Complete Strategic Guide: Obtaining the RBQ 15.9 Licence – Small Refrigeration Systems Contractor

1. What Is the RBQ 15.9 Licence and Who Needs It?

The RBQ 15.9 licence — Small Refrigeration Systems Contractor (Entrepreneur en systèmes de réfrigération de petite capacité) — is a specialized licence issued by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) for contractors who install, maintain and service refrigeration systems used for air conditioning with a cooling capacity not exceeding 20 kW, using refrigerants classified in groups A1 or A2 per CSA-B52. It authorizes construction work on:

• Small air conditioning systems — vapour compression refrigeration cycles with cooling capacity ≤ 20 kW;
• A1 and A2 group refrigerant systems — low-toxicity, non-flammable (A1: R-410A, R-134a) and low-toxicity, mildly flammable (A2: R-32) refrigerants;
• Forced-air heating and air conditioning equipment (≤ 40 kW) — when combined with licence 15.1, 15.1.1, 15.7 or 15.8;
• Hydronic heating and air conditioning equipment (≤ 40 kW) — when combined with licence 15.4 or 15.4.1;
• Refrigerant circuit welding — brazing and soldering on small-capacity refrigeration piping;
• Refrigerant transport — handling and transporting refrigerants per the Highway Safety Code.

Important distinction: The RBQ 15.9 is limited to systems ≤ 20 kW using A1/A2 refrigerants only — unlike the RBQ 15.10 which covers refrigeration systems of all capacities and all refrigerant groups. The 15.9 is the entry-level refrigeration licence, focused on residential and light commercial air conditioning.

2. Scope of the Licence: Small Refrigeration for Air Conditioning

The RBQ 15.9 covers the installation, modification and servicing of small vapour compression refrigeration systems used exclusively for air conditioning — from residential split systems and heat pumps to small commercial packaged units, all limited to 20 kW cooling capacity and A1/A2 refrigerants per CSA-B52.

The vapour compression refrigeration cycle is the core of this licence: compression (the compressor raises the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant vapour), condensation (the high-pressure vapour releases heat to the outdoor air and condenses to liquid in the condenser), expansion (the liquid refrigerant passes through the metering device — thermostatic expansion valve or capillary tube — dropping in pressure and temperature), and evaporation (the low-pressure liquid absorbs heat from the indoor air and evaporates in the evaporator coil). The candidate must understand the thermodynamic properties of each refrigerant: boiling temperatures at various pressures, latent heat of vaporization, superheat and subcooling.

A distinctive feature of the RBQ 15.9 is the CSA-B52 Mechanical Refrigeration Code — the central reference that defines refrigerant classifications, maximum allowable charges based on room volume and occupancy type, installation requirements and safety provisions. CSA-B52 is one of the three documents provided at the exam and candidates must be proficient in navigating its classification tables and charge limit calculations.

3. RBQ Exam Format: What to Expect

• Question type: Multiple choice (MCQ)
• Duration: 3 hours (180 minutes)
• Passing grade: 60%
• Languages: French or English
• Skills assessed: 68 skills across 11 competency elements
• Exam type: Mixed (3 open-book documents + 7 closed-book documents)
• Tools provided: Calculator, ruler, paper and pencil

With 68 skills and 10 reference documents (3 open, 7 closed), the RBQ 15.9 is a focused exam that demands both technical understanding of refrigeration fundamentals and thorough knowledge of the regulatory framework governing refrigerant handling and pressure vessel safety.

4. Exam Documentation: Open Book vs. Closed Book

The RBQ 15.9 exam is a mixed exam with 3 documents provided (open book) and 7 to memorize (closed book) — 10 documents total.

Documents PROVIDED During the Exam (Open Book)

• Quebec Construction Code, Chapter I — Building (CQLR, B-1.1, r.0.01.01) — Contains the building requirements for mechanical systems, including refrigeration equipment installation, clearances from combustibles and ventilation provisions for equipment rooms.
• Safety Code for Construction Work (CQLR, S-2.1, r.4) — The safety requirements for construction job sites, including confined space entry, working at heights, hazardous material handling and personal protective equipment for refrigerant work.
• CSA-B52-99 — Mechanical Refrigeration Code — The central reference for the 15.9 licence: refrigerant classification (A1, A2, B1, B2 groups), maximum allowable refrigerant charges based on room volume and occupancy, installation requirements, pressure vessel provisions and safety devices for refrigeration systems.

