TM44 Inspections For All Types Of Building
GreenRock Energy TM44 air conditioning inspectors can undertake a TM44 inspection for all types of properties across the UK.
Why air conditioning inspections are required
Having an air conditioning system inspected by an accredited air conditioning energy assessor is designed to improve efficiency, reduce energy consumption, operating costs and the carbon emissions of the system. The energy assessor will highlight improvements to the operation of existing systems or opportunities to replace older, less energy efficient systems or oversized systems with new energy efficient systems. As the replacement of refrigerant is restricted in older systems (as established in other legislation), there is an additional incentive to improve or replace older systems with more modern energy efficient units.
When air conditioning inspections are required
All air conditioning systems with an effective rated output of more than 12kw must be regularly inspected by an energy assessor. The inspections must be no more than five years apart.
The regulations require the first inspection of the affected air conditioning systems to be carried out as follows:
• for all systems first put into service on or after 1 January 2008, the first inspection must have taken place within five years of the date when the system was first put into service
• for other air conditioning systems, where the effective rated output is more than 250kW the first inspection must have taken place by 4 January 2009
• for other air conditioning systems, where the effective rated output is more than 12kW the first inspection must have taken place by 4 January 2011
Systems requiring an air conditioning inspection
Only air conditioning systems with an effective rated output of more than 12kW are affected by these regulations. This will include systems consisting of individual units which are less than 12kW but whose combined effective rated output is more than 12kW.
The effective rated output is the maximum calorific output in kW stated by the manufacturer of the system as deliverable during continuous operation while complying with the useful efficiency indicated by the manufacturer.
One or more air conditioning units within a building controlled by a single person are considered to comprise a single air conditioning system for the purposes of the regulations.
The person who controls the operation of the system is the person who controls the technical functioning of the system, not someone who can just adjust the temperature or whose only responsibility is to adjust the controls.
For the purposes of the regulations, a building is defined as ’a roofed construction having walls, for which energy is used to condition the indoor climate’, and ’building unit’ means a section, floor or apartment within a building which is designed or altered to be used separately.
A building designed or altered to be used separately is where the accommodation is
made or adapted for separate occupation. This could be indicated by the accommodation having its own access, separate provision of heating and ventilation or shared heating and ventilation, but with the ability by the occupier to independently control those services. For a non-dwelling the part could be deemed to be separate even if some facilities (e.g. kitchen and toilet facilities) were shared.
An air conditioning system is defined as ‘a combination of all components required to provide a form of air treatment in which the temperature is controlled, or can be lowered, and includes systems which combine such air treatment with the control of ventilation, humidity and air cleanliness’. This includes both fixed self contained systems, such as split systems and centralized systems. Mechanical ventilation systems that provide no 6 mechanical cooling themselves, but serve spaces that are cooled by other means are included. Any components contained in air conditioning systems that are only intended to provide heating are excluded. Air conditioning systems that provide refrigeration for process applications, such as server rooms, would also require an inspection if that part of the system allows an inspection to be carried out.
