When is air conditioning inspection mandatory

The new regulation has replaced the older directive.

From 11 March 2024, Regulation (EU) 2024/573 applies, replacing the previous Regulation (EU) No 517/2014. The basic principle remains the same: the operator of equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) is responsible for regular leak checks of the refrigeration circuit and for maintaining records of inspections and maintenance interventions. Additionally, equipment using refrigerants listed in Annex II Section 1 of the Regulation is now also assessed. It is therefore advisable to re-check older installations that were previously not subject to these obligations.

Prague by refrigerant quantity in tCO₂eq

The legal obligation is not determined by the mass of refrigerant in kilograms, but by its CO2 equivalent. That is, how many tonnes of carbon dioxide the escaping refrigerant would theoretically correspond to. There are three bands:

• Up to 5 tCO₂eq

  No legal obligation for regular leak testing.

• 5 - 50 tCO₂eq

  tightness check at least once every 12 months.

• 50 - 500 tCO₂eq

  Leak tightness check at least once every 6 months.

If the equipment is fitted with an automatic leak detection system, both intervals are extended to double, i.e. Once every 24 or 12 months respectively.

Practical example: when the obligation actually applies to you

A standard residential air conditioner with a split unit and a refrigerant charge of around 1 kg of R32 (GWP 675) corresponds to approximately 0.675 tCO₂eq, well below the 5 tCO₂eq threshold, so it is not subject to the legal requirement for regular leak testing. The situation differs for commercial units using R410A refrigerant (GWP 2 088): just under 2.4 kg of this refrigerant equals roughly 5 tCO₂eq, meaning larger office multisplits or VRF systems with R410A usually fall within the mandatory scope. The building type also matters, hotels, office buildings or data centres often contain tens to hundreds of kilograms of refrigerant distributed across multiple circuits, and each circuit is assessed individually. A detailed conversion for households can be found in the article. Inspections also apply to air conditioning in flats..

What is addressed after a leak is detected

If a leak is detected and repaired during inspection, the obligation does not end there: a verification check follows. This must be carried out no sooner than 24 hours after the repaired unit has been in operation to ensure a conclusive result, and no later than one month from the date of repair. A detailed description of how such a check is conducted can be found in the article How refrigerant leak detection is carried out.

Registration and expansion to energy audits

The operator is required to maintain records of the equipment, entries for all inspections, detected leaks, repairs and the amount of refrigerant replenished. Without this documentation it is impossible to prove that an inspection took place, even if it was physically carried out. For large air-conditioning systems with an installed capacity exceeding 70 kW, the building is also subject to regular energy audits under the Energy Management Act; however, this is a separate obligation independent of F-gas leak-tightness inspections.

How to determine which band your equipment falls into

The type and quantity of refrigerant are usually stated on the outdoor unit's manufacturer label or in the installation service documentation. Conversion to tCO₂eq is straightforward, multiply the charge mass in kilograms by the GWP value of the specific refrigerant and divide by one thousand. For a single smaller unit, this is a quick calculation; for a building with multiple circuits, all individually managed circuits must be summed separately. If you are unsure about the input data, the fastest way is to have the conversion verified by a certified technician during the initial inspection, for companies with multiple units, it is usually worthwhile to do this as a single summary overview of the entire building.