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EPA 608 · Chapter 05 of 05

Type III: Low-Pressure Appliances: EPA 608 practice questions

EPA 608 Type III practice questions on low-pressure chillers: 25 mm Hg evacuation, 0 psig non-major repairs, ODS and HFC leak repair rules and purged refrigerant.

Last updated · 25 questions · every answer cites its source

Type III covers low-pressure appliances: equipment whose refrigerant has a liquid phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F. The regulation's examples are R-11, R-123, R-113 and R-245fa, so the group takes in both ozone-depleting chillers and HFC chillers, and anyone who maintains, services, repairs or disposes of them must hold Type III or Universal certification.

The questions start with evacuation. Table 1 of 40 CFR 82.156 sets a single level for every low-pressure appliance, 25 mm Hg absolute, whatever its charge size or the age of the recovery machine, and recovery equipment for this group must be able to reach that level. For a repair that is not major and is not followed by evacuation to the atmosphere, a low-pressure appliance is instead pressurized to no higher than 0 psig before it is opened, and the rule limits the use of nitrogen for that step. Oil changes, leaking components and the definition of a major repair are covered too.

Leak repair depends on the refrigerant. HCFC-123 and other ozone-depleting chillers with 50 or more pounds follow 40 CFR 82.157, including its leak inspection schedule and the report for appliances that leak 125 percent or more of their charge in a year. Since January 1, 2026, appliances using an HFC such as HFC-245fa follow 40 CFR 84.106 from 15 pounds (residential and light commercial air conditioning excepted), and the largest process and commercial systems also need automatic leak detection under 40 CFR 84.108. Further questions cover purged refrigerant, recovery drums and EPA's guidance on HCFC-123 supply and retrofits.

Every answer cites 40 CFR or an EPA publication, with the deciding passage quoted word for word.

Form 01 / 25 #QQ9GJD #

The 40 CFR 82.152 definition of a low-pressure appliance is based on the liquid phase saturation pressure of its refrigerant. Which limit does the definition set?

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Answer

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Answer Below 45 psia at 104 °F

Section 82.152 defines a low-pressure appliance as one that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F, and gives R-11, R-123, R-113 and R-245fa as examples. The limit is stated in absolute pressure (psia), not gauge pressure (psig), and 45 psia is also where the medium-pressure range begins. That range runs between 45 and 170 psia at 104 °F, with examples such as R-12 and R-134a, so a limit of 170 psia, or of 170 psig, would take in medium-pressure appliances as well. None of the other figures is the one the definition uses.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of low-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “Low-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-11, R-123, R-113, and R-245fa.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of medium-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “Medium-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure between 45 psia and 170 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-114, R-124, R-12, R-134a, and R-500.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Refrigeration

Form 02 / 25 #Z7KHH9 #

Which of these refrigerants does 40 CFR 82.152 give as an example of the refrigerants used in low-pressure appliances?

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Answer

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Answer R-245fa

The § 82.152 definition of low-pressure appliance lists R-11, R-123, R-113 and R-245fa as examples. R-245fa is HFC-245fa, which Appendix A to 40 CFR Part 84 lists among the HFC regulated substances, so the low-pressure group is set by the refrigerant's saturation pressure rather than by whether it is an ozone-depleting substance. In the same section, R-134a is a medium-pressure example, R-410A is a high-pressure example, and R-23 is a very high-pressure example.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of low-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “Low-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-11, R-123, R-113, and R-245fa.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of medium-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “Medium-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure between 45 psia and 170 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-114, R-124, R-12, R-134a, and R-500.”
  3. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of high-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “High-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure between 170 psia and 355 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-22, R-407A, R-407C, R-410A, and R-502.”
  4. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of very high-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “Very high-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a critical temperature below 104 °F or with a liquid phase saturation pressure above 355 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-13, R-23, R-503, R-508A, and R-508B.”
  5. 40 CFR Part 84, Appendix A — Regulated Substances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Appendix A to Part 84, HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act · Primary source · checked
    “HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act … HFC-245fa CHF2 CH2 CF3 1,030”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Refrigeration

Form 03 / 25 #B6NQKV True / False #

A technician who repairs an office chiller charged only with HFC-245fa, a hydrofluorocarbon, needs Type III or Universal certification under 40 CFR 82.161.

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Answer

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Answer True

True. Since January 1, 2018, § 82.161 has applied to technicians working on appliances that contain any class I or class II refrigerant or any non-exempt substitute refrigerant. HFC-245fa is not among the substitutes exempted in § 82.154(a)(1), which name substances such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water in any application and ammonia in certain uses. R-245fa is a § 82.152 example of a low-pressure refrigerant, and § 82.161(a)(1)(iii) requires anyone who maintains, services, repairs or disposes of low-pressure appliances to be certified as Type III. Universal certification covers every appliance type; Type II covers medium-, high- and very high-pressure appliances only.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.161 — Technician certification
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.161(a)(1)(iii) · Primary source · checked
    “(iii) Persons who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of low-pressure appliances must be certified as Type III technicians.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.161 — Technician certification
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.161 (introductory text) · Primary source · checked
    “Starting on January 1, 2018, this section applies to technicians and organizations certifying technicians that maintain, service, or repair appliances containing any class I or class II refrigerant or any non-exempt substitute refrigerant.”
  3. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of low-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “Low-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-11, R-123, R-113, and R-245fa.”
  4. 40 CFR 82.154 — Prohibitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.154(a)(1) · Primary source · checked
    “the following substitutes in the following end-uses are exempt from this prohibition and from the requirements of this subpart: (i) Carbon dioxide in any application; (ii) Nitrogen in any application; (iii) Water in any application; (iv) Ammonia in commercial or industrial process refrigeration or in absorption units;”
  5. 40 CFR 82.161 — Technician certification
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.161(a)(1)(ii) and (iv) · Primary source · checked
    “(ii) Persons who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of medium-, high-, or very high-pressure appliances (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) must be certified as Type II technicians. … (iv) Persons who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of all appliances described in paragraph (a)(1)(i) through (iii) of this section must be certified as Universal technicians.”
  6. 40 CFR Part 84, Appendix A — Regulated Substances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Appendix A to Part 84, HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act · Primary source · checked
    “HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act … HFC-245fa CHF2 CH2 CF3 1,030”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Type III certification (40 CFR 82.161)

Form 04 / 25 #ZQA7GE #

An R-123 chiller with a full charge of 150 pounds is being disposed of with a recovery machine manufactured in 1991. Under Table 1 of 40 CFR 82.156, to what level must the chiller be evacuated?

