F-gas logbook: what needs to be in it?

The F-gas logbook is not an optional administrative extra — for every installation subject to the logbook obligation it's a legally required record. What needs to be in it and how is set out in Regulation (EU) 2024/573 — specifically art. 5 and art. 7 — which fully replaced the older EU 517/2014 as of 11 March 2024, supplemented by Dutch implementing legislation. Below is the complete list of fields, plus the practical context: who keeps it up to date, what the auditor checks, and how long you keep it.

A work order and a logbook are not the same thing

Three documents that are easy to mix up:

• The [work order](/kennisbank/wat-moet-op-een-werkbon-staan) is a per-visit document: one visit, one customer signature, one proof of completion.
• The F-gas logbook is a per-installation record: ongoing, cumulative, all relevant changes and checks for that one installation.
• The [refrigerant balance](/kennisbank/koudemiddel-balans-praktische-gids) is the counter-administration at cylinder level: how many kilos of which type you have in stock, purchased, used and disposed of.

Work order data feeds the logbook. Logbook data feeds the balance. But they're three records with three different purposes — and at audit they're reviewed together.

When does the logbook obligation apply?

The threshold is 5 tonnes CO₂ equivalent per installation. You calculate that as charge (kg) × GWP. What that means in practice per refrigerant type — and at which charge you cross the threshold — is in the GWP table. Not sure about a specific installation? The logbook-obligation check works it out in two minutes.

Hermetically sealed installations have a higher threshold (10 tonnes).

The mandatory fields, by block

What needs to be in the logbook per installation falls into five blocks:

### 1. Installation identity (record once)

• Installation date and location (address, building, room).
• Type of installation (split air conditioner, VRF, heat pump, refrigeration, freezing application).
• Manufacturer, brand, type, serial number.
• Refrigerant type (R-32 / R-410A / R-454B / R-290 / …) and the total charge in kilos as shown on the type plate.
• CO₂ equivalent (derived from charge × GWP) — determines the leak-check frequency.
• [Operator](/kennisbank/begrippen#exploitant) — whoever has the installation in use. That's who is legally responsible for the logbook, not automatically the owner of the building.

### 2. Leak checks (per leak check)

• Date of the check.
• Name of the technician and their F-gas personal certificate number.
• Method — electronic sniffer detection, pressure/soap-water check, leak-detection-system readout.
• Findings — connections checked, pressure readings, any leaks found (yes/no + location).
• Follow-up action if there was a leak — repaired immediately, repair date, retest after repair.
• Next check date — derived from the threshold; details in F-gas leak checks: how often are they mandatory?.

### 3. Refrigerant changes (every change)

Every time refrigerant is added or removed:

• Date and reason (maintenance, leak repair, decommissioning).
• Type of change — top-up, recovery, disposal.
• Quantity in kilos, accurate to one decimal.
• Work order number linked to the change.
• Cylinder identification the refrigerant came from / went to — that side sits in your refrigerant balance.

### 4. Leak incidents (separately traceable)

For an established leak:

• Estimated quantity that escaped.
• Cause, if established.
• Repair actions and the retest date after repair.
• Every established leak must be repaired without undue delay (Regulation (EU) 2024/573, art. 4(5)) — there is no fixed 150-gram or 14-day threshold; a mandatory retest by a certified person follows within 1 month of the repair, and may only take place at least 24 hours after the repair (art. 4(5)).

### 5. Decommissioning / end of life

• Date the installation was taken out of service.
• Recovery quantity at decommissioning — what was actually recovered vs. what was in the system.
• Disposal destination of the recovered refrigerant (a certified processor).

Who keeps it up to date?

Legally, the operator is responsible. In practice they delegate this to the maintenance company holding the F-gas company certificate — they maintain the record per installation, provide it to the customer on request, and keep their own copy.

That means you can't outsource the logbook simply by saying "the installer handles that". The operator remains ultimately responsible and must be able to produce the complete record at audit — even if your previous installer went bankrupt, or you've just switched supplier.

How long do you keep it?

• At least 5 years after the last entry — that is, five years after the installation is decommissioned OR the owner changes OR the last update took place.
• BRL 100-certified companies often apply a longer internal retention period (7-10 years), in line with the business record-keeping retention obligation.
• When an installation transfers to a new operator, the logbook goes with it — it doesn't stay with the old operator.

What the auditor checks

A BRL or STEK auditor takes a sample and checks four things:

• Completeness — are all five blocks (identity, checks, changes, incidents, decommissioning where applicable) fully present in the record?
• Traceability — can you trace every change back to a work order and a certified technician?
• Cross-reference with the balance — does the sum of the changes in this logbook match your refrigerant balance at cylinder level?
• Leak-check frequency — were they carried out in line with the threshold-based cycle?

Incomplete or illegible logbooks are the most common finding at BRL 100 audits — more common than technical shortcomings.

How Koldwerk builds the logbook for you

You record the identity fields once per installation; after that, every work order, leak check and refrigerant change automatically feeds the logbook. The installation management module renders the complete per-installation record on request (PDF or printed) — audit-ready immediately, including technician certificate numbers and work order cross-references. The reports module delivers the STEK annual report across all installations at once. Pricing is on /prijzen.

Further reading

• Am I subject to the logbook obligation? — work it out in 10 seconds.
• F-gas leak checks: how often are they mandatory? — the frequency thresholds.
• What needs to be on a work order? — the source document that feeds the logbook.
• Refrigerant balance: a practical guide — the cylinder-level counterpart of your logbook.
• New F-gas certification A1/A2 2026 — changing certificate requirements that affect the logbook.

Disclaimer: this article is an operational summary. The legally binding requirements are set out in Regulation (EU) 2024/573 and additional implementing acts, plus the Dutch Besluit activiteiten leefomgeving (Bal) with the Omgevingsregeling (opent in nieuw tabblad), since 1 January 2024 the successor to the Activiteitenregeling milieubeheer. If in doubt, consult your certification body or the Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT).