A cooling system can run without a single fault and still waste power every working day. That waste rarely shows up anywhere except the electricity bill, so it can go unnoticed for years. TM44 air conditioning inspections exist partly to catch it. During a TM44 inspection, an accredited assessor checks the equipment and controls, then notes whatever costs you more than it should. The findings are often quieter than people expect, and perhaps that is the point.
So what are assessors really looking for when they carry out TM44 air conditioning inspections? The answer has less to do with how cold a room feels and more to do with how the system gets it there.
Each TM44 inspection works through the same broad areas, from controls and sizing to maintenance and the advice in the final report. Here is how it plays out.
Why Air Conditioning Controls Get the Closest Look
Controls get more attention than most parts of the visit. Official guidance notes that poor settings and badly placed sensors can leave room for low-cost fixes, sometimes as small as resetting a time switch. The assessor checks:
- The temperature each space is set to reach.
- The hours the cooling runs each day.
- Where the sensors and control zones sit.
- Whether cooling can run while the heating is on.
That last point is easy to overlook. Take a meeting room where a radiator warms one wall while a ceiling cassette cools the same air. Nobody inside notices a problem, but the meter keeps counting.
Oversized Cooling Systems and Changing Floor Plans
The report also compares the installed system with the cooling load the space needs today. Official guidance suggests a general office needs about 12kW of cooling for every 200 m², or every 100 m² where heavy IT equipment is in use.
Now flip it around. A floor that once held a server room or a packed sales team may need far less cooling now, yet the same plant keeps running at the old size. Is your current layout the one the system was designed for? If the building has changed tenants since the units went in, the honest answer might be no.
Maintenance Clues Assessors Spot on Site
Next comes the hardware itself. These checks are brief and look mainly for signs of damage or neglect.
- Outdoor units with blocked airflow run hotter and may cut in and out without ever cooling the space properly.
- Clogged filters and grilles make fans work harder, and fans can use more energy over a year than the refrigeration plant itself.
- Air intakes near car parks or busy roads pull in warmer air, which then takes extra energy to cool.
Paperwork counts too. Missing maintenance records can make the visit less useful and even raise its cost, so have them ready before the day.
Next Steps for Your Air Conditioning Assessment
Before the assessor arrives, gather your maintenance logs, past reports and any building management system data. If your cooling adds up to more than 12kW across all units, this check is a legal requirement at least every five years, not an optional extra. Visit https://tm44.uk/ to arrange your assessment.
