Air Conditioning Inspection - Responsibilities

Air Conditioning Building Owners Responsibility
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. This section explains the responsibility of building and facilities managers with respect to air conditioning systems installed therein.

Responsibilities for surveying building air-conditioning

An energy survey of an air-conditioning system must be carried out by an accredited energy assessor (refer to Accreditation), the inspector must be a current member of an approved accreditation scheme approved by CLG. Air Conditioning methodology is described in detail in the document issued by CIBSE TM44.

Inspections An inspector must provide a written report of the inspection to the person who has control of the operation of the air conditioning system as soon as reasonably practicable after the survey has taken place. Government (Department of Communities and Local Government - DCLG) approved accreditation schemes have been introduced to control the quality of air conditioning inspections by ensuring inspection personnel are competent and possess the appropriate skills to conduct energy assessments for air conditioning plant and equipment.

Responsibility of the Air Conditioning Energy Assessor

To become a member of an accreditation scheme, energy assessors will also need to demonstrate competence in the following:

• By having a recognised qualification from an awarding body or approved prior experience and learning equivalent to the National Occupational Standard requirements. In many cases a practicing air conditioning engineer would be expected to achieve this standard.

• Apply for and maintain professional indemnity cover for the work that they do.

• Update their skills and knowledge regularly, CPD (Continuous Personal Development)

• Join in the accreditation body’s quality assurance (QA procedures.

• Abide by the scheme’s advice and guidance and code of practice.

Note: Information about approved accreditation schemes for energy assessors for air-conditioning systems energy assessment can be found on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at www.communities.gov.uk/epbd.

Additional Responsibilities

The air conditioning ratings report should be kept in a safe place for reference, so that it can be used for subsequent future inspections of the premises. It is recommended that the inspection report should be kept in the building log-book, together with ongoing maintenance and/or energy records that are held at the business premises.

In the case of new buildings they may already be provided with a building log-book for this purpose, this will satisfy the requirements of Part L of the Building Regulations to provide the site owner with information about the building, including its fixed services and any maintenance requirements to date. For advice about maintaining building logs the CIBSE Log Book Toolkit provides guidance, and, includes a template for the preparation of the log book, and its use by the building manager. This is deemed the most suitable place to keep records of the air-conditioning inspection records, in addition with other inspections, for example F Gas inspections. If a log-book is not available, it is advisable to create some form of file to store the records which should contain:

• Preparatory details as listed in Sections B1 (simpler packaged systems)
  or C1 (more extensive and centralised systems) of TM44 CIBSE document.

• Copy of the inspector's full signed report from the air-conditioning inspection at the premises.

• Air Conditioning recommendation report and any data used to prepare an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) for the building (if one has been required to be issued)

• The advisory report produced to accompany a DEC (Display Energy Certificate). Display Energy Certificates are issued for public buildings energy performance ratings, if one has been required.

• Any reports from any other regular inspections that have taken place in the past (such as inspections for refrigerant leakage) involving the building's air-conditioning, cooling or heating systems at the premises.

Any such information can then be used for subsequent energy inspections,
and the time needed to carry out such inspections by the surveyor can be minimised, thus reducing the overall cost of the inspection.

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.

Air Conditioning Service and Repair

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.