Refrigerant Charge Verification: When Is It Required?
In an existing house, replacing a compressor, either coil, a metering device or refrigerant piping means the charge must be verified: for air-source heat pumps in every zone, for air conditioners only in zones 2 and 8 through 15. A complete package unit charged at the factory skips the field test.
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The trigger is a component, not the project size
Section 150.2(b)1F is entered when a system is altered by installing or replacing refrigerant-containing parts: compressor, condensing coil, evaporator coil, metering device, piping. A new furnace blower or new ductwork does not enter it.
Who is counted
- Air conditioners: zones 2 and 8 through 15, nine in all.
- Air-source heat pumps: every zone, mini-splits included.
- Complete package units charged at the factory: excused when the installer certifies on the CF2R that the unit was pre-charged and not altered, though a ducted package still has its airflow checked.
What can reroute the visit
Airflow is read first, because the standard test requires 300 cfm per ton across the coil or the installer's remedial list. The standard test also has a temperature window: outdoor air from 55 to 115 degrees F with a fixed metering device, 55 to 120 with an expansion valve. Colder than that, or on a system the standard test cannot handle, the installer weighs in the charge and the rater observes, and no group sampling is allowed on that route.
Numbers and signatures
On a fixed metering device, measured superheat must land within 5 degrees F of target for the installer and within 8 for the ECC-Rater. On an expansion valve, subcooling must land within 3 and 6 degrees. The installer signs off that the maker's charging steps were followed on CF2R-MCH-25-H, and the rater signs CF3R-MCH-25-H. A house with two systems is verified twice.
When it fails
The failure is registered, which makes that rater the Rater of Record: only that rater, or one the provider releases, can register the passing retest. A retest in a heat wave or a cold snap may fall outside the temperature window, so allow for the weather.
For the concept, see refrigerant charge verification, and for a new detached unit the ADU page. Equipment checklists cover an air conditioner and a heat pump, and reports start at residential.
Common Title 24 Questions
- When is Title 24 required for a home?
- Does a remodel need Title 24?
- Does a room addition need Title 24?
- What plans are needed for a residential Title 24 report?
- How much does a residential Title 24 report cost?
- How long does a residential Title 24 report take?
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. A condensing coil is one of the parts named in Section 150.2(b)1F, so an air conditioner in zones 2 and 8 to 15, or any heat pump, gets the charge and airflow verification.
The standard procedure needs outdoor air of 55 degrees F or warmer. Colder, the installer uses the weigh-in route with the rater observing, which works at any outdoor temperature.
Explore Air Conditioners
- What Is Refrigerant Charge Verification?
- Replacing a Packaged AC or Heat Pump Unit: What Title 24 Requires
- Window ACs, Wall-Sleeve Units and Portable Heat Pumps: Title 24?
- Does Replacing an AC Coil or Compressor Trigger Title 24?
- Adding Air Conditioning to an Existing House: Title 24 Requirements
View all Air Conditioners guides → · HVAC and Water Heating · Title 24 guide