F-Gas compliance runs on a single number: tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. That figure — refrigerant charge multiplied by GWP, divided by 1,000 — determines whether your system needs a leak check every year, every six months or every three months, whether fixed leak detection is mandatory, and whether it falls under record-keeping duty at all. Get the calculation wrong and you either over-service or under-service. Oxmaint gives HVAC-R and facilities teams one platform for the refrigerant register, tCO₂e-driven leak-check schedules, engineer sign-off and remedial action tracking. Book a demo to see F-Gas record management in action.
5 tCO₂e
threshold above which UK F-Gas record-keeping and leak-check duties apply — kept for a minimum of five years
2×
leak-check interval extension permitted where an approved automatic leak detection system is fitted
3,922
GWP of R-404A — 1 kg leaking to atmosphere equals nearly 4 tonnes of CO₂ climate impact
The tCO₂e Ladder — What Frequency Applies to Your System
Under the UK Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/310, amended by SI 2022/1013), leak-check frequency is set by the CO₂ equivalent charge on the system, not the kilogram weight of refrigerant. That distinction catches sites off guard: a modest 10kg charge of R-410A (GWP 2,088) sits at 20.88 tCO₂e — well over the annual-check threshold and into potentially higher frequencies as GWP climbs. Oxmaint calculates tCO₂e automatically per asset from charge weight and refrigerant type, and drives the leak-check schedule off the resulting figure.
F-Gas Leak Check Frequency by CO₂ Equivalent Charge
Under UK Retained F-Gas Regulation · frequencies double when approved automatic leak detection is fitted
Below threshold
No mandatory leak check regime under F-Gas duty. Any leak found must still be repaired promptly. Records not required but strongly recommended.
Exempt from routine checks
Annual leak check
Leak check at least every 12 months by an F-Gas certified engineer. Full register duty applies · 5-year record retention · repair verification within 1 month of any leak.
Every 12 months (24 with ALD)
Six-monthly check
Leak check at least every 6 months. Full register duty. Escalated inspection scope, quantified refrigerant top-up records, engineer certificate numbers logged per visit.
Every 6 months (12 with ALD)
Quarterly check · ALD mandatory
Leak check every 3 months. Fixed automatic leak detection system mandatory. Highest-risk category — typically large industrial refrigeration, chillers and process cooling systems.
Every 3 months (6 with ALD)
The tCO₂e Calculation — Worked Examples on Common Refrigerants
The calculation is straightforward once the GWP is known: charge weight (kg) × GWP ÷ 1,000 = tonnes CO₂ equivalent. The subtlety is that high-GWP legacy refrigerants like R-404A cross thresholds at much lower charge weights than modern lower-GWP alternatives like R-32 or R-1234yf. The table below shows how the same physical charge weight puts different refrigerants into completely different compliance bands.
| Refrigerant | GWP | Charge = 10 kg | Frequency band |
|---|
| R-404A | 3,922 | 39.22 tCO₂e | Annual · approaching 6-monthly |
| R-410A | 2,088 | 20.88 tCO₂e | Annual |
| R-134a | 1,430 | 14.30 tCO₂e | Annual |
| R-32 | 675 | 6.75 tCO₂e | Annual (just above threshold) |
| R-1234yf | 4 | 0.04 tCO₂e | Below threshold |
Every asset in Oxmaint carries the refrigerant type, charge weight and calculated tCO₂e — and the system prompts a check-frequency review whenever a top-up or refrigerant change alters the figure. Sign up free to configure your refrigerant asset register.
The Seven Mandatory Register Fields
Under GOV.UK guidance, records for any equipment at or above 5 tCO₂e must be kept for at least 5 years and made available to the enforcement authority on request. The register can be paper or digital, but the seven fields below are non-negotiable. Digital-first record keeping in Oxmaint eliminates the "who signed which paper log book in 2022" problem that catches operators out when insurers or regulators ask.
Quantity & type of F-Gas
Refrigerant type (R-404A, R-410A, R-32 etc.) and total system charge in kilograms at installation and after every top-up.
Quantities added during servicing
Every refrigerant addition dated, quantified and attributed to the specific engineer and equipment record.
Quantities recovered or disposed
Refrigerant recovered during service, decommissioning or disposal — with reclamation facility details where applicable.
Company & engineer certification
Name, address and certificate number of the certified service company and named engineer performing the work.
Dates & results of leak checks
Every scheduled check dated, method used (electronic detector, UV dye, bubble solution), findings and any deferred remedials.
Repairs & 1-month recheck
Any leak repair documented with the mandatory follow-up recheck within 1 month to confirm the repair is effective.
Equipment identification & labelling
Asset identifier matching the physical F-Gas label on the equipment. Label must be visible and readily accessible for inspection.
See Live F-Gas Compliance Workflows
Walk through the refrigerant asset register, automated tCO₂e calculation, engineer sign-off on mobile, leak-check schedule and remedial-action close-out — configured against your specific HVAC-R portfolio. Thirty minutes with the Oxmaint team.
Great Britain vs Northern Ireland — Two Regimes, One Register
Post-Brexit, F-Gas compliance is not a single UK regime. Great Britain operates under the retained EU Regulation 517/2014, updated by SI 2022/1013. Northern Ireland follows the newer EU Regulation 2024/573 under the Windsor Framework — which sets steeper HFC phase-down targets, tighter leak-check thresholds and stricter equipment bans. Multi-site operators with premises on both sides of the Irish Sea are effectively managing two overlapping regulatory frameworks. Oxmaint holds the applicable regime per site, so a mixed portfolio doesn't need two systems or two spreadsheets. Sign up free to configure GB and Northern Ireland sites under one register.
