Factory acceptance, pressure and tightness tests for HVAC and refrigeration equipment

Agree the tests, the records and who witnesses them before production, not when the equipment arrives.

Most problems with imported HVAC equipment are cheaper to find in the factory than on site. A factory acceptance test (FAT) is the agreed set of checks, measurements and records completed before shipment, sometimes witnessed by the buyer or a third party. It only protects you if its scope, method and pass criteria are written into the order.

Three kinds of test

Strength or pressure tests check that vessels, piping and heat exchangers withstand a test pressure above their design pressure. For pressure equipment placed on the EU market, the Pressure Equipment Directive and its harmonised standards set the conformity route, as our page on conformity documents explains.

Tightness tests check that the assembled refrigerant circuit does not leak. ISO 5149-2 covers the design, construction, testing, marking and documentation of refrigerating systems and heat pumps, and ISO 14903 sets out how the tightness of components and joints is qualified. Ask which method and sensitivity were used, for example helium or tracer-gas detection rather than soap solution alone.

Run or performance tests operate the unit. They range from a functional check of fans, pumps and safety devices to a measured capacity test at agreed conditions, which is far more expensive and should be specified only where it matters.

What records should come with the equipment

Ask for the pressure test certificate with the test medium, pressure and duration, the tightness test record, the electrical safety test, the controller software version and a list of set safety devices with their settings. For witnessed tests, agree the notice period and who pays for travel and retesting.

Examples on this site

Integrated plant shows how scope can split: the Dunham-Bush integrated cooling station page separates factory performance testing from site assembly, and the Dunham-Bush WCOX skid page is built around exchanger and skid acceptance. The Xinwuxin integrated chiller packages and the Changde Binglun chiller assemblies raise the same question of what was tested as a whole.

Component makers publish parts of their process. Yuanhe describes water testing and nitrogen leak detection of welded tube joints, and coil suppliers such as the Sunjet custom coils, the Yingnar OEM coils and the Xingchang condenser coil need pressure test records tied to the ordered geometry. Rotating parts need balance records, as the Hebei Turbine Fan rotor review explains.

Refrigeration assemblies such as the Tongzhou refrigerant pump package and condensing equipment in our refrigeration units category need pressure and tightness records for every field connection. Liquid-cooling components such as the Envicool quick disconnects need their own qualification records, and the Envicool rack loadbanks exist to test liquid-cooling systems before servers are installed. Fire-related products such as the Qinye aerogel duct are judged by the scope of their fire test.

Sound and capacity claims also need a test basis; our note on equipment sound data and our chiller quotation guide explain what to request.

Questions to ask

Which tests are performed on every unit, and which only on type samples? What are the test pressures, media, durations and acceptance criteria? Which standard defines the tightness test and its sensitivity? Can we witness the FAT, or receive a video and signed records? Which tests are repeated on site after installation, and who performs them?

Common questions

Is a type test certificate enough? It shows the design passed once. Production tests show your unit was built and checked correctly.

Should every chiller have a witnessed performance test? Not necessarily. For standard catalogue units a certified rating may be enough; for large or custom plant a witnessed test can be worth its cost.

By HVACDeck Editorial · Updated 2026-11-06