Documents to MEMORIZE (Closed Book)

• Building Act — The foundational statute governing construction, safety, and contractor qualifications in Quebec.
• Regulation Respecting the Professional Qualification of Contractors and Owner-Builders — The regulation setting out licence categories, qualification requirements and conditions for maintaining an RBQ licence.
• Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety — The statute governing workplace health and safety, including employer and worker obligations on construction sites involving refrigerants.
• Pressure Vessels Act — The statute governing the design, fabrication, installation and inspection of pressure vessels — directly applicable to refrigeration system components operating under pressure.
• Pressure Vessels Regulation — The regulation detailing the technical requirements for pressure vessels, including registration, inspection intervals and safety device requirements for refrigeration equipment.
• Highway Safety Code — The code governing the transport of goods on Quebec roads, including requirements for vehicles transporting refrigerant cylinders.
• Regulation Respecting the Transport of Dangerous Substances — The regulation detailing the requirements for transporting dangerous goods (including compressed and liquefied refrigerant gases): labelling, placarding, documentation and emergency procedures.

5. The 4 Training and Competency Modules

Module 1 — Definitions and Types of Systems

Covers the fundamental principles of refrigeration and air conditioning: the vapour compression refrigeration cycle (compression, condensation, expansion, evaporation), types of refrigerants and their classification per CSA-B52 (A1 — low toxicity/non-flammable such as R-410A, R-134a, R-404A; A2 — low toxicity/mildly flammable such as R-32), thermodynamic properties of refrigerants (boiling point, latent heat of vaporization, pressure-temperature relationships, superheat and subcooling), types of compressors (reciprocating, scroll, rotary), types of condensers (air-cooled, water-cooled), types of evaporators (direct expansion, flooded), metering devices (thermostatic expansion valves, capillary tubes, electronic expansion valves), types of small air conditioning systems (split systems, packaged units, heat pumps — air-to-air and air-to-water), and the physical principles underlying refrigeration: pressure, temperature, enthalpy, entropy and the refrigeration effect.

Module 2 — Legislative, Normative and Regulatory Framework

Covers the complete regulatory framework for small refrigeration systems — 10 documents to master. Tests the candidate's knowledge of: the Building Act, the Quebec Construction Code Chapter I, CSA-B52 (refrigerant classifications, charge limits, installation requirements), the Safety Code for Construction Work, the OHS Act, the Pressure Vessels Act and Regulation (registration, inspection, safety devices for refrigeration components), the Highway Safety Code and the Regulation Respecting the Transport of Dangerous Substances (refrigerant transport requirements — labelling, placarding, documentation). Candidates must understand the distinction between pressure vessel requirements and building code requirements for refrigeration installations.

Module 3 — Plans, Specifications and Estimation

Covers the ability to read and interpret refrigeration and air conditioning plans and specifications: equipment layouts showing condenser and evaporator locations, refrigerant piping diagrams (suction lines, liquid lines, hot gas lines), electrical diagrams for control circuits, thermal load calculation worksheets, equipment schedules specifying capacity, refrigerant type and charge, material take-offs for piping, insulation and fittings, and cost estimation for small refrigeration projects. This module also tests the candidate's ability to perform thermal load calculations for sizing small air conditioning systems.

Module 4 — Standards and Work Execution

The most heavily weighted module on the exam. Covers the complete installation workflow for small refrigeration systems: refrigerant piping installation (copper tubing — sizing, routing, supports, brazing techniques), brazing and soldering on refrigeration circuits (nitrogen purge, filler metals, joint preparation, safety precautions), system evacuation and dehydration (vacuum pump procedures, acceptable vacuum levels, moisture removal), refrigerant charging (liquid charging, vapour charging, weighing method, superheat/subcooling verification), leak testing (nitrogen pressure test, electronic leak detectors, bubble testing), system start-up and commissioning (operating pressures, superheat and subcooling adjustment, airflow verification), calibration of controls and safety devices (thermostats, pressure switches, defrost controls), refrigerant recovery, recycling and reclamation procedures, and health and safety — including handling of compressed gases and personal protective equipment.

