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Replacing a chiller: handling the refrigerant properly

When a chiller is replaced, all of the refrigerant must be recovered before the old unit is removed. It is often hundreds of kilos of R134a, R410A or R407C. As the operator you are responsible for making sure this is done properly and that you can prove it, even when your maintenance contractor does the work.

The short answer: have the refrigerant recovered by an F-gas certified technician before the chiller is disconnected, have it collected with a waste stream number and consignment note, and ask for a certificate stating how many kilos were recovered and where they went. Record that in the logbook.

Who decides what

In hospitals, offices and data centres, maintenance usually sits with a maintenance contractor or installer. In practice they decide where the recovered gas goes. The F-gas Regulation, however, puts the responsibility on the operator: the party with actual control over the technical functioning of the equipment. That is usually the owner or the occupier of the building.

So you don't have to do the recovery yourself, but you do need to know what happens to the gas. The logbook must show how much was recovered and, on decommissioning, the measures taken to recover and dispose of the gas. You keep that logbook for at least five years.

What the rules say about chillers

  • Existing chillers running on R134a (GWP 1430), R410A (GWP 2088) or R407C (GWP 1774) may still be serviced and topped up. The servicing ban for gases with a GWP of 2500 or more does not affect these refrigerants. Chillers are also excluded from the servicing ban for GWP 750 or more that applies to stationary refrigeration from 2032.
  • From 1 January 2027, new chillers above 12 kW containing F-gases with a GWP of 750 or more may not be placed on the market, unless needed to meet safety requirements on site. A replacement chiller will therefore usually run on a refrigerant with a much lower GWP.
  • The quota for virgin HFC drops sharply from 2027. Topping up with virgin gas becomes more expensive, and an old chiller that leaks becomes ever more costly to keep running.

How to make sure the gas is handled properly

  1. 01Include the refrigerant in the contract. Record who has the gas recovered, by an F-gas certified technician, and who takes it away.
  2. 02Plan recovery before dismantling. Large charges take time and need several cylinders. Use separate cylinders per gas type.
  3. 03Have the gas carried by a transporter on the VIHB register, with a waste stream number and a consignment note.
  4. 04Ask for a certificate stating kilos, gas type, CO₂ equivalent and destination. Compare the recovered kilos with the charge in the logbook. If there is a large gap, ask why.
  5. 05Update the logbook and keep the certificate with the equipment records.

What we do

With Decommissioning we arrange all of this for one price per site, agreed upfront. Your own certified technician or a partner does the recovery, and we arrange collection by a licensed carrier and all the paperwork. Need cylinders? Ask us and we'll see what we can do. Clean R134a, R410A and R407C go to reclamation. You receive a certificate for your logbook and ESG report.

We work alongside whoever maintains your systems today. You don't need to change maintenance contractor.

Frequently asked questions

Who is responsible for the refrigerant when a chiller is replaced?

The operator: the party with actual control over the technical functioning, usually the owner or occupier of the building. They must make sure the gas is recovered by certified personnel and then recycled, reclaimed or destroyed. The hands-on work can sit with the maintenance contractor.

Can our current R410A chiller still be topped up?

Yes. R410A has a GWP of 2088 and is not caught by the servicing ban for gases with a GWP of 2500 or more. Chillers are also excluded from the servicing ban for GWP 750 or more from 2032. Virgin gas will get more expensive as the quota falls, though.

Can the old gas go into the new chiller?

Usually not, because the new chiller runs on a different refrigerant. Recovered gas may also only be reused after it has been recycled or reclaimed. So it goes to an accredited processor, and we arrange that.