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Answer

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Answer 25 mm Hg absolute

R-123 is a § 82.152 example of a low-pressure refrigerant. Section 82.156(a) requires the refrigerant, including all the liquid, to be evacuated to the Table 1 level before an appliance is opened or disposed of. Table 1 has one row for low-pressure appliances: 25 mm Hg absolute in both columns, whether the recovery equipment was made before or after November 15, 1993; it has no 50 mm Hg level. Four inches of Hg vacuum is a pre-1993 value and 10 inches a post-1993 value for larger high-pressure and for medium-pressure appliances. Pressurizing a low-pressure appliance to no higher than 0 psig under § 82.156(a)(1)(ii) is only for work that is not major and not followed by evacuation to the atmosphere, so it does not apply to disposal.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a), Table 1 · Primary source · checked
    “Using recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported before November 15, 1993 Using recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported on or after November 15, 1993 … Low-pressure appliance 25 mm Hg absolute 25 mm Hg absolute.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a) · Primary source · checked
    “Before opening appliances (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) or disposing of such appliances, technicians must evacuate the refrigerant, including all the liquid refrigerant, to the levels in Table 1 using a recovery and/or recycling machine certified pursuant to § 82.158 unless the situations in paragraphs (a)(1) or (2) of this section apply.”
  3. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of low-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “Low-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-11, R-123, R-113, and R-245fa.”
  4. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a), Table 1 · Primary source · checked
    “High-pressure appliance, or isolated component of such appliance, with a full charge of 200 pounds or more of refrigerant 4 10. Medium-pressure appliance, or isolated component of such appliance, with a full charge of less than 200 pounds of refrigerant 4 10. Medium-pressure appliance, or isolated component of such appliance, with a full charge of 200 pounds or more of refrigerant 4 15.”
  5. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1) and (a)(1)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “(1) If evacuation of the appliance to the atmosphere is not to be performed after completion of the maintenance, service, or repair, and if the maintenance, service, or repair is not major as defined at § 82.152, the appliance must: … (ii) Be pressurized to a pressure no higher than 0 psig before it is opened if it is a low-pressure appliance.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Recovery Requirements

Form 05 / 25 #1HM452 #

A recovery machine manufactured in 1990 is intended for use with low-pressure chillers. Under 40 CFR 82.158, when is it considered certified?

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Answer

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Answer If it can reach 25 mm Hg absolute when tested with a properly calibrated pressure gauge

Section 82.158(c) says recovery equipment made or imported before November 15, 1993 for appliances other than small appliances, MVACs and MVAC-like appliances is considered certified if it can achieve the Table 2 level when tested using a properly calibrated pressure gauge. Table 2 sets 25 mm Hg absolute for low-pressure appliances. Four inches of Hg vacuum is a Table 2 value for other appliance groups. Certification by an approved testing organization under Appendix B1 applies to equipment made from November 15, 1993 until September 22, 2003, and the 90 percent test-stand standard in Appendix C is for small-appliance equipment.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.158 — Standards for recovery and/or recycling equipment
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.158(c) · Primary source · checked
    “Recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported before November 15, 1993, intended for use during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances … will be considered certified if it is capable of achieving the level of evacuation specified in Table 2 of this section when tested using a properly calibrated pressure gauge.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.158 — Standards for recovery and/or recycling equipment
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.158(d), Table 2 · Primary source · checked
    “Table 2—Levels of Evacuation Which Must Be Achieved by Recovery and/or Recycling Equipment … Low-pressure appliances 25 mm Hg absolute 25 mm Hg absolute.”
  3. 40 CFR 82.158 — Standards for recovery and/or recycling equipment
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.158(d)(1) · Primary source · checked
    “(1) Recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported on or after November 15, 1993, and before September 22, 2003, intended for use during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) must be certified by an approved equipment testing organization”
  4. 40 CFR 82.158 — Standards for recovery and/or recycling equipment
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.158(e) · Primary source · checked
    “Equipment used during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of small appliances must be certified by an approved equipment testing organization to be capable of recovering 90 percent of the refrigerant in the test stand when the compressor of the test stand is operational”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Recovery Requirements

Form 06 / 25 #04Q20B #

A low-pressure chiller will be opened for a repair that is not major and will not be evacuated to the atmosphere afterwards. Its refrigerant boils below 85 °F at 29.9 inches of mercury. What does 40 CFR 82.156(a)(1)(ii) say about using nitrogen to raise its pressure?

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Answer

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Answer Nitrogen may not be used, because it would require purging afterwards

Section 82.156(a)(1)(ii) lets a low-pressure appliance be opened for a non-major repair, with no later evacuation to the atmosphere, once it has been pressurized to no higher than 0 psig. For refrigerants with boiling points at or below 85 °F at 29.9 inches of mercury, persons must not use methods such as nitrogen that require subsequent purging. Heat first and then nitrogen up to atmospheric pressure is the method for refrigerants that boil above 85 °F, so for this chiller nitrogen is barred even after heating. The 5 psig limit applies to oil changes, and covering openings is a separate duty when isolation is not possible, not a condition that permits nitrogen.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “Persons pressurizing low-pressure appliances that use refrigerants with boiling points at or below 85 degrees Fahrenheit at 29.9 inches of mercury (standard atmospheric pressure), must not use methods such as nitrogen that require subsequent purging.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “(ii) Be pressurized to a pressure no higher than 0 psig before it is opened if it is a low-pressure appliance. Persons must cover openings when isolation is not possible.”
  3. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “Persons pressurizing low-pressure appliances that use refrigerants with boiling points above 85 degrees Fahrenheit at 29.9 inches of mercury, must use heat to raise the internal pressure of the appliance as much as possible, but may use nitrogen to raise the internal pressure of the appliance from the level attainable through use of heat to atmospheric pressure”
  4. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1)(iii) · Primary source · checked
    “(iii) For the purposes of oil changes, be evacuated or pressurized to a pressure no higher than 5 psig, before it is opened; or drain the oil into a system receiver to be evacuated or pressurized to a pressure no higher than 5 psig.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Recovery Requirements

Form 07 / 25 #0QCQHK True / False #

For a non-major repair on a low-pressure appliance whose refrigerant boils above 85 °F at 29.9 inches of mercury, 40 CFR 82.156 lets the technician finish raising the internal pressure to atmospheric with nitrogen after using heat to raise it as far as possible.

