This guide addresses relevant stationary cooling and heat-pump plant under the Great Britain regime. Other equipment categories have separate provisions. Determine obligations from verified refrigerant and equipment data for the actual installation.
Establish the leak-check requirement
Carbon-dioxide equivalent combines refrigerant mass with global warming potential. Cooling output in kilowatts measures something different and cannot establish a leak-check interval.
GOV.UK's leak-check guidance sets requirements using carbon-dioxide equivalent and provisions for hermetically sealed equipment and automatic detection. Record the applicable timing and basis per system. Resolve missing charge data instead of assigning a common date without evidence.
Separate the tasks and records
Show routine service, required leak checks, repairs and checks of repair effectiveness as distinct activities. A combined maintenance attendance must identify which tasks were actually performed.
GOV.UK requires leaks found during checking to be repaired as soon as possible, with another check within a month to confirm effectiveness. Assign that follow-up with the repair; restored cooling or added refrigerant alone does not explain or resolve the leak.
Keep records for five years where the equipment falls within the specified record-keeping scope. Record refrigerant type, quantities, additions, recovery, check results and relevant contractor information against the system so future maintainers can follow the history.
Plan qualified work and replacement
Arrange the relevant individual qualifications for refrigerant work and company certification where required for contractor activities. GOV.UK explains company certification describes the company requirements; establish the applicable arrangements before instruction.
Include recovery, removal and record updates when replacing equipment. Retain the retired system’s history separately and create the new equipment entry; copying an old due date may hide a changed refrigerant or charge requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Is F-gas compliance the same as a TM44 inspection?
No. F-gas obligations relate to refrigerants, while TM44 concerns air-conditioning energy inspection. Both can apply to an installation alongside its routine maintenance.
Does every small unit have the same obligations?
No. Determine the refrigerant, charge and relevant equipment provisions. Physical dimensions do not provide enough information to establish obligations.
Can the operator hand everything over to a contractor?
Technical delivery can be contracted, but the operator still needs clear arrangements for access, required checks, records and action on results. Allocate those responsibilities explicitly.
Related help
Use F-Gas Compliance and TM44 Inspections as distinct work routes. Read How Often Should Air Conditioning Be Serviced? and the Knowledge Centre for related planning guidance.
Place the requirement in context through all services, maintenance, projects, sectors and locations.
