Free checklist
VRF system annual maintenance checklist
The annual VRF system service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against IMC, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 6
- Photos required
- 9
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The VRF service tech on the annual, with sections isolated as needed and the manufacturer's service tool on the system.
When in the schedule
Once a year, the pass that reaches the fouling on the coils and blower wheels, opens the branch controllers, walks the full refrigerant-line insulation and functionally tests the leak detection the quarterly only eyeballs.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Outdoor and indoor cleaning
- 2 photos
Outdoor coils deep-cleaned and fans serviced
All coil slabs cleaned through the full fin depth, fins combed, fan motors and blades checked, amp draw within nameplate, drainage confirmed after rinse.
- 2 photos
Indoor head coils, blower wheels and drains cleaned
Heads opened, coils and blower wheels cleaned of biofilm and dust to restore airflow, pans scrubbed and re-pitched, drain lines and condensate pumps flushed and proven flowing.
Branch controllers and refrigerant piping
- 2 photos
Branch controller internals and condensate serviced
Branch controller boxes opened, valves and connections checked for oil residue signaling a leak, condensate pan and drain within the box cleaned and re-pitched, insulation resealed.
- 1 photo
Refrigerant-line insulation inspected end to end
Full insulated line route walked from the outdoor unit through the branch controllers to the heads, gaps, splits and UV or physical damage resealed, no bare line sweating at penetrations or long runs.
Detection, charge and controls
- 1 photo
Refrigerant leak detection functionally tested where required
Where required, each leak-detection sensor bump-tested or calibrated per the manufacturer's instructions, alarm and any interlocked ventilation or shutdown proven, sensor placement still correct for the room.
- 1 photo
System operation, charge awareness and addressing verified
System driven in heating and cooling under load, operating data read on the service tool and compared to the manufacturer's figures with a shortfall treated as a leak to find, every head confirmed addressed and communicating, firmware and network as intended.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Outdoor coils rinsed from one face while the packed dirt in the multi-slab coil stays, so head pressure climbs and the system derates on the hottest days.
- Refrigerant-line insulation split or missing at a long horizontal run or a wall penetration, left because tracing the whole route is tedious, so the exposed line sweats and drips inside the ceiling.
- Leak-detection sensors assumed good on their power light and never bump-tested or calibrated, so a sensor that has drifted or failed gives no warning in a room that needs one.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 9 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this vrf system annual checklist cover?
- 6 items across 3 sections, covering outdoor and indoor cleaning, branch controllers and refrigerant piping, detection, charge and controls. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The VRF service tech on the annual, with sections isolated as needed and the manufacturer's service tool on the system.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year, the pass that reaches the fouling on the coils and blower wheels, opens the branch controllers, walks the full refrigerant-line insulation and functionally tests the leak detection the quarterly only eyeballs.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 9 of the 6 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a vrf system annual inspection?
- Outdoor coils rinsed from one face while the packed dirt in the multi-slab coil stays, so head pressure climbs and the system derates on the hottest days. Refrigerant-line insulation split or missing at a long horizontal run or a wall penetration, left because tracing the whole route is tedious, so the exposed line sweats and drips inside the ceiling. Leak-detection sensors assumed good on their power light and never bump-tested or calibrated, so a sensor that has drifted or failed gives no warning in a room that needs one.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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