F-gas leak checks, refrigerant top-ups and F-gas records

Authorised company

Ventus d.o.o. is entered in the Slovenian register of authorised companies for the maintenance and installation of stationary refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment and heat pumps under serial number 293. The certificate of entry (no. 35425-28/2016-2 of 16 February 2016) was issued by the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO). Today the register is kept and published by the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning (gov.si, in Slovenian).

What the law requires

F-gases in refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump equipment are governed by Regulation (EU) 2024/573. In Slovenia it is supplemented by the Climate Act (Podnebni zakon) and the Decree on the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances. The key points for equipment operators are:

• Leak checks are mandatory for equipment containing 5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent or more of the F-gases listed in Annex I, and for equipment containing 1 kg or more of the F-gases listed in Section 1 of Annex II (Article 5). Hermetically sealed equipment that is labelled as such and contains less than 10 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent is exempt.
• Leak check frequency (Article 5): from 5 to less than 50 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent at least every 12 months, from 50 to less than 500 tonnes every 6 months, and 500 tonnes or more every 3 months. With a leak detection system installed, the intervals are 24, 12 and 6 months.
• Leak detection systems are mandatory for equipment containing 500 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent or more and must be checked at least once every 12 months (Article 6).
• Leak repair: a leak must be repaired without undue delay. A certified person checks the repair at the earliest after 24 hours of operation and no later than one month after the repair (Article 4).
• Records: for each piece of equipment that needs leak checks, records are kept of the type and quantity of refrigerant, refrigerant added and recovered, and leak checks and repairs. The operator keeps them for at least 5 years, and the company carrying out the work keeps a copy (Article 7).
• Certified personnel: leak checks, servicing, repairs and refrigerant charging may only be carried out by certified persons and companies (Articles 5 and 10).
• Registering equipment: in Slovenia the operator must register stationary equipment containing 3 kg or more of F-gases with the ministry responsible for the environment no later than three months after installation, and report changes within one month (Article 4 of the Slovenian decree, REMIS_TGP application).

In addition to the mandatory leak checks, we recommend having the equipment serviced by a qualified technician at least once a year. The annual service is a recommendation; Regulation (EU) 2024/573 does not require it.

Sources: Regulation (EU) 2024/573, Slovenian decree on F-gases (in Slovenian), Climate Act (in Slovenian), gov.si: F-gases (in Slovenian).