Retrofitted systems
Most modern refrigeration systems went into existing buildings. The plant room was never designed as a machinery room — the refrigeration replacement made it one, but the room itself was often never brought up to standard.
EN 378 · Machinery room survey
Is your refrigeration machinery room compliant?We survey it, document it, and design the fix.
EN 378 compliance survey of refrigeration machinery rooms and refrigerant systems — emergency ventilation, gas detection, charge/volume checks — and the design of remediation for any deficiencies found. Fixed-fee survey and compliance report, based in Budapest, serving all of Hungary.
The problem
The deficiency causes no malfunction — so it never surfaces on its own.
CO₂ escapes mandatory inspection
CO₂ is not a fluorinated greenhouse gas, so it is outside the leak-check and record-keeping obligations of the F-gas Regulation (EU 517/2014). The regular, documented external inspections that would eventually surface deficiencies in HFC systems simply do not happen.
Yet the personal risk is highest here
Transcritical CO₂ systems operate with large charges of a heavy gas in typically small machinery rooms. In case of a leak the gas accumulates near the floor — emergency ventilation and gas detection are not a formality.
Only an on-site survey reveals it
The remedy is also site-specific: whether an existing ventilation riser can be reused or a new shaft must be opened makes an order-of-magnitude cost difference. It cannot be judged from the desk — it can from a survey.
The same logic applies to VRF systems: the ratio of refrigerant charge to the volume of the smallest occupied room (practical limit) is regularly exceeded in offices, hotels and meeting rooms — and with A2L refrigerants (e.g. R32) flammability requirements apply as well.
Who it is for
For operations decision-makers — from a single site to a portfolio.
Retail chains
Operations and investment teams (grocery, discount, fuel-station shops). A repeatable survey with uniform methodology and documentation across multiple sites.
Facility management companies
Documented coverage of the compliance risk under an operating contract — the compliance report is a tool for managing operator liability.
Refrigeration contractors and general contractors
As a mechanical / ventilation design subcontractor: from survey to detailed design, with construction supervision.
Office and hotel operators
Charge / room-volume verification of VRF and split systems — meeting rooms, hotel rooms and other small-volume spaces are most frequently affected.
How we work
A stepped service — after the first steps, you decide whether to continue.
Step 2 is valuable on its own: the compliance report tells you where you stand, and you can plan with it — without committing to the full design up front.
01Fixed fee
On-site survey
Machinery room geometry, refrigerant charge, equipment nameplates, existing gas detection and ventilation, ductwork opportunities, photo documentation.
→ Survey report
02Fixed fee
Compliance assessment
Charge / room-volume checks, machinery room classification, itemised verification of the requirements of MSZ EN 378-3.
→ Compliance report — what is missing, and how large the gap is
03Fixed fee
Remediation concept
Technically and financially realistic options, making use of existing site conditions (e.g. existing ventilation risers).
→ Concept design with order-of-magnitude cost estimate
04Optional
Detailed design
Sizing, equipment selection, controls, bill of quantities — documentation ready for contractor tendering.
→ Technical specification + unpriced bill of quantities
05Optional
Construction support
Designer's site supervision, verification of commissioning and functional tests, as-built documentation.
→ Handover / as-built documentation
Steps 1–3 form the fixed-fee base product. If you decide to proceed, we quote the detailed design separately, and accompany the construction with designer's supervision — closing with as-built documentation.
What you receive
Documents you can decide and tender with.
Survey report with photo documentation
Compliance report (itemised EN 378-3 assessment)
Remediation concept with order-of-magnitude cost estimate
Detailed design: technical specification, sizing, controls
Unpriced bill of quantities for contractor tendering
As-built design and handover documentation
Systems covered
Independent of refrigerant and safety class.
Transcritical CO₂ (R744) commercial refrigeration
A1 · asphyxiation riskMachinery rooms of grocery stores and discount chains. Large charge, small floor area, heavy gas — emergency ventilation and gas detection are most critical here.
VRF and split systems
A1 / A2LOffice buildings, hotels. The ratio of refrigerant charge to the volume of the smallest occupied room (practical limit) is regularly exceeded; with R32 (A2L) flammability requirements also apply.
Industrial and cold-room systems
A1 / A3 / B2LMachinery rooms and refrigerated spaces of cold stores, food-industry plants and logistics centres — ammonia (B2L) systems together with a specialist partner.
Other refrigerants
A1 · A2L · A3Siting and ventilation requirements of propane (R290, A3) and other flammable-refrigerant equipment according to the EN 378 safety classification.
Fee calculator
A fixed-fee base product — calculate it in advance.
On-site survey + compliance assessment (compliance report) + preliminary remediation concept, for one machinery room. Based in Budapest; the travel fee is calculated from the site's postal code, for the round trip.
Please enter a valid Hungarian postal code (4 digits).
- On-site survey (1 machinery room, 1 engineer)
- Compliance assessment + report + remediation concept
- Travel
Indicative total
Net, indicative price; VAT not included. The travel fee includes vehicle costs and the engineering fee for travel time, with the route estimated at average speed. A firm, binding offer is sent by e-mail. For multiple machinery rooms or sites we provide an individual package offer at a discount.
Request a quote for this siteFAQ
What clients ask us first.
Why now, if it has never been a problem?
Most modern high-charge systems (transcritical CO₂, VRF) were retrofitted into existing buildings, and the machinery room itself was often never brought up to standard. The deficiency causes no malfunction — the system cools perfectly — so it never surfaces on its own. It only shows up in a survey, and it is better if that survey is a planned one rather than an incident.
Is this mandatory? Can we be fined?
EN 378 is a standard, not a law, so there is no direct "EN 378 fine". The obligation applies indirectly: through employer health-and-safety duties, national fire-safety regulations, the responsibility of the installer and the operator, and contractual and insurance conditions. The absence of a standard-compliant installation is a risk that falls within the responsibility of the employer and the operator — the compliance report is the documented management of that risk.
How long does the survey take, and does it disturb the store?
Surveying one machinery room typically takes 2–3 hours on site, with one engineer. Store operation is not disturbed: we work in the machinery room and along the ventilation routes; at most a short walk-through of the sales area is needed.
Does the system need to be shut down?
No. The survey is carried out without opening the operating system: geometry, nameplates, existing detection and ventilation, photo documentation. There is no intervention.
How much does the remediation cost?
The survey and assessment fee is fixed and can be calculated in advance with the calculator above. The cost of remediation, however, is site-specific: whether an existing ventilation riser can be reused or a new shaft must be opened makes an order-of-magnitude difference. That is why step 3 provides an order-of-magnitude estimate for the decision, and firm construction prices come from contractor bids on the unpriced bill of quantities.
What if it turns out everything is fine?
Then you receive a compliance report stating exactly that — documenting that the installation is operated in line with the requirements of the standard. In insurance, leasing and audit situations this is valuable in itself, and it closes the liability question.
Do you cover multiple sites?
Yes — this service was built for that: for multi-site chains we work with a uniform methodology and identically structured reports, making risk comparable across the portfolio. For multiple sites we provide an individual package offer at a discount — request a quote using the form.
Designer background
A licensed designer, with documented responsibility.
The survey and design work is carried out by Péter Lukács, MSc mechanical engineer, lead designer of BIMLine Gépész Kft., registered with the Hungarian Chamber of Engineers: G — mechanical (MEP) designer (07-02103).
Where the task requires fire-safety expert or other specialist input, it is provided by a specialist partner — clearly indicated in the documentation.
Contact
Request a survey
Tell us about your site(s) — we respond within 24 hours to arrange an appointment.