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Answer

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Answer True

True. Under § 82.156(a)(1)(ii), persons pressurizing low-pressure appliances whose refrigerants boil above 85 °F at 29.9 inches of mercury must use heat to raise the internal pressure as much as possible, but may use nitrogen to take it from the level reached with heat up to atmospheric pressure. Heat therefore comes first. For refrigerants that boil at or below 85 °F, methods such as nitrogen that require subsequent purging may not be used. In both cases the appliance is to be at a pressure no higher than 0 psig when it is opened.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “Persons pressurizing low-pressure appliances that use refrigerants with boiling points above 85 degrees Fahrenheit at 29.9 inches of mercury, must use heat to raise the internal pressure of the appliance as much as possible, but may use nitrogen to raise the internal pressure of the appliance from the level attainable through use of heat to atmospheric pressure”
  2. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “Persons pressurizing low-pressure appliances that use refrigerants with boiling points at or below 85 degrees Fahrenheit at 29.9 inches of mercury (standard atmospheric pressure), must not use methods such as nitrogen that require subsequent purging.”
  3. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “(ii) Be pressurized to a pressure no higher than 0 psig before it is opened if it is a low-pressure appliance. Persons must cover openings when isolation is not possible.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Recovery Requirements

Form 08 / 25 #3K51CZ #

EPA's service practice page says that when a low-pressure appliance is pressurized to 0 psig for a repair that is not major, methods that require subsequent purging, such as nitrogen, cannot be used except with appliances containing which refrigerant?

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Answer

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Answer R-113

EPA's Stationary Refrigeration Service Practice Requirements page says that for low-pressure appliances the equipment must be pressurized to 0 psig before it is opened, and that methods requiring subsequent purging, such as nitrogen, cannot be used except with appliances containing R-113. The regulation states the same limit by boiling point: nitrogen may follow heat only for refrigerants that boil above 85 °F at 29.9 inches of mercury. R-11, R-123 and R-245fa are also § 82.152 examples of low-pressure refrigerants, but the page names none of them as an exception.

Sources

  1. Stationary Refrigeration Service Practice Requirements
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Exceptions to the Evacuation Requirements — Repairs that are Not Major and Are Not Followed by Evacuation · Primary source · checked
    “For low-pressure appliances, the equipment must be pressurized to 0 psig before it is opened. Methods that require subsequent purging (e.g., nitrogen) cannot be used except with appliances containing R-113.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “Persons pressurizing low-pressure appliances that use refrigerants with boiling points above 85 degrees Fahrenheit at 29.9 inches of mercury, must use heat to raise the internal pressure of the appliance as much as possible, but may use nitrogen to raise the internal pressure of the appliance from the level attainable through use of heat to atmospheric pressure”
  3. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of low-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “Low-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-11, R-123, R-113, and R-245fa.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Recovery Requirements

Form 09 / 25 #3E1HKM Choose 2 #

Under 40 CFR 82.156(a)(1)(ii), which TWO requirements apply when a low-pressure appliance is opened for a repair that is not major and will not be followed by evacuation of the appliance to the atmosphere? Choose TWO.

Select 2.
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Answer

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Answer Its openings must be covered when isolation is not possible; It must be brought to a pressure no higher than 0 psig first

Section 82.156(a)(1) covers maintenance, service or repair that is not major as defined in § 82.152 and is not followed by evacuation of the appliance to the atmosphere. Paragraph (a)(1)(ii) says a low-pressure appliance must be pressurized to a pressure no higher than 0 psig before it is opened, and that persons must cover openings when isolation is not possible. The paragraph has no weighing step; under § 82.157(b) the leak rate is calculated when refrigerant is added, not before the appliance is opened. A pressure of 10 psig would exceed the 0 psig limit, and the paragraph does not require moving the charge into a system receiver.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “(ii) Be pressurized to a pressure no higher than 0 psig before it is opened if it is a low-pressure appliance. Persons must cover openings when isolation is not possible.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1) · Primary source · checked
    “(1) If evacuation of the appliance to the atmosphere is not to be performed after completion of the maintenance, service, or repair, and if the maintenance, service, or repair is not major as defined at § 82.152, the appliance must:”
  3. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(b) · Primary source · checked
    “The owner or operator must calculate the leak rate every time refrigerant is added to an appliance unless the addition is made immediately following a retrofit, installation of a new appliance, or qualifies as a seasonal variance.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Recovery Requirements

Form 10 / 25 #HG5S69 #

Work on an R-123 chiller removes no compressor, condenser, evaporator or auxiliary heat exchange coil, but it will uncover an opening with 6 square inches of flow area for 30 minutes. Under 40 CFR 82.152 and 82.156, what applies before the chiller is opened?