6. Key Competencies and Technical Requirements (Official Context)

The Vapour Compression Refrigeration Cycle

Understanding the vapour compression cycle is the foundation of the RBQ 15.9 exam. The cycle operates on four processes: compression — the compressor (reciprocating, scroll or rotary for small systems) takes in low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant vapour from the evaporator and compresses it to high-pressure, high-temperature vapour (the compressor does mechanical work on the gas, raising both its pressure and temperature); condensation — the high-pressure vapour enters the condenser (typically air-cooled for small systems) where it rejects heat to the outdoor air, first desuperheating, then condensing to liquid, then subcooling below the saturation temperature (subcooling ensures only liquid enters the metering device); expansion — the high-pressure liquid passes through the metering device (thermostatic expansion valve or capillary tube) where its pressure drops sharply, producing a low-pressure mixture of liquid and flash gas at the evaporator inlet temperature; evaporation — the low-pressure liquid absorbs heat from the indoor air as it evaporates in the evaporator coil, producing the cooling effect, and exits as low-pressure vapour with superheat (superheat ensures only vapour enters the compressor, preventing liquid slugging). The exam tests the candidate's ability to identify each component's role, interpret pressure-temperature relationships using refrigerant tables, and diagnose system problems from abnormal operating pressures.

Refrigerant Classification: A1 and A2 Groups per CSA-B52

CSA-B52 classifies refrigerants using a two-character system: the letter indicates toxicity (A = lower toxicity, B = higher toxicity) and the number indicates flammability (1 = no flame propagation, 2 = lower flammability, 2L = lower flammability with low burning velocity, 3 = higher flammability). The RBQ 15.9 is limited to A1 and A2 groups only — both low-toxicity, differing in flammability. Group A1 refrigerants (non-flammable) include R-410A (the dominant residential AC refrigerant — a blend of R-32 and R-125, operating at higher pressures than R-22), R-134a (used in automotive AC and some commercial chillers), and R-404A (used in commercial refrigeration). Group A2 includes R-32 (mildly flammable — increasingly used as a lower-GWP alternative to R-410A in modern split systems). The exam tests the candidate's knowledge of each refrigerant's thermodynamic properties: boiling temperature at atmospheric pressure, latent heat of vaporization, operating pressure ranges, oil compatibility, and the maximum allowable charge per CSA-B52 based on room volume and occupancy classification. Understanding the A1/A2 boundary is critical — the 15.9 licence does not authorize work on B1, B2 or A3 refrigerants (such as ammonia or propane).

CSA-B52 Charge Limits and Installation Requirements

CSA-B52 establishes maximum allowable refrigerant charges based on three factors: the refrigerant's safety group classification, the room volume where the indoor unit is located, and the occupancy type (institutional, commercial, residential, industrial). The principle: if the entire refrigerant charge were to leak into the occupied space, the resulting concentration must not exceed the refrigerant concentration limit (RCL) for the safety group. The exam tests the candidate's ability to: (1) identify the refrigerant's safety group from CSA-B52 tables, (2) determine the applicable RCL for that group, (3) calculate the maximum charge based on room volume and occupancy, and (4) verify that the installed system charge does not exceed the limit. CSA-B52 also specifies installation requirements: equipment location (outdoor vs. indoor, ventilated vs. unventilated spaces), piping requirements (materials, joining methods, pressure testing), safety devices (pressure relief valves, high-pressure cutouts, fusible plugs), and ventilation of equipment rooms containing refrigeration machinery.

Thermal Load Calculations for Small Systems

Sizing a small air conditioning system requires calculating the total cooling load — the amount of heat that must be removed from the conditioned space per unit time. The exam tests the candidate's ability to account for: transmission loads (heat gain through walls, roof, floor and windows — based on U-values and temperature differentials), solar loads (radiant heat gain through windows — based on solar heat gain coefficients, orientation and shading), internal loads (heat generated by occupants, lighting and equipment), ventilation loads (sensible and latent heat of outdoor air introduced for ventilation), and infiltration loads (uncontrolled air leakage through the building envelope). The total load determines the required system capacity in kW (or BTU/h), which must not exceed the 20 kW limit for the 15.9 licence. The candidate must also understand the distinction between sensible load (temperature change only) and latent load (moisture removal) — both contribute to the total cooling load and affect system selection.

