F-Gas Compliance for Commercial HVAC Systems

F-Gas scope

Assimilated Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 (retained in UK law) regulates fluorinated greenhouse gases. Applies to:

• HVAC systems using HFC refrigerants (R410A, R32, R134A etc)
• Chillers and cooling towers
• Commercial refrigeration
• Heat pumps

Leak check requirements

By refrigerant tonnes CO₂ equivalent:

• < 5 tonnes CO₂eq: No mandatory leak check
• 5–50 tonnes CO₂eq: Every 12 months
• 50–500 tonnes CO₂eq: Every 6 months (3 with leak detection)
• > 500 tonnes CO₂eq: Every 3 months (6 with leak detection)

A typical 10,000 sqft commercial office VRF system carries 40–80 tonnes CO₂eq.

Refrigerant phase-down

• R410A (GWP 2088) — phased down; new systems favour R32 (GWP 675)
• R134A (GWP 1430) — high-GWP, restricted in new equipment
• Natural refrigerants (CO₂, NH₃, propane) increasingly used

Engineer and operator obligations

• Work must be carried out by F-Gas certified engineer (C&G 2079, REFCOM)
• Installer must hold company F-Gas certification
• Leak testing must be documented and logged
• Refrigerant recovery at end-of-life mandatory
• Operator holds F-Gas register with all leak checks

What we do

F-Gas certified in-house HVAC team. Register maintenance included in PPM contract. See Commercial Maintenance, Office Maintenance, Lighting & Electrical.

FAQs