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Answer

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Answer The work is major, so the chiller must first be evacuated to 25 mm Hg absolute

Section 82.152 makes maintenance, service or repair major if it removes the compressor, condenser, evaporator or auxiliary heat exchange coil, or if it uncovers an opening of more than four square inches of flow area for more than 15 minutes. Six square inches for 30 minutes meets the second test even though no listed component is removed. The 0 psig option in § 82.156(a)(1)(ii) is open only to work that is not major, so the chiller must be evacuated to the Table 1 level, which is 25 mm Hg absolute for a low-pressure appliance such as one using R-123.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of major maintenance, service, or repair · Primary source · checked
    “Major maintenance, service, or repair means any maintenance, service, or repair that involves the removal of any or all of the following appliance components: compressor, condenser, evaporator, or auxiliary heat exchange coil; or any maintenance, service, or repair that involves uncovering an opening of more than four (4) square inches of “flow area” for more than 15 minutes.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1) · Primary source · checked
    “(1) If evacuation of the appliance to the atmosphere is not to be performed after completion of the maintenance, service, or repair, and if the maintenance, service, or repair is not major as defined at § 82.152, the appliance must:”
  3. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a), Table 1 · Primary source · checked
    “Using recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported before November 15, 1993 Using recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported on or after November 15, 1993 … Low-pressure appliance 25 mm Hg absolute 25 mm Hg absolute.”
  4. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of low-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “Low-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-11, R-123, R-113, and R-245fa.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Recovery Requirements

Form 11 / 25 #V5SKHC #

A low-pressure chiller needs an oil change that is not part of a major repair, and the chiller will not be evacuated to the atmosphere afterwards. Under 40 CFR 82.156(a)(1)(iii), what is the highest pressure at which the chiller may be opened to remove the oil?

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Answer

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Answer 5 psig

Section 82.156(a)(1)(iii) covers oil changes that fall under paragraph (a)(1), meaning work that is not major and is not followed by evacuation to the atmosphere. The appliance must be evacuated or pressurized to no higher than 5 psig before it is opened, or the oil may be drained into a system receiver that is itself evacuated or pressurized to no higher than 5 psig. EPA's service practice page explains that oil can hold large amounts of dissolved refrigerant and calls changing oil above 5 psig a violation. The 0 psig limit is for other non-major repairs; 10 and 20 psig are not limits in the rule.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1)(iii) · Primary source · checked
    “(iii) For the purposes of oil changes, be evacuated or pressurized to a pressure no higher than 5 psig, before it is opened; or drain the oil into a system receiver to be evacuated or pressurized to a pressure no higher than 5 psig.”
  2. Stationary Refrigeration Service Practice Requirements
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Changing Refrigerant Oil · Primary source · checked
    “The oil in a refrigeration appliance can contain large amounts of dissolved refrigerant. EPA requires a reduction in the pressure prior to an oil change to ensure that the bulk of the refrigerant contained in the oil is recovered. It is a violation to change oil at higher than 5 psig.”
  3. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(1)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “(ii) Be pressurized to a pressure no higher than 0 psig before it is opened if it is a low-pressure appliance. Persons must cover openings when isolation is not possible.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Recovery Techniques

Form 12 / 25 #8WEPVQ True / False #

If leaks in a low-pressure chiller make 25 mm Hg absolute unattainable, 40 CFR 82.156(a)(2) allows its isolated non-leaking components to be opened at 0 psig, the level set for its leaking components.

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Answer

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Answer False

False. When leaks make the Table 1 level unattainable or would substantially contaminate the recovered refrigerant, § 82.156(a)(2) requires leaking components to be isolated from non-leaking ones wherever possible. Non-leaking components to be opened or disposed of must still be evacuated to the Table 1 level, which is 25 mm Hg absolute for a low-pressure appliance. Only the leaking components may stop at the lowest level that can be reached without substantially contaminating the refrigerant, and that level may not exceed 0 psig.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(2) · Primary source · checked
    “(i) Isolate leaking from non-leaking components wherever possible; (ii) Evacuate non-leaking components to be opened or disposed of to the levels specified in Table 1; and (iii) Evacuate leaking components to be opened or disposed of to the lowest level that can be attained without substantially contaminating the refrigerant. This level may not exceed 0 psig.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a)(2) · Primary source · checked
    “(2) If leaks in the appliance make evacuation to the levels in Table 1 unattainable or would substantially contaminate the refrigerant being recovered, persons opening or disposing of the appliance must:”
  3. 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.156(a), Table 1 · Primary source · checked
    “Using recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported before November 15, 1993 Using recovery and/or recycling equipment manufactured or imported on or after November 15, 1993 … Low-pressure appliance 25 mm Hg absolute 25 mm Hg absolute.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Recovery Requirements

Form 13 / 25 #V3F2ZG #

A pharmaceutical plant runs two process chillers, each with a full charge of 600 pounds. One uses HCFC-123 and the other uses HFC-245fa. In 2026, which rules set their leak repair requirements?

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Answer

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Answer HCFC-123 chiller: 40 CFR 82.157; HFC-245fa chiller: 40 CFR 84.106

Section 82.157 applies to appliances with a full charge of 50 or more pounds of a class I or class II refrigerant, and not to appliances containing solely substitute refrigerants. HCFC-123 is a class II ozone-depleting substance that EPA says is used in centrifugal chillers. Section 84.106 applies from January 1, 2026 to appliances with 15 or more pounds of refrigerant containing an HFC regulated substance such as HFC-245fa, listed in Appendix A to Part 84, and it excludes appliances containing solely an ozone-depleting refrigerant. So the HCFC-123 chiller stays under Part 82 and the HFC-245fa chiller falls under Part 84.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(a) · Primary source · checked
    “As of April 10, 2020, this section applies only to appliances with a full charge of 50 or more pounds of any class I or class II refrigerant or blend containing a class I or class II refrigerant. Notwithstanding the use of the term refrigerant in this section, the requirements of this section do not apply to appliances containing solely substitute refrigerants.”
  2. 40 CFR 84.106 — Leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 84.106(a) · Primary source · checked
    “This section applies to refrigerant-containing appliances with a full charge of 15 or more pounds of refrigerant where the refrigerant contains: (1) A regulated substance,”
  3. 40 CFR 84.106 — Leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 84.106(a)(4) · Primary source · checked
    “(4) The requirements of this section apply as of January 1, 2026.”
  4. 40 CFR 84.106 — Leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 84.106(a)(3) · Primary source · checked
    “the requirements of this section do not apply to: (i) Appliances (as defined in 40 CFR 82.152) containing solely an ozone-depleting substance as listed in 40 CFR part 82, subpart A as a refrigerant;”
  5. Phaseout of Class II Ozone-Depleting Substances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Common HCFCs and Their Uses · Primary source · checked
    “HCFC-123: used in centrifugal chillers and portable fire extinguishers.”
  6. 40 CFR Part 84, Appendix A — Regulated Substances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Appendix A to Part 84, HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act · Primary source · checked
    “HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act … HFC-245fa CHF2 CH2 CF3 1,030”
  7. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of industrial process refrigeration · Primary source · checked
    “Industrial process refrigeration means complex customized appliances that are directly linked to the processes used in, for example, the chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and manufacturing industries.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Leak repair requirements

Form 14 / 25 #A6TPH7 #

An HCFC-123 chiller with a full charge of 800 pounds cools a chemical process, and its leak rate has exceeded 30 percent. Under 40 CFR 82.157(g), how often must it receive leak inspections until it shows it no longer exceeds the leak rate?

