Air Conditioning Inspection - Refrigeration Inspectors

What do Refrigeration Inspections Cover?
Faq's - Frequently Asked Questions about Air Conditioning Inspection procedures and techniques. See What Systems Require Inspection as part of the EPC for commercial property.

The scope of an inspection for Refrigeration

This is a guide for checks required for refrigeration systems and control equipment which must be surveyed as part of the inspection.

Any refrigeration equipment and its associated heat exchange systems are checked by the assessor as part of the survey of the premises. Such inspection will take account of damage or lack of maintenance for the installation that may significantly reduce their efficiency from their “as new” condition. It should be noted that the contribution that refrigeration makes to most buildings’ total annual energy consumption is likely to be relatively small, and so the requirement for cost effective improvement by replacing inefficient equipment are likely to be limited, except where such equipment may have failed in service and/or is likely to be replaced anyway by the building owner.

Cooling & Refrigeration Plant Building Cooling Systems - effective heat rejection is necessary to maintain the efficiency of the refrigeration system. If outdoor heat rejection equipment is damaged, operating inefficiently, or its access to suitable flow of air is reduced, the effectiveness in rejecting heat is thereby reduced as a consequence. This in turn has the effect of reducing refrigeration efficiency, and reducing the cooling capacity of the system as a whole.

Such refrigeration equipment may turn off and on under the action of its own high temperature or pressure cut-out, often without satisfying the building cooling load. This will increase the wear and tear on the equipment and will also reduce the service life of the plant.

Plant Inefficiency

For cooling systems effective indoor heat exchange is necessary to maintain the efficiency of the refrigeration system. The assessor will examine the heat exchange equipment to see if it is damaged, or its access to adequate airflow is otherwise reduced, thus the effectiveness in transferring heat to the refrigeration system is reduced. This has the effect of reducing refrigeration efficiency, and reducing the cooling capacity of the system. It may cause the refrigeration equipment to turn off and on under the action of its low temperature or pressure cut-out, often without satisfying the building cooling load, observations that the assessor has will be noted on the above factors and invariably the overall asset rating for the system will be reduced as a consequence. It is recommended that the refrigeration system is serviced prior to an inspection so that the best possible efficiency gains can be met, thus improving the energy efficiency rating for the plant. Equipment that performs poorly will be noted by the assessor and may appear as a recommendation to replace or upgrade component parts as a result. Such reports are advisory.

Note that all air-conditioning systems with an effective rated output of more than 12kw rating  must be regularly inspected by an Energy Assessor (Refer to Compliance, and the Directory to find an assessor). The inspections must be a maximum of five years apart.

How to obtain an air-conditioning inspection for commercial premises

Know your responsibilities for ensuring inspections are done. The following outlines the remit for obtaining an energy assessment of the installed air conditioning equipment.
The nominated person who controls the operation of an air-conditioning system affected by Regulations has the  responsibility to ensure that:

• The inspection has been done in accordance with the requirements
  and timetable of the Regulations in force.

• You have a duty to keep the most recent inspection report completed by an energy assessor for your system.

• You must give any inspection report kept by you, to any person taking over your responsibilities with respect to the control of the air-conditioning system in the premises that you occupy.

Why are air-conditioning inspections required?
Having your air-conditioning system inspected by an Energy Assessor is designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce the electricity consumption, (your energy usage) company operating costs and carbon emissions for your whole system. Energy inspections will highlight improvements to the operation of your existing systems or opportunities to replace older, less energy efficient systems or oversized systems with new energy efficient upgrades. The assessor will also be able to identify any hazardous asbestos present in building services of your premises.

Find an Assessor (Inspector)

Companies, Contactors and Surveyors of Air-Con Systems for energy assessment purposes as part of an EPC certificate can be located in our Directory, in many cases you can locate a suitably qualified assessor near to your local area. If you are in doubt as to whether an inspection is required as part of the legislation seek professional advice. You may be subject to a penalty or a fine for non-compliance with the regulations.

Refer also to Air Conditioning for further details regarding Refrigeration, cooling, design, engineers, service, installation, maintenance, repairs, inspection, installers, Refrigeration and Cooling, Variable Refrigerant Volume/Flow Systems VRV VRF, Heat Recovery, Ducted Systems, Climate Control Systems, upgrades of New and Existing Air Conditioning HVAC Heating Ventilation plant (AHU) Air Handling Units and controls.