Commission Regulation (EC) No 1516/2007 of 19 December 2007 establishing, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 842/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, standard leakage checking requirements for stationary refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment containing certain fluorinated greenhouse gases (Text with EEA relevance )
Date: 2007-12-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: air conditioning, cold store, electrical engineering, greenhouse gas, labelling, pollution control, technical specification

L 335/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

20.12.2007

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1516/2007

of 19 December 2007

establishing, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 842/2006 of the European Parliament and of the
Council, standard leakage checking requirements for stationary refrigeration, air conditioning and
heat pump equipment containing certain fluorinated greenhouse gases

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(6)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 842/2006 of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on certain
fluorinated greenhouse gases (1), and in particular Article 3(7)
thereof,

to detect

Indirect measuring methods should be applied in cases
where the leakage develops very slowly and where the
equipment is placed in a well ventilated environment
making it difficult
fluorinated greenhouse
gases escaping from the system in the air. Direct
measuring methods are necessary to identify the exact
location of the leakage. The decision on the measuring
method to be used should be taken by certified personnel
who have the necessary training and experience to
determine the most appropriate measuring method on
a case by case basis.

Whereas:

(7) Where there is a presumption of a leakage it should be
followed up by a check to identify and to repair it.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 842/2006, records for
refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment
shall contain certain information. In order to ensure the
effective
(EC) No
842/2006, it is appropriate to provide for further infor-
mation to be indicated in the equipment records.

implementation

of Regulation

Information on the fluorinated greenhouse gas charge
should be included in the equipment records. Where
the fluorinated greenhouse gas charge is unknown, the
operator of the equipment concerned should ensure that
certified personnel determine that charge in order to
facilitate the leakage checking.

the

leakage

Before
certified
check is
personnel should carefully go through the information
contained in the equipment records to determine any
previous issues and consult previous reports.

carried out,

(8)

(9)

In order to ensure the safety of the system repaired, the
follow-up check provided for in Regulation (EC) No
842/2006 should focus on the parts of
the system
where leakage has been detected and on the adjacent
parts.

Defective
significant
systems
after they have been put into service.

installation of new systems constitutes a
leakage. Therefore, newly installed
risk of
leakage immediately

should be checked for

(10)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of the Committee estab-
by Article 18(1) of Regulation (EC) No
lished
the
2037/2000 of
Council (2),

the European Parliament and of

to ensure an efficient

leakage control,
In order
leakage checks should focus on those parts of
equipment which are most likely to leak.

the
the

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Leakage checks should be carried out using direct or
indirect measuring methods. Direct measuring methods
identify leakage by the use of detection devices which can
determine whether the fluorinated greenhouse gas charge
is escaping from the system. Indirect measuring methods
are based on the identification of abnormal performance
in the system and on the analysis of relevant parameters.

(1) OJ L 161, 14.6.2006, p. 1.

Article 1

Subject matter and scope

to Regulation (EC) No
This Regulation establishes, pursuant
842/2006,
the standard leakage checking requirements for
working and temporarily out of operation stationary re-
frigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment con-
taining 3 kg or more of fluorinated greenhouse gases.

(2) OJ L 244, 29.9.2000, p. 1. Regulation as

last amended by
Commission Decision 2007/540/EC (OJ L 198, 31.7.2007, p. 35).

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This Regulation shall not apply to equipment with hermetically
sealed systems, which are labelled as such and contain less than
6 kg of fluorinated greenhouse gases.

specified in Article 7 when carrying out a leakage check in
relation to refrigeration,
conditioning or heat pump
equipment.

air

Article 2

Equipment records

1.
The operator shall indicate his name, postal address and
telephone number in the records referred to in Article 3(6) of
Regulation (EC) No 842/2006, hereinafter ‘equipment records’.

The

fluorinated greenhouse gas

2.
re-
frigeration, air conditioning or heat pump equipment shall be
indicated in the equipment records.

charge

the

for

2.

Direct measuring methods may always be applied.

Indirect measuring methods shall only be applied where
3.
the parameters of the equipment to be analysed, referred to in
Article 7(1), give reliable information on the fluorinated
greenhouse gas
the
charge
equipment and the likelihood of leakage.

indicated in the

records of

3. Where the fluorinated greenhouse gas charge for
re-
frigeration, air conditioning or heat pump equipment is not
indicated in the manufacturer’s technical specifications or on
the label of that system, the operator shall ensure that it is
determined by certified personnel.