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Answer

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Answer Once every three months

Chemical process cooling is industrial process refrigeration under § 82.152, and § 82.157(c)(2) sets a 30 percent leak rate for that sector. Once the leak rate is exceeded, § 82.157(g)(1)(i) requires commercial refrigeration and industrial process refrigeration appliances with a full charge of 500 or more pounds to be inspected once every three months, until leak rate calculations show the appliance has not leaked above the applicable rate for four quarters in a row. Once per calendar year applies to the same sectors from 50 to under 500 pounds and to comfort cooling. The rule sets no monthly or six-month schedule.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(g)(1)(i) · Primary source · checked
    “(i) For commercial refrigeration and industrial process refrigeration appliances with a full charge of 500 or more pounds, leak inspections must be conducted once every three months until the owner or operator can demonstrate … that the appliance has not leaked in excess of the applicable leak rate for four quarters in a row.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(g)(1)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “(ii) For commercial refrigeration and industrial process refrigeration appliances with a full charge of 50 or more pounds but less than 500 pounds, leak inspections must be conducted once per calendar year”
  3. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(c)(2)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “(ii) 30 percent leak rate for industrial process refrigeration equipment; and”
  4. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of industrial process refrigeration · Primary source · checked
    “Industrial process refrigeration means complex customized appliances that are directly linked to the processes used in, for example, the chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and manufacturing industries.”
  5. Phaseout of Class II Ozone-Depleting Substances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Common HCFCs and Their Uses · Primary source · checked
    “HCFC-123: used in centrifugal chillers and portable fire extinguishers.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Leak Detection

Form 15 / 25 #YVV5RH True / False #

Under 40 CFR 82.157(g), an HCFC-123 comfort-cooling chiller in an office tower that has exceeded its leak rate must be inspected once every three months, because its full charge is 1,000 pounds.

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Answer

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Answer False

False. The quarterly schedule in § 82.157(g)(1)(i) is only for commercial refrigeration and industrial process refrigeration appliances with a full charge of 500 or more pounds. Comfort cooling appliances, which § 82.152 says include chillers, fall under § 82.157(g)(1)(iii): leak inspections once per calendar year until the owner shows through leak rate calculations that the appliance has not leaked above the applicable rate for one year. Charge size does not move a comfort-cooling appliance onto the quarterly schedule. Its leak rate under § 82.157(c)(2)(iii) is 10 percent.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(g)(1)(iii) · Primary source · checked
    “(iii) For comfort cooling appliances and other appliances not covered by paragraphs (g)(1)(i) and (ii) of this section, leak inspections must be conducted once per calendar year until the owner or operator can demonstrate through the leak rate calculations required under paragraph (b) of this section that the appliance has not leaked in excess of the applicable leak rate for one year.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(g)(1)(i) · Primary source · checked
    “(i) For commercial refrigeration and industrial process refrigeration appliances with a full charge of 500 or more pounds, leak inspections must be conducted once every three months”
  3. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of comfort cooling · Primary source · checked
    “Comfort cooling means the air-conditioning appliances used to provide cooling in order to control heat and/or humidity in occupied facilities including but not limited to residential, office, and commercial buildings. Comfort cooling appliances include but are not limited to chillers, commercial split systems, and packaged roof-top units.”
  4. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(c)(2)(iii) · Primary source · checked
    “(iii) 10 percent leak rate for comfort cooling appliances or other appliances with a full charge of 50 or more pounds of refrigerant not covered by (c)(2)(i) or (ii) of this section.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Leak Detection

Form 16 / 25 #8NT0MN #

An office chiller holds 400 pounds of HCFC-123. In one calendar year it leaks an amount equal to 130 percent of its full charge. What does 40 CFR 82.157(j) require of its owner?

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Answer

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Answer Submit a report to EPA by March 1 of the following year

Section 82.157(j) applies to owners or operators of appliances containing 50 or more pounds of refrigerant that leak 125 percent or more of the full charge in a calendar year. They must submit a report to EPA by March 1 of the following year describing their efforts to identify leaks and repair the appliance, and § 82.157(m)(4) names this notice. The provision covers any appliance of that size, not only industrial process refrigeration. Thirty days is the repair period in § 82.157(d), and 60 days is the notice period for first excluding destroyed purged refrigerant.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(j) · Primary source · checked
    “(j) Chronically leaking appliances. Owners or operators of appliances containing 50 pounds or more of refrigerant that leak 125 percent or more of the full charge in a calendar year must submit a report to EPA at the address in paragraph (m) of this section. This report must be submitted by March 1 of the subsequent year and describe efforts to identify leaks and repair the appliance.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(m)(4) · Primary source · checked
    “(4) Owners or operators must notify EPA at this address in accordance with paragraph (j) of this section for any appliance that leaks 125 percent or more of the full charge in a calendar year.”
  3. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(d) · Primary source · checked
    “Owners or operators must identify and repair leaks in accordance with this paragraph within 30 days (or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) of when refrigerant is added to an appliance exceeding the applicable leak rate”
  4. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(m)(5) · Primary source · checked
    “(5) When excluding purged refrigerants that are destroyed from annual leak rate calculations, owners or operators must notify EPA at this address within 60 days after the first time the exclusion is used by the facility where the appliance is located.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Leak Detection

Form 17 / 25 #Z15XYX True / False #

An industrial process refrigeration system holding 30 pounds of HFC-245fa that leaks 125 percent of its full charge in a calendar year is outside the chronic-leak reporting rule in 40 CFR 84.106(j), because that rule starts at 50 pounds.