Refrigerant Handling, Recovery and Transport Safety

The RBQ 15.9 exam tests refrigerant handling extensively — from the job site to the road. Recovery: before opening a refrigeration circuit for repair, the refrigerant must be recovered into an approved recovery cylinder using a recovery machine — venting refrigerant to atmosphere is prohibited. Recycling and reclamation: recovered refrigerant may be recycled (filtered and dried for reuse in the same system) or sent for reclamation (reprocessed to meet virgin refrigerant specifications). Transport: refrigerant cylinders are classified as compressed or liquefied gases under the Regulation Respecting the Transport of Dangerous Substances (closed book). The exam tests: cylinder types (disposable vs. refillable, DOT/TC markings), transport requirements (vehicle placarding, shipping documents, emergency response information), storage requirements (upright position, secured against movement, protected from heat sources, maximum fill levels), and safety procedures (leak response, first aid for refrigerant exposure — frostbite and asphyxiation risks). The Highway Safety Code (closed book) governs the vehicle and driver requirements for transporting these dangerous goods.

Welding on Refrigeration Circuits

Brazing and soldering on refrigerant piping is a core skill for the RBQ 15.9. The exam tests: brazing (joining copper tubes using a filler metal with a melting point above 450°C — typically silver-bearing alloys such as BCuP-6 for copper-to-copper joints), soldering (joining with filler metals below 450°C — limited applications in refrigeration due to lower joint strength), joint preparation (cutting, reaming, cleaning, fluxing — each step critical to joint integrity), nitrogen purge (flowing dry nitrogen through the system during brazing to prevent copper oxide formation inside the tubes — oxide scale can clog metering devices and damage compressor valves), safety precautions (fire protection, ventilation of work area, handling of compressed gas cylinders for brazing fuel and nitrogen), and pressure testing (testing the completed joints with dry nitrogen at the pressure specified by the equipment manufacturer before evacuation and charging). The exam also tests the candidate's knowledge of prohibited materials — lead-based solders are not permitted in refrigerant circuits.

7. Preparation Strategy and Tips for Success

The RBQ 15.9 exam covers 68 skills across 4 modules with 3 open-book and 7 closed-book documents. Here is a recommended strategy:

Phase 1 — Master the vapour compression cycle. The refrigeration cycle is the foundation of every question on this exam. Understand each component's function, the pressure-temperature relationship for A1 and A2 refrigerants, superheat, subcooling and how to diagnose system problems from operating pressures. Use Prof-RBQ.ca's per-skill quizzes to test your understanding of each concept.

Phase 2 — Learn to navigate CSA-B52. CSA-B52 is the most important open-book document — it defines the refrigerant classifications, charge limits and installation requirements that form the core of this licence. Practise finding refrigerant group classifications, calculating maximum allowable charges from the tables and locating installation provisions quickly. With 68 skills in 180 minutes (159 seconds per question), you have more time per question than most RBQ exams — use it to navigate CSA-B52 thoroughly.

Phase 3 — Memorize the regulatory framework. The 7 closed-book documents cover legislation (Building Act, OHS Act, Professional Qualification Regulation), pressure vessel safety (Pressure Vessels Act and Regulation) and refrigerant transport (Highway Safety Code, Transport of Dangerous Substances Regulation). Focus on the key articles governing contractor obligations, pressure vessel registration and transport requirements.

Phase 4 — Master the practical skills. Module 4 covers installation, brazing, evacuation, charging, leak testing and commissioning. Understand the step-by-step procedures for each operation — the exam tests procedural knowledge extensively. Use Prof-RBQ.ca's flashcards to memorize the correct sequence of operations.

Phase 5 — Complete full timed simulations. Practice complete exam simulations under timed conditions with Prof-RBQ.ca to build confidence and ensure you can apply your knowledge efficiently under exam pressure.

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