Am I subject to the logbook obligation?
Whether a refrigeration installation is subject to the leak-check and logbook obligation depends on the CO₂ equivalent: refrigerant charge × GWP. Choose your refrigerant and charge below — you will see immediately where you stand.
BRL 100 and STEK are Dutch national certification schemes — full support today is NL-only. See our honest country-coverage disclosure.
GWP = global warming potential (CO₂ = 1), per EU 2024/573 Annex I.
The total refrigerant content of the installation. Slide or type your own value — above 50 kg you can type the number directly.
Calculation: 3 kg × GWP 2088
CO₂ equivalent
6.26 tonnes CO₂-eq
Why this outcome
3 kg R410A × GWP 2088 = 6.26 tonnes CO₂-eq → leak check every 12 months under Article 5(6), Regulation (EU) 2024/573.
This installation must keep a logbook with all refrigerant changes and leak checks, and is required to be checked for leakage periodically.
This outcome assumes the system is not hermetically sealed. If the equipment is hermetically sealed and labelled as such, the leak-check obligation only starts at 10 tonnes CO₂ equivalent (Article 5(1), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2024/573) and does not yet apply here via that threshold. Logbook, certification and recovery requirements still apply.
Indicative. Calculated as charge × GWP (AR4) per Annex I of EU 2024/573; for HFO/HCFO substances (Annex II part 1) the kilogram threshold of Article 5(6) applies alongside it, and the stricter of the two prevails. For hermetically sealed systems the threshold is higher (from 10 tonnes CO₂ equivalent). A leak detection system halves the required check frequency (Article 5(6)); Koldwerk only applies that halving if the functional check of that system was signed off within the last twelve months. Always consult your certification body for your specific situation.
The thresholds at a glance
≥ 5 tonnes CO₂-eq
Annual leak check
Logbook mandatory. Check for leakage at least once a year.
≥ 50 tonnes CO₂-eq
Six-monthly leak check
Twice a year. A logbook with all changes remains mandatory.
≥ 500 tonnes CO₂-eq
Quarterly leak check
Four times a year, plus a mandatory fixed leak detection system.
Hermetically sealed systems that are labelled as such: the first threshold is at 10 tonnes CO₂ equivalent (Article 5(1), second subparagraph).
HFOs and HCFOs (Annex II part 1, such as R1234yf) have their own kilogram thresholds alongside these tonnage thresholds: 1 kg annually, 10 kg every six months and 100 kg quarterly (Article 5(6)). The stricter of the two tests applies — the calculator above does that automatically.
Frequently asked questions
When is a refrigeration installation subject to the logbook obligation?
An installation with 5 tonnes CO₂ equivalent or more is subject to the logbook and leak-check obligation (Article 5(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/573). The CO₂ equivalent is the refrigerant charge (kg) multiplied by the GWP of the refrigerant. Hermetically sealed systems that are labelled as such have a higher limit of 10 tonnes (Article 5(1), second subparagraph).
How often do I need to carry out a leak check?
From 5 tonnes CO₂ equivalent annually (Article 5(6)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2024/573), from 50 tonnes every six months (point (b)) and from 500 tonnes quarterly (point (c)). From 500 tonnes a fixed leak detection system is mandatory on top of that (Article 6(1)). Such a system halves the required frequency (Article 5(6)). Koldwerk only applies that halving if the system's functional check was signed off within the last twelve months; without that evidence Koldwerk uses the normal interval.
Does the logbook obligation also apply to propane, CO₂ and ammonia?
No. Regulation (EU) 2024/573 covers fluorinated greenhouse gases only; R290 (propane), R744 (CO₂) and ammonia are not among them. The thresholds of 5, 50 and 500 tonnes CO₂ equivalent and the check intervals of Article 5 therefore do not apply to them, not even at a high charge. What does apply: since BRL 100 version 3.0 natural refrigerants fall within the certification scope, with their own sub-certificate.
Does the 5-tonne threshold also apply to R1234yf and other HFOs?
No. For unsaturated (chloro)fluorocarbons — HFOs and HCFOs such as R1234yf, listed in Annex II part 1 of Regulation (EU) 2024/573 — a kilogram threshold applies alongside the tonnage threshold: from 1 kg annually, from 10 kg every six months and from 100 kg quarterly (Article 5(6)). Because their GWP is very low (R1234yf: 4) the 5-tonne limit is almost never reached: 20 kg of R1234yf is 0.08 tonnes CO₂ equivalent and still falls under a six-monthly leak-check obligation. The calculator above places both tests side by side and applies the stricter one.
What is CO₂ equivalent?
The amount of refrigerant (kg) multiplied by the GWP (global warming potential) of that refrigerant. Example: 3 kg of R410A (GWP 2,088) is 6,264 kg, or just over 6 tonnes CO₂ equivalent.
Does the logbook obligation also apply to air conditioners and heat pumps?
Yes. The threshold depends on the CO₂ equivalent, not on the type of installation. An air conditioner or heat pump with a sufficiently high-GWP refrigerant falls under it just as much as a refrigeration installation.
What needs to be in the logbook?
Among other things, the refrigerant changes (top-up, draining, recovery), the leak checks carried out with date and result, and who carried out the work.
Keep your logbook without the hassle?
Koldwerk calculates the CO₂ equivalent automatically and tracks your leak-check deadlines. Monthly cancellable.
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