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Answer

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Answer False

False. Section 84.106(j) covers refrigerant-containing appliances containing 15 or more pounds of refrigerant that leak 125 percent or more of the full charge in a calendar year, and requires a report to EPA by March 1 of the following year. The 50-pound threshold belongs to the ozone-depleting refrigerant rule in § 82.157(j). Section 84.106 has applied since January 1, 2026 to appliances whose refrigerant contains an HFC regulated substance, and Appendix A to Part 84 lists HFC-245fa.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 84.106 — Leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 84.106(j) · Primary source · checked
    “(j) Chronically leaking appliances. Owners or operators of refrigerant-containing appliances containing 15 or more pounds of refrigerant that leak 125 percent or more of the full charge in a calendar year must submit a report containing the information required in paragraph (m)(4) of this section to EPA by March 1 of the subsequent year.”
  2. 40 CFR 84.106 — Leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 84.106(a) · Primary source · checked
    “This section applies to refrigerant-containing appliances with a full charge of 15 or more pounds of refrigerant where the refrigerant contains: (1) A regulated substance,”
  3. 40 CFR 84.106 — Leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 84.106(a)(4) · Primary source · checked
    “(4) The requirements of this section apply as of January 1, 2026.”
  4. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(j) · Primary source · checked
    “(j) Chronically leaking appliances. Owners or operators of appliances containing 50 pounds or more of refrigerant that leak 125 percent or more of the full charge in a calendar year must submit a report to EPA at the address in paragraph (m) of this section. This report must be submitted by March 1 of the subsequent year and describe efforts to identify leaks and repair the appliance.”
  5. 40 CFR Part 84, Appendix A — Regulated Substances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Appendix A to Part 84, HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act · Primary source · checked
    “HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act … HFC-245fa CHF2 CH2 CF3 1,030”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Leak Detection

Form 18 / 25 #TTQAG7 #

When the owner of an HCFC-123 chiller calculates its annual leak rate under 40 CFR 82.157, purged refrigerant is left out if it is destroyed at a verifiable destruction efficiency of at least what?

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Answer

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Answer 98 percent

Section 82.157(k) says that in calculating annual leak rates, purged refrigerant destroyed at a verifiable destruction efficiency of 98 percent or greater is not counted toward the leak rate. Owners using this exclusion must keep records under § 82.157(l)(9) based on a monitoring strategy, including flow rate, the quantity or concentration of refrigerant in the vent stream and periods of purge flow. The HFC rule uses the same 98 percent figure in § 84.106(k). The rules do not use 90, 95 or 99.99 percent for this purpose.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(k) · Primary source · checked
    “(k) Purged refrigerant. In calculating annual leak rates, purged refrigerant that is destroyed at a verifiable destruction efficiency of 98 percent or greater will not be counted toward the leak rate.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(l)(9) · Primary source · checked
    “the 98 percent or greater destruction efficiency is met. Records must include flow rate, quantity or concentration of the refrigerant in the vent stream, and periods of purge flow.”
  3. 40 CFR 84.106 — Leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 84.106(k) · Primary source · checked
    “(k) Purged refrigerant. In calculating annual leak rates, purged refrigerant that is destroyed at a verifiable destruction efficiency of 98 percent or greater will not be counted toward the leak rate.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Refrigeration

Form 19 / 25 #RT66QT True / False #

The owner of an HCFC-123 chiller who leaves destroyed purged refrigerant out of the leak rate for the first time must notify EPA within 60 days after that first use, under 40 CFR 82.157(m)(5).

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Answer

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Answer True

True. Section 82.157(m)(5) requires owners or operators who exclude purged refrigerants that are destroyed from annual leak rate calculations to notify EPA within 60 days after the first time the exclusion is used by the facility where the appliance is located. The report must include the information listed in § 82.157(l)(9), such as a description of the appliance's purging and destruction, the methods used to measure the refrigerant sent for destruction, and the control device and its destruction efficiency. The exclusion itself, in § 82.157(k), covers only purged refrigerant destroyed at 98 percent or greater efficiency.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(m)(5) · Primary source · checked
    “(5) When excluding purged refrigerants that are destroyed from annual leak rate calculations, owners or operators must notify EPA at this address within 60 days after the first time the exclusion is used by the facility where the appliance is located. The report must include the information included in paragraph (l)(9) of this section.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(l)(9) · Primary source · checked
    “(ii) A description of the appliance, focusing on aspects relevant to the purging of refrigerant and subsequent destruction; (iii) A description of the methods used to determine the quantity of refrigerant sent for destruction”
  3. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(l)(9)(v) · Primary source · checked
    “(v) A description of the control device, and its destruction efficiency.”
  4. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(k) · Primary source · checked
    “(k) Purged refrigerant. In calculating annual leak rates, purged refrigerant that is destroyed at a verifiable destruction efficiency of 98 percent or greater will not be counted toward the leak rate.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Refrigeration

Form 20 / 25 #5W8P99 True / False #

An office building's HCFC-123 chiller with a full charge of 600 pounds is held to the 10 percent leak rate in 40 CFR 82.157(c)(2), because it is a comfort-cooling appliance rather than commercial or industrial process refrigeration.

