How refrigerant leak detection is carried out

Who is authorised to carry out the inspection

Leak testing may only be carried out by a person holding a valid F-gas certification. Without this certificate, the leak test report is not legally valid, even if the technical work was performed correctly. The precise thresholds from which leak testing becomes a legal obligation are described in our article. When is air conditioning inspection mandatory.

Therefore, before booking an inspection, it is advisable to ask the technician for their F-gas certification number and keep it recorded alongside the inspection certificate. In the event of any future official inspection, this will enable the operator to easily demonstrate that the review was carried out by an authorised person.

How a technician proceeds step by step

1. Krok 01
   Visual inspection

   Condition of outdoor and indoor units, visible corrosion, oil stains around joints (typical sign of a leak), condition of pipe insulation.

2. Krok 02
   Leak testing and measurement

   Pressures in the refrigeration circuit, electronic leak detection, and if necessary, a contrast method to locate the exact point of leakage.

3. Krok 03
   Assessment and potential repair

   If a leak is confirmed, it is resolved by tightening the joint, replacing the seal or repairing the damaged pipe.

4. Krok 04
   Entry in the register

   Date, findings, work performed and quantity of refrigerant added.

The entire procedure usually takes only a short time for a standard residential or office unit. For larger VRF systems with multiple compressors and longer piping, the duration increases according to the number of circuits that need to be tested individually.

What happens if a leak is confirmed

After repairing a leak, the inspection does not end there. A follow-up tightness check must be carried out no sooner than 24 hours after operating the repaired unit: an earlier result would not be conclusive, and no later than one month from the repair. Only this follow-up check confirms that the repair is truly holding.

Records that the operator must maintain

Each inspection requires an entry in the equipment log: when the inspection took place, the condition found, whether and how any leak was addressed, and the amount of refrigerant added if applicable. The operator maintains this record and must be able to produce it upon request.

Leak tightness check versus routine service

Refrigerant leak detection is often confused with routine maintenance, such as cleaning filters or washing the evaporator. The facility operator can often arrange this maintenance themselves and it does not need to be carried out by a certified person, whereas tightness checks and any intervention in the refrigeration circuit may only be performed by a technician holding an F-gas certification. Indicative prices for such inspections can be found in the article. Price of air conditioning inspection.

Why leaks cannot be reliably detected by DIY methods

A minor leak in the refrigeration circuit often does not show externally immediately: the air conditioner initially cools almost as well, just with slightly lower efficiency, and the missing refrigerant is only noticed by a technician when measuring pressures. Electronic detection can reveal leaks that are imperceptible to the naked eye and ear, while the contrast method helps precisely locate the leak at a specific joint or weld. Without this measurement, one can only estimate that "something is not right": the exact cause and extent will be determined only by a certified technician with the appropriate equipment.

How often is the inspection repeated

The frequency of subsequent inspections depends on the band into which the equipment falls according to the quantity of refrigerant in tCO₂eq, once every 12 months, once every 6 months, or not at all if the charge is below the legal threshold. For equipment with an automatic leak detection system, the interval is extended to double. Exact thresholds and examples can be found in the article. When is air conditioning inspection mandatory.