Black & White Facilities / Service brief
TM44 Air-Conditioning Inspections
In England, air-conditioning systems with an effective rated output of more than 12kW require inspection at intervals no greater than five years. Units below that size can count together when they form a system under single control. GOV.UK explains the scope and timing.
Overview
Check the position when taking over a building, approaching the report's next inspection date or inheriting incomplete records. Count the actual cooling systems and control arrangements; neither a small individual unit nor a single maintenance invoice settles the requirement for a whole building.
Our full service catalogue, including every individual service, is available across every listed sector and location. For one site or several, we agree the scope, access and programme around the buildings concerned.
What the work can include
The package can include reviewing equipment information and previous reports, establishing the inspection scope, arranging the accredited air-conditioning energy assessor and coordinating access. The inspection examines the system and controls to identify energy-performance improvements and relevant operating issues.
The assessor's report and its registration details form the core output. We connect recommendations to named next steps such as reviewing operating hours, investigating control conflicts or obtaining a replacement proposal. Carrying out those improvements is a separate instruction with its own scope and evidence.
Inspection, servicing and leak checks
A TM44 inspection is an energy assessment. It does not replace ordinary servicing, F-gas leak checks or an investigation of a fault. Keep the programmes linked while retaining the different purpose and due dates of each activity.
The capacity threshold concerns effective rated cooling output, not the electrical input shown on a power supply. System grouping and control also matter. A mixed estate needs the assessor to establish the correct boundary before a portfolio-wide date or fixed unit count is used for pricing.
Before we visit
Provide the equipment schedule, cooling capacities, system drawings, previous inspection report, maintenance information and control descriptions. Include operating hours and information about areas served. Where records do not match recent alterations, identify the change rather than presenting the old list as current.
Arrange access to plant, occupied areas and relevant controls with the local team. Identify who can explain the site's use and authorise any necessary operational adjustments. For a campus or multi-tenant property, provide the relationships between central plant, local systems and the parties controlling them.
How the work proceeds
We establish the inspection purpose, system information and due position, then agree the assessor's scope and visit arrangements. The assessor reviews the installation and available records, with observations linked to the actual equipment and use.
At handover, the client receives the inspection documentation and a clear route for reviewing recommendations. Group actions by the decision required: operational adjustment, further investigation, maintenance or capital work. Keep the original report available after improvements so the record explains both the initial finding and the action taken.
What affects cost and timing
System complexity, number of buildings, equipment quantities, control arrangements and available information affect the fee and programme. A building with several independently controlled systems needs different preparation from one readily documented installation.
Most assessment activity differs from intrusive repair work, but access to occupied areas and plant still needs planning. Agree escorts, roof access and availability of building controls information. Include report preparation and any clarification of missing records in the programme rather than treating the site visit as the complete task.
Sector applications
Office estates need operating hours and landlord/tenant control established. Retail estates need unit additions and branch differences reconciled. Education needs teaching calendars, building use and access incorporated into inspection planning.
These applications sit within the full sector range. Our service and project offering supports the sectors we serve, with the relevant inspection requirement established from the installation rather than the sector label alone.
Locations covered
We cover Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Tees Valley, including Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnwick, Morpeth, Hexham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland, Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees and Redcar and Cleveland. View all locations.
Provide every address and existing report date for a portfolio. This allows the programme to distinguish priority inspections from sites that need their equipment information resolved first.
Frequently asked questions
Does a system rated at exactly 12kW meet the stated threshold?
The government guidance describes systems with an effective rated output of more than 12kW. Establish the complete system and combined capacity before deciding whether that threshold is exceeded.
Can several small units require an inspection?
Yes. Units within a building under single control can be considered together. Give the assessor the full equipment schedule rather than only the largest unit's rating.
Does our annual service replace the inspection?
No. Maintenance and the air-conditioning energy assessment serve different purposes. Retain the appropriate report and keep the separate requirements visible in the building programme.
Are the report's savings guaranteed?
No. Recommendations identify opportunities. Assess the proposed change, cost and operating assumptions, then measure actual performance where savings are being evaluated.
Guides and practical reading
Read How Often Should Air Conditioning Be Serviced? and What Is F-Gas Compliance? for the separate maintenance and refrigerant requirements. Browse the Knowledge Centre.
Related services and enquiry
See HVAC and Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, F-Gas Compliance, Statutory Maintenance and Building Services Upgrades. Explore all services, maintenance, projects, sectors and locations.
Contact Black & White Facilities with your sites, equipment schedule, previous reports and control arrangements. We define the inspection coordination and follow-on decision process around your estate.
Discuss the scope
Tell us what needs attention.
Share the site, the issue and any access requirements so we can discuss the next step.