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Answer

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Answer True

True. Section 82.157 applies to appliances with 50 or more pounds of a class I or class II refrigerant, and HCFC-123 is a class II substance that EPA says is used in centrifugal chillers. Section 82.152 defines comfort cooling as air conditioning for occupied buildings such as offices and says it includes chillers. Under § 82.157(c)(2), the leak rate is 10 percent for comfort cooling and other appliances of 50 or more pounds not covered by the other two categories, 20 percent for commercial refrigeration and 30 percent for industrial process refrigeration. Above its rate, the owner must repair the leaks or retrofit or retire the chiller.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(c)(2) · Primary source · checked
    “(i) 20 percent leak rate for commercial refrigeration equipment; (ii) 30 percent leak rate for industrial process refrigeration equipment; and (iii) 10 percent leak rate for comfort cooling appliances or other appliances with a full charge of 50 or more pounds of refrigerant not covered by (c)(2)(i) or (ii) of this section.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of comfort cooling · Primary source · checked
    “Comfort cooling means the air-conditioning appliances used to provide cooling in order to control heat and/or humidity in occupied facilities including but not limited to residential, office, and commercial buildings. Comfort cooling appliances include but are not limited to chillers, commercial split systems, and packaged roof-top units.”
  3. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(a) · Primary source · checked
    “As of April 10, 2020, this section applies only to appliances with a full charge of 50 or more pounds of any class I or class II refrigerant or blend containing a class I or class II refrigerant.”
  4. Phaseout of Class II Ozone-Depleting Substances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Common HCFCs and Their Uses · Primary source · checked
    “HCFC-123: used in centrifugal chillers and portable fire extinguishers.”
  5. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(c)(1) · Primary source · checked
    “Owners or operators must repair appliances with a leak rate over the applicable leak rate in this paragraph in accordance with paragraphs (d) through (f) of this section unless the owner or operator elects to retrofit or retire the appliance”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Leak repair requirements

Form 21 / 25 #6Z4Y80 True / False #

When repairing a leaking HCFC-123 process chiller requires an industrial process shutdown, 40 CFR 82.157(d) gives the owner 180 days from the refrigerant addition to identify and repair the leaks.

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Answer

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Answer False

False. Section 82.157(d) requires owners or operators to identify and repair leaks within 30 days, or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required, of when refrigerant is added to an appliance that exceeds its leak rate; for industrial process refrigeration that rate is 30 percent. The 180-day figure is the outer limit of the extension in § 82.157(f)(1)(iii) when replacement components are not available, and with a shutdown that limit is 270 days. HCFC-123 is a class II substance, so the chiller is under § 82.157 if it holds 50 or more pounds.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(d) · Primary source · checked
    “Owners or operators must identify and repair leaks in accordance with this paragraph within 30 days (or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) of when refrigerant is added to an appliance exceeding the applicable leak rate in paragraph (c) of this section.”
  2. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(f)(1)(iii) · Primary source · checked
    “Additional time is permitted up to 30 days after receiving delivery of the necessary components, not to exceed 180 days (or 270 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) from the date the appliance exceeded the applicable leak rate.”
  3. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(c)(2)(ii) · Primary source · checked
    “(ii) 30 percent leak rate for industrial process refrigeration equipment; and”
  4. 40 CFR 82.157 — Appliance maintenance and leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 82.157(a) · Primary source · checked
    “As of April 10, 2020, this section applies only to appliances with a full charge of 50 or more pounds of any class I or class II refrigerant or blend containing a class I or class II refrigerant.”
  5. Phaseout of Class II Ozone-Depleting Substances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Common HCFCs and Their Uses · Primary source · checked
    “HCFC-123: used in centrifugal chillers and portable fire extinguishers.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Leak repair requirements

Form 22 / 25 #BXQQEG #

EPA's fact sheet on managing HCFC-123 says that newly produced (virgin) or imported HCFCs may only be used to service equipment manufactured before January 1 of which year?

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Answer

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Answer 2020

EPA's August 2020 fact sheet on HCFC-123 says newly produced or imported HCFCs may only be used to service air-conditioning, refrigeration and fire suppression equipment manufactured before January 1, 2020, and that all U.S. production and import of virgin HCFCs will be phased out by 2030, with limited exceptions. Reclaimed HCFC-123 can also be used to service HCFC-123 systems. EPA's class II phaseout table shows the same 2020 equipment date, in a step that took effect in 2015, and the 2030 end date. January 1, 2010 is the equipment date tied to HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b.

Sources

  1. Management of HCFC-123 through the Phaseout and Beyond (EPA fact sheet, August 2020)
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · p. 1, What is the HCFC Phaseout? · Primary source · checked
    “Newly produced (also known as virgin) or imported HCFCs may only be used to service AC, refrigeration, and fire suppression equipment that was manufactured before January 1, 2020. All U.S. production and import of virgin HCFCs will be phased out by 2030, with limited exceptions.”
  2. Management of HCFC-123 through the Phaseout and Beyond (EPA fact sheet, August 2020)
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · p. 1, Will HCFC-123 be available for servicing my existing equipment? · Primary source · checked
    “HCFC-123 that is recovered and reclaimed, along with virgin HCFC-123 produced prior to 2020, can also be used to service HCFC123 systems.”
  3. Phaseout of Class II Ozone-Depleting Substances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · U.S. Action to Meet the Montreal Protocol Phaseout Schedule · Primary source · checked
    “2010 No production or import of HCFC-142b and HCFC-22, except for use in equipment manufactured before January 1, 2010 … 2015 No production or import of any other HCFCs, except as refrigerants in equipment manufactured before January 1, 2020 … 2030 No production or import of any HCFCs”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: HCFC-123 phaseout and alternatives

Form 23 / 25 #6C1JBM True / False #

EPA's 2020 fact sheet on HCFC-123 says that HCFC-123 chillers still in use may be retrofitted to use HFC-245fa.

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Answer

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Answer True

True. The August 2020 fact sheet says that when a system is replaced or retrofitted, many non-ozone-depleting alternatives to HCFC-123 are available for chillers and industrial process refrigeration, some suitable for both new and retrofitted systems and others only for new systems. It states that HCFC-123 chillers still in use may be retrofitted to use HFC-245fa and certain HFOs, while newer alternatives such as HFO-1234ze(E), HFO-1336mzz(Z) and HCFO-1233zd(E) have been listed as acceptable under EPA's SNAP program for new chillers. HFC-245fa is an HFC regulated substance listed in Appendix A to 40 CFR Part 84.

