supplies refrigerants through three recognised competent national wholesalers with no sales being made to other trades or to the general public.

'These wholesalers in turn only sell to the RAC trade who are registered under F-Gas regulation EC 842/2006 and to City & Guilds 2078 or CITBJ01 on the safe handling of refrigerants,' says Ken A-Gas md Ken Logan.'

The company also points out that A-Gas cylinders are supplied on a long term loan agreement basis whereby the cylinders remain the properties of A-Gas at all times and are not available for sale to third parties.