Expert Perspective — Where F-Gas Enforcement Actually Bites
The F-Gas enforcement pattern is shifting. Historically, sites got away with light-touch record keeping because inspection activity was rare. That's changing — SEPA issued its first F-Gas leak penalty in 2023, insurers are increasingly asking for current F-Gas registers as part of stock-loss claim assessment, and the tightening phase-down means high-GWP refrigerant costs have climbed sharply, making the financial impact of unaddressed leaks material. The operators getting ahead are treating F-Gas as a live operational compliance discipline — scheduled checks, digital sign-offs, tCO₂e recalculated after every top-up — not an annual filing exercise.
tCO₂e recalculated on every top-up
Adding refrigerant can push an asset into a higher frequency band. Recalculation must happen at the point of top-up, not annually.
Engineer certification on record
Only F-Gas certified engineers may handle refrigerant. Certificate numbers on every register entry — inspectors specifically ask.
1-month recheck discipline
Every leak repair triggers a mandatory recheck within a month. Missed rechecks are one of the most common enforcement findings.
Label matches register
Physical equipment label must match the register record. Inspectors verify both — mismatches signal poor management.
Who Uses Oxmaint for F-Gas Compliance
The platform is used by the specific UK operational roles that carry F-Gas duty of the operator: facilities managers running refrigerant registers across single-site and multi-site portfolios, HVAC-R contractors and FM providers managing F-Gas records on behalf of clients, retail and hospitality estate teams under enhanced scrutiny given commercial refrigeration density, food-processing and cold-storage operators with high-tCO₂e systems in the quarterly-check bracket, and healthcare and data centre facilities managing chiller estates under continuous compliance obligation. Each role sees the same underlying data filtered to their view — asset register, leak-check calendar, remedial action backlog or audit evidence pack. Sign up free to configure roles for your F-Gas compliance team.
Getting F-Gas Records Live
Deployment starts with importing your existing refrigerant asset list — spreadsheets, paper log books, previous contractor reports — into the Oxmaint F-Gas module. Each asset gets refrigerant type, charge weight, calculated tCO₂e and assigned check frequency. Engineers (in-house or external contractors) get scoped access to log leak checks and refrigerant additions on mobile with certificate number capture. Remedial actions from the latest inspection are loaded as open work items with 1-month recheck triggers. Most single-site deployments move from initial scoping to live register operation inside 30 days. Book a walkthrough to see live UK F-Gas deployments.
Turn F-Gas Paperwork Into a Live Compliance System
Oxmaint gives HVAC-R and facilities teams one platform for the refrigerant register, tCO₂e-driven check schedules, engineer sign-offs and remedial actions — replacing paper log books and spreadsheets with digital-first records ready for inspection any day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an F-Gas register and when is it required?
An F-Gas register is the record set required under UK Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations for any stationary equipment containing 5 tCO₂e or more of F-Gas — refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps, chillers, and fire protection systems being the most common categories. The register must capture refrigerant type and quantity, top-ups, recoveries, leak-check dates and results, engineer certificate numbers, and repair records. Records must be retained for a minimum of 5 years and made available to enforcement authorities (Environment Agency, SEPA, NRW, DAERA) on request. The register can be paper or digital — digital-first is strongly preferred for retrieval and continuity reasons.
How often do F-Gas leak checks need to be carried out?
Under UK Retained F-Gas Regulation, frequency depends on the equipment's CO₂ equivalent charge: 5-49 tCO₂e requires an annual check, 50-499 tCO₂e requires a six-monthly check, and 500+ tCO₂e requires a quarterly check plus mandatory automatic leak detection. Intervals double where an approved automatic leak detection system is fitted (e.g. 5-49 tCO₂e becomes 24-monthly). Hermetically sealed systems below 10 tCO₂e have no maximum interval, though record duties still apply at the 5 tCO₂e threshold. Any leak found triggers a mandatory recheck within 1 month of repair.
Can F-Gas records be linked to individual assets?
Yes — that's the specific design of the Oxmaint refrigerant module. Every register entry sits against a specific asset record with refrigerant type, charge weight, calculated tCO₂e, physical location, asset label reference and complete maintenance history. The calculated tCO₂e updates automatically after every recorded top-up, and the required check frequency updates with it. Physical equipment labelling (mandatory under F-Gas Regulations) can be cross-referenced to the digital asset ID so inspectors verify a match between register and asset in one step.
Can technicians record leak checks digitally on mobile?
Yes. Both in-house engineers and external HVAC-R contractors can record leak checks on the Oxmaint mobile app — asset selection, check method (electronic detector, UV dye, bubble solution), findings, certificate number capture, refrigerant top-up quantification, and digital signature. Contractor access is scoped so external teams complete their portion of the workflow without needing full user licences. Records write to the asset log immediately with timestamp and engineer attribution — no transcription from paper sheets to compliance folders, no lost log books.
Does the platform handle both GB and Northern Ireland F-Gas regimes?
Yes. Great Britain sites operate under the retained EU Regulation 517/2014 (as amended by SI 2022/1013). Northern Ireland sites operate under the newer EU Regulation 2024/573 under the Windsor Framework — with steeper phase-down and tighter thresholds. Oxmaint holds the applicable regime per site so mixed portfolios don't require two separate systems. Rules, thresholds and check frequencies apply automatically based on the site's regulatory jurisdiction, with the correct enforcement authority reference (EA / SEPA / NRW / DAERA) attached to the audit-pack export.
