TM44 Inspections
Air conditioning inspections are a legal requirement
Failure to commission, keep or provide a TM44 air conditioning certificate for each qualifying building may result in a penalty charge notice to those in breach of the legislation.
Whilst other AC inspection software may favour a “compliance only” strategy, by using the ACE Wizard software our TM44 assessments provides a professional (client specific) PDF report which will give the best possible opportunity for businesses to capitalise on energy saving recommendations made on their HVAC systems.
How to ensure you comply
If your premises has air conditioning then you have a legal requirement to have it inspected to make sure that it performs efficiently.
This mandatory requirement is contained in the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which came into force progressively from January 2013 and is now operational across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
What it covers
It requires all air conditioning systems with a cooling capacity of more than 12kW to be inspected, in order to assess their efficiency.
Inspections must be carried out to TM44, a detailed guidance note produced by the Chartered Institute of Building Services. This sets out the qualifications required by authorised inspectors, the principles of approach for inspections and the detailed process for assessing the efficiency of air conditioning systems under the EPBD. It also requires inspectors to make recommendations for improving the efficiency of the plant.
How it works
Information gathered from inspections must be presented in the form of official reporting templates, produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government. These are submitted as formal evidence of compliance with the law.
The type of systems
The focus is on systems that use refrigerants to produce cooling. However, some of the guidance in TM44 may also be applicable to other forms of cooling systems, such as those which use pipes or ducts built into the fabric of the building (eg cooled deck or ceiling slabs), or those which use aquifers or local water sources to provide cooling solutions.
What does an inspection involve?
Inspections include an evaluation of the cooling requirements of the building, the capacity of the air conditioning system, its suitability and operational efficiency. Other elements include:
- Review of available documentation.
- Evaluation of maintenance standards, with reference to good practice.
- Inspection of main system components.
- Evaluation of controls and system set-up.
- Recommendations for improvements.
- Overview of key findings and advice.
When must inspections be done?
All air conditioning systems over 12kW installed from the start of 2008 must be inspected within five years of installation, and then every five years from the date of the first inspection. Therefore, the deadline has already passed for relevant systems installed earlier than five years ago.
To find out how we can help you, and to arrange an inspection:
Email: enquiries@varcas.co.uk