Mandatory refrigerant leak testing in refrigeration equipment | EnergyTech

Mandatory refrigerant leak testing in refrigeration equipment

Who is subject to F-gas leak testing

Operators of refrigeration equipment containing F-gases with weights of over 5 tonnes of CO2-eq.

Limit values for selected refrigerants with respect to mandatory F-gas leak testing

Refrigerant GWP The corresponding weight
CO2-eq 5 tons CO2-eq 50 tons CO2-eq 500 tons CO2-eq
R134a 1 430
3,5 kg
34,96 kg 349,65 kg
R404A 3 922 3,27 kg 12,75 kg 127,49 kg
R407C 3 922 2,82 kg 28,18 kg 281,85 kg
R410A 3 922 2,39 kg 23,95 kg 239,46 kg

 

Frequency of F-gas leak testing

Fluorinated greenhouse gases
Frequency of tightness checks
No detection system With the detection system
5 tons CO2-eg
12 months
24 months
50 tons CO2-eg 6 months
12 months
500 tons CO2-eg 3 months
6 months

Exceptions: Hermetically sealed refrigeration systems with a refrigerant content of less than 10 tonnes CO2-eq of fluorinated gases are exempted from regular leakage checks (the CHZ must have a label that defines it as hermetically sealed).

 

Legislative obligations with respect to F-gas leak testing

Under Regulation (EU) No. 517/2014 as defined in Act No. 286/2009 Coll.

Penalties for not completing F-gas leak testing

Operators of refrigeration equipment: from €2,000 to €34,000.

Example

Refrigeration equipment with 1.4 kg of R404A refrigerant (GWP is 3,922 CO2-eq) contains F-gases representing 5.5 tonnes of CO2-eq. This case clearly shows how a change in legislation made equipment that was previously not subject to mandatory F-gas leak testing subject to F-gas leak testing once per year. If the refrigeration equipment is considered a hermetically sealed system and has the appropriate tag, leak testing becomes mandatory when the 10 tonne CO2-eq. threshold is reached.


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