Commission refrigeration and air-con properly
Proper commissioning of any refrigeration, air conditioning or walk-in cold room system containing F-gas refrigerant, carried out and certified by an F-Gas registered engineer working for an F-Gas registered company.
Proper commissioning of any refrigeration, air conditioning or walk-in cold room system containing F-gas refrigerant, carried out and certified by an F-Gas registered engineer working for an F-Gas registered company.
Only F-Gas registered engineers and companies (certified through a scheme such as REFCOM) may legally handle, install or commission systems containing F-gas refrigerants. Using an unregistered installer risks a system that leaks, voids your warranty, and breaches the F-Gas Regulations.
Confirm the company is REFCOM (or equivalent) registered before booking, not just the individual engineer.
Who this is for
Any venue with air conditioning, a walk-in fridge or freezer, or other refrigerant-based cooling.
What you’ll hold
- F-Gas commissioning certificate
- Refrigerant charge record
Watch out for
- Using a general builder or unregistered installer for a walk-in cold room. This is a legal requirement, not just best practice, once refrigerant is involved.
- No record of the refrigerant charge and type at commissioning — you will need this for the ongoing leak-check regime the F-Gas Regulations require.
- Assuming a small split air-con unit is exempt. The registration requirement applies regardless of system size.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Fluorinated gases (F-gas) guidance checked 2026-09-02
- REFCOM — F-Gas certification checked 2026-09-02
See also
- F-gas leak checks— this becomes an ongoing job once you’re open →
This is item 24 of 66 in the free UK Launch Checklist. See the whole list →