F-gas leak checks and logbook
You must have an installation with 5 tonnes CO2 equivalent or more of F-gases checked for leaks on a regular basis: every 12, 6 or 3 months, depending on the quantity. With a leak detection system, the checks may be done half as often. For every installation subject to leak checks, the user keeps a logbook and stores it for at least 5 years. This is set out in Articles 5 and 7 of the F-gassenverordening (EU) 2024/573 (EU F-gas Regulation) .
The check itself is done by a technician with an F-gas personal certificate, usually from a company with a BRL 100 certificate. The duty to arrange it lies with the user of the installation: the company that actually controls how it operates. For what has changed since 2024, read the new F-gas Regulation.
You calculate CO2 equivalent as follows: kilograms of refrigerant times the GWP, divided by 1,000. A heat pump with 8 kg R32 (GWP 675) contains 8 × 675 / 1,000 = 5.4 tonnes CO2 equivalent. So it falls under the leak check obligation.
How often is an F-gas leak check required?
The frequency depends on the amount of refrigerant in the installation. For HFCs (such as R32, R134a and R404A), you count in tonnes of CO2 equivalent. For HFOs listed in Annex II of the Regulation (such as R1234yf), you count in kilograms.
| HFCs (tonnes CO2 equivalent) | HFOs (kg) | Without leak detection system | With leak detection system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | Under 1 | No leak check obligation | No leak check obligation |
| 5 to 50 | 1 to 10 | Every 12 months | Every 24 months |
| 50 to 500 | 10 to 100 | Every 6 months | Every 12 months |
| 500 or more | 100 or more | Every 3 months | Every 6 months |
Hermetically sealed equipment that is labelled as such is exempt below 10 tonnes CO2 equivalent. For HFOs, that limit is 2 kg, and for hermetically sealed systems in homes it is 3 kg.
Leak check worked examples per installation
This is how you apply the table to installations you meet in practice:
| Installation | Charge | CO2 equivalent | Leak check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split air conditioner, office | 1.2 kg R32 (GWP 675) | 0.81 tonnes | Not required |
| Heat pump, commercial building | 8 kg R32 | 5.4 tonnes | Every 12 months |
| Refrigeration system, supermarket | 25 kg R404A (GWP 3,922) | 98.1 tonnes | Every 6 months |
| Chiller, production hall | 150 kg R134a (GWP 1,430) | 214.5 tonnes | Every 6 months |
| Cold store | 140 kg R404A | 549.1 tonnes | Leak detection system required, so every 6 months |
| Climate installation | 33 kg R454B | 15.4 tonnes, plus 10.3 kg HFO | Every 6 months (see below) |
The last example comes from the Informatiepunt Leefomgeving (IPLO) (Dutch environmental information point) . R454B consists of 68.9% R32 and 31.1% of the HFO R1234yf. Based on CO2 equivalent, one check a year would be enough. But 33 kg contains 10.3 kg HFO, which falls in the 10 to 100 kg band. You follow the strictest outcome, so every 6 months.
Installations with an HFO blend that were checked once a year for years may now need checks more often. Recalculate your installation list.
When is a leak detection system mandatory?
A leak detection system is mandatory for stationary refrigeration, climate and heat pump installations with 500 tonnes CO2 equivalent or more, or 100 kg or more of HFOs. The system warns the user or a service company when there is a leak. You have it checked for proper operation at least once every 12 months.
In the cold store example above, such a system is therefore mandatory. Without a system, the leak check would have to be every 3 months. With the system, it is every 6 months.
What goes in the F-gas logbook?
For every installation subject to leak checks, the user keeps a logbook. Article 7 of the Regulation lists what must be in it:
| Item | What you record |
|---|---|
| Refrigerant | Type and quantity in the installation, including what was added at installation |
| Top-ups | Quantity topped up during maintenance or after a leak, with the date |
| Origin of top-up gas | Whether it is recycled or reclaimed, with the name and address of the processor |
| Recovered | Quantity of recovered refrigerant |
| Who did the work | The company with its certificate number, and the technician who carried out the work |
| Leak checks and repairs | Dates and results |
| Decommissioning | How the refrigerant was recovered and disposed of |
Example logbook entry
A fictional example of one leak check with a repair, as it might appear in a digital or paper logbook:
Installation: shop refrigeration, Supermarkt Hoekstra, Deventer
Refrigerant: R404A, charge 25.0 kg (98.1 tonnes CO2 eq) | leak check every 6 months
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 October 2026 | leak check | leak found on liquid line flange
| repaired | 1.5 kg topped up, reclaimed R404A
| origin: Refrigerant processing X, Rotterdam
| company: Koeltechniek Oost B.V., BRL 100 no. ...
| technician: P. Smit, personal certificate A1 no. ...
20 October 2026 | check after repair | no leak | P. Smit
Next periodic leak check: by 14 April 2027Note the check after repair. It must take place between 24 hours and 1 month after the repair. In this example six days pass, so it is correct.
How long do you keep the F-gas logbook?
The user keeps the logbook for at least 5 years. The installation company that does the work also keeps a copy for at least 5 years. On request, you show it to the supervising authority.
A paper file at the installation is allowed, and so is a digital logbook. Make sure you can find everything per installation, even if you change installer.
What does the inspector check for leak checks and the logbook?
The Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) (Netherlands Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate) and the omgevingsdiensten (regional environmental agencies) supervise stationary refrigeration installations. During an inspection they usually ask for:
- an overview of your installations with refrigerant, charge and CO2 equivalent
- the logbook per installation, with leak checks at the right times
- certificate numbers of the company and the technician, which you can check in the Centraal Register Techniek (Central Technical Register)
- the operation of the leak detection system, if that is mandatory
Do you have ISO 14001? Then include leak checks and the logbook in your legal register and check them in your compliance evaluation.
Common mistakes with F-gas leak checks
- Calculating in kilograms instead of CO2 equivalent. 5 kg R404A is already nearly 20 tonnes CO2 equivalent, while 5 kg R32 is only 3.4 tonnes.
- Forgetting the HFO part. With blends such as R454B or R449A, the HFO part can determine the frequency.
- Doing the check after repair on the same day. That no longer counts. Wait at least 24 hours.
- Leaving the logbook with the installer. The user is responsible, not the installer.
- Topping up without recording the origin. Note whether the gas is new, recycled or reclaimed.