Article 6

Direct measuring methods

To identify leakage, certified personnel shall use one or

1.
more of the following direct measuring methods:

4. Where the cause of the leakage has been identified, it shall
be indicated in the equipment records.

(a) check of circuits and components representing a risk of
leakage with gas detection devices adapted to the refrigerant
in the system;

Article 3

Checking equipment records

(b) application of ultraviolet (UV) detection fluid or suitable dye

in the circuit;

Before carrying out

1.
shall check the equipment records.

leakage checks, certified personnel

Special attention shall be paid to relevant information on

2.
any repeating issues and problem areas.

Article 4

Systematic checks

The following parts of the refrigeration, air conditioning or heat
pump equipment shall be systematically checked:

1.

joints;

2. valves including stems;

3. seals, including seals on replaceable driers and filters;

4. parts of the system subject to vibration;

5. connections to safety or operational devices.

Article 5

Choice of measuring method

1.
Certified personnel shall apply a direct measuring method
as specified in Article 6 or an indirect measuring method as

(c) proprietary bubble solutions/soapsuds.

2.
Gas detection devices referred to in paragraph 1(a) shall be
checked every 12 months to ensure their proper functioning.
The sensitivity of portable gas detection devices shall be at least
five grams per year.

3.
The application of UV detection fluid or suitable dye in
the refrigeration circuit shall only be undertaken if the manu-
facturer of the equipment has approved that such detection
methods are technically possible. The method shall only be
undertaken by personnel
activities
which entail breaking into the refrigeration circuit containing
fluorinated greenhouse gases.

certified to undertake

4. Where the methods specified in paragraph 1 of
this
Article do not identify a leakage and the parts referred to in
Article 4 show no sign of leakage, and the certified personnel
deems that there is a leak, he shall inspect other parts of the
equipment.

5.
Prior to pressure testing with Oxygen-Free-Nitrogen (OFN)
or another suitable pressure testing gas to check for leakage,
fluorinated greenhouse gases shall be recovered from the whole
system by personnel certified to recover fluorinated greenhouse
gases from the specific type of equipment.

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Article 7

Indirect measuring methods

Article 8

Repair of leakage

1.
To identify a leakage, certified personnel shall carry out a
visual and manual check of the equipment and analyse one or
more of the following parameters:

The operator shall ensure that the repair is carried out by

1.
personnel certified to undertake that specific activity.

(a) pressure;

(b) temperature;

(c) compressor current;

(d) liquid levels;

(e) recharge volume.

Any presumption of fluorinated greenhouse gas leakage
leakage using a

2.
shall be followed by an examination for
direct method as specified in Article 6.

One or more of the following situations shall constitute a

3.
presumption of leakage:

(a) a fixed leakage detection system indicates leakage;

(b) the equipment produces abnormal noises or vibration or ice

formation or insufficient cooling capacity;

(c)

indications of corrosion, oil
material damage at possible leakage points;

leaks and component or

(d) indications of leakage from sight glasses or level indicators

or other visual aids;

Prior to repair, a pump-down or recovery shall be carried out,
where necessary.

2.
The operator shall ensure that a leakage test with Oxygen
Free Nitrogen (OFN) or another suitable pressure testing and
drying gas
followed by
carried out where necessary,
evacuation, recharge and leakage-test.

is

Prior to pressure testing with Oxygen-Free-Nitrogen (OFN) or
another suitable pressure testing gas,
fluorinated greenhouse
gases shall be recovered from the whole application where
necessary.

The cause of

3.
possible, to avoid recurrence.

the leakage shall be identified as far as

Article 9

Follow-up check

Certified personnel shall, when carrying out the follow-up check
referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 3(2) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 842/2006, focus on those areas where leakages
have been found and repaired as well as on adjacent areas in
cases where stress has been applied during the repair.

Article 10

Requirements for newly commissioned equipment

(e)

indications of damage in safety switches, pressure switches,
gauges and sensor connections;

Newly installed equipment shall be checked for leakage im-
mediately after they have been put into service.

(f) deviations from normal operational conditions indicated by
the parameters analysed, including readings from real time
electronic systems;

Article 11

Entry into force

(g) other signs indicating refrigerant charge loss.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following
its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 19 December 2007.

For the Commission

Stavros DIMAS
Member of the Commission