What
air-conditioning systems require inspection?
The legislation and regulations stated by DCLG
(Department Communities Local Government) are as
follows:
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.
Air
Conditioning Systems and Equipment that need inspection
All air-conditioning systems with an effective rated
output of more than 12kw are affected by the regulations
under the CLG guidelines.
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Effective
Rated Output
What is Effective Rated Output?
The effective rated output is the maximum
calorific output in kW stated by the manufacturer
of the system as deliverable during continuous
operation while complying with the useful
efficiency indicated by the manufacturer. |
Definitions
One or more air conditioning units within a building
controlled by a single person are considered to comprise a single
air-conditioning system for the purposes of the regulations as defined by DCLG.
Who is Responsible for the Operation of the System
The nominated person who controls the operation of
the system is the person who controls the actual
technical functioning of the system, not someone who can
just alter the temperature setting for the premises, for
example: an on-site engineer would be considered as a
person who fulfils the role of the technical functions
associated with the equipment and plant operation, not
an office worker (or other occupant) who simply adjusts
the temperature control..
For the purposes of the regulations, a building
is defined as “a roofed construction having walls, for which energy is used to
condition the indoor climate, and a reference to a building includes a
reference to a part of a building which has been designed or altered to be used
separately”.
A part of a building designed or altered to be used
separately is where the premises is made or adapted for separate occupation.
This could be indicated by the premises having its own access,
separate provision of heating and ventilation or shared heating and
ventilation but with the ability by the occupier to independently control those services.
For a non-dwelling the part could be deemed to be separate even if some
facilities (i.e. kitchen and toilet facilities) were
they are shared facilities.
Definition
of an Air Condition System for the purposes of the
regulations, and how they would affect your
company/business
An air-conditioning system refers to any system
where refrigeration is used to provide cooling for the comfort of the occupants
within the building. This would exclude separate
refrigeration provided solely for process applications such as cold stores, pharmaceutical production etc.
commonly found in manufacturing premises for example.
I
have not had my system inspected yet - What should I
do?
The best recourse of action is to arrange for an
assessor (inspector) to examine the installation and
provide you with a checklist and an energy rating
assigned for your property. Also consider the option
of conducting planned maintenance procedures for
your system and maintain a log - see below for more
details.
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Is your air-con system running efficiently? |
Where
can I find an approved Inspector?
Remember
small scale systems can be inspected by a commercial
energy assessor as part of an energy assessment for
business premises for sale or lease, a directory of
commercial property assessors can be found in the links
section of this website. Large scale systems will
require a dedicated air conditioning energy assessor.
See also our Directory for
approved assessors for your local area.
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Did You Know? - Climate Control Systems could make
your Heating and Ventilating system run more
efficiently. |
Refer
also to Air
Conditioning for further details regarding Refrigeration, cooling, design, engineers, service, installation, maintenance, repairs, inspection, installers, 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.
