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.