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F-Gas Leak Checks: How Often Does Your Air Conditioning Need Testing?
How the F-Gas rules set leak-check frequency by system size, and what records you need to keep.
3 min read
NICEIC, Gas Safe and Refcom
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Written by our building services team
Most air conditioning and refrigeration systems use fluorinated gases (F-gases) as refrigerant. They are powerful greenhouse gases, so the F-Gas rules require operators to check systems for leaks on a set schedule.
It depends on the system's size
Frequency is set by the amount of refrigerant, measured in tonnes of CO2 equivalent (the charge in kilograms multiplied by the gas's global warming potential):
- 5 tonnes CO2e or more: at least every 12 months
- 50 tonnes CO2e or more: at least every 6 months
- 500 tonnes CO2e or more: at least every 3 months, and automatic leak detection must be fitted
Where a working leak detection system is installed on smaller systems, the check intervals can be doubled. Hermetically sealed equipment has a higher threshold of 10 tonnes CO2e.
Who can do the checks?
Leak checks, repairs and refrigerant recovery must be done by F-gas certified engineers working for a certified company. TECS holds Refcom F-Gas company certification.
Records to keep
For each system you should hold a record of the refrigerant type and quantity, every leak check and its result, any refrigerant added or recovered, and who did the work. Keep these for at least five years.
Why it pays to stay on top of it
A system that is losing gas runs less efficiently, costs more to run and is more likely to fail in hot weather. Regular checks catch small leaks before they become breakdowns.
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