Sources

  1. Management of HCFC-123 through the Phaseout and Beyond (EPA fact sheet, August 2020)
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · p. 2, Planning for the Future Is Important · Primary source · checked
    “HCFC-123 chillers that are still in use may be retrofitted to use HFC-245fa and certain HFOs.”
  2. Management of HCFC-123 through the Phaseout and Beyond (EPA fact sheet, August 2020)
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · p. 2, Planning for the Future Is Important · Primary source · checked
    “many non-ozone-depleting alternatives to HCFC-123 available for use in chillers and IPR systems. Some alternatives are suitable for use in both new and retrofitted systems, and others are suitable only for new systems.”
  3. Management of HCFC-123 through the Phaseout and Beyond (EPA fact sheet, August 2020)
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · p. 2, Planning for the Future Is Important · Primary source · checked
    “Newer alternatives, such as HFO-1234ze(E), HFO-1336mzz(Z), HCFO-1233zd(E), R-450A, R-513A, and R-514A have been evaluated and listed as acceptable by the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program for new chillers.”
  4. 40 CFR Part 84, Appendix A — Regulated Substances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Appendix A to Part 84, HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act · Primary source · checked
    “HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act … HFC-245fa CHF2 CH2 CF3 1,030”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: HCFC-123 phaseout and alternatives

Form 24 / 25 #B0976R #

EPA's GreenChill retrofit guideline has a table of containers for recovered (used) refrigerant. Which group of refrigerants does it list for 55-, 20- and 10-gallon drums?

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Answer

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Answer R-11, R-113, R-123 and R-141b

The guideline's table of recovery containers for used refrigerant lists drums of 55, 20 and 10 gallons for R-11, R-113, R-123 and R-141b, and a manufacturer chart on the next page groups R-11, R-113 and R-123 under low pressure containers. R-11, R-113 and R-123 are § 82.152 examples of low-pressure refrigerants. In the same table, R-12, R-22, R-134a and R-500 are listed for 4BA cylinders, R-402A, R-402B and R-410A for 4BW400 and 4BA400 cylinders, and R-13, R-23, R-503 and R-508B, which § 82.152 gives as very high-pressure examples, for 3AA cylinders.

Sources

  1. GreenChill Best Practices Guideline: Commercial Refrigeration Retrofits (EPA 430-R-11-012, August 2011)
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · p. 23 (PDF p. 27), Best Practices – Refrigerant Recovery, Recovery Containers for Used Refrigerant Products · Primary source · checked
    “Drum 55 gal, 20 gal, 10 gal R-11, R-113, R-123, R-141b”
  2. GreenChill Best Practices Guideline: Commercial Refrigeration Retrofits (EPA 430-R-11-012, August 2011)
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · p. 24 (PDF p. 28), Low Pressure Containers chart · Primary source · checked
    “Low Pressure Containers Refrigerant R-11, R-113, R-123”
  3. GreenChill Best Practices Guideline: Commercial Refrigeration Retrofits (EPA 430-R-11-012, August 2011)
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · p. 23 (PDF p. 27), Recovery Containers for Used Refrigerant Products · Primary source · checked
    “4BA300 Cylinder 4BA350 Cylinder 4BA350 Cylinder 123 lb 26 lb 48 lb R-12, R-114, R-123, R-124, R-134a, R-22, R-401A … R-500, R-502, R-507 … 4BW400 Cylinder 4BA400 Cylinder 4BA400 Cylinder 123 lb 26 lb 48 lb R-402A (HP80), R-402B (HP81), R-410A … 3AA2400 3AA1800 3AA2265 96 lb or smaller R-13, R-23, R-503, R-508B”
  4. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of very high-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “Very high-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a critical temperature below 104 °F or with a liquid phase saturation pressure above 355 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-13, R-23, R-503, R-508A, and R-508B.”
  5. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of low-pressure appliance · Primary source · checked
    “Low-pressure appliance means an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a liquid phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F. Examples include but are not limited to appliances using R-11, R-123, R-113, and R-245fa.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Recovery Techniques

Form 25 / 25 #JP2SZD #

A process chiller at a chemical plant was installed in 2019 and holds 2,000 pounds of HFC-245fa. Under 40 CFR 84.108, by when must its owner install and use an automatic leak detection system?

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Answer

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Answer By January 1, 2027

Section 84.108(a) requires owners or operators of industrial process refrigeration or commercial refrigeration appliances with a full charge of 1,500 pounds or more of a refrigerant containing a regulated substance, or a substitute with a GWP above 53, to install and use an automatic leak detection system. Under § 84.108(b)(2), appliances installed on or after January 1, 2017 and before January 1, 2026 must have one by January 1, 2027, so installation before 2026 does not remove the duty. Appliances installed on or after January 1, 2026 need one at installation or within 30 days of installation. January 1, 2026 is when the § 84.106 leak repair rule began. HFC-245fa is listed in Appendix A to Part 84.

Sources

  1. 40 CFR 84.108 — Automatic leak detection systems
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 84.108(a) · Primary source · checked
    “Owners or operators of refrigerant-containing appliances used for industrial process refrigeration or commercial refrigeration with a full charge of 1,500 pounds or greater of a refrigerant containing a regulated substance or a substitute for a regulated substance with a global warming potential greater than 53 must install and use an automatic leak detection system”
  2. 40 CFR 84.108 — Automatic leak detection systems
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 84.108(b)(2) · Primary source · checked
    “(2) Owners and operators of refrigerant-containing appliances that are subject to the requirements under paragraph (a) of this section and that were installed on or after January 1, 2017, and before January 1, 2026, must install and use an automatic leak detection system by January 1, 2027.”
  3. 40 CFR 84.108 — Automatic leak detection systems
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 84.108(b)(1) · Primary source · checked
    “must install and use an automatic leak detection system upon installation of the refrigerant-containing appliance or within 30 days of installation of the refrigerant-containing appliance.”
  4. 40 CFR Part 84, Appendix A — Regulated Substances
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Appendix A to Part 84, HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act · Primary source · checked
    “HFCs Listed as Regulated Substances in the AIM Act … HFC-245fa CHF2 CH2 CF3 1,030”
  5. 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Definition of industrial process refrigeration · Primary source · checked
    “Industrial process refrigeration means complex customized appliances that are directly linked to the processes used in, for example, the chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and manufacturing industries.”
  6. 40 CFR 84.106 — Leak repair
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · § 84.106(a)(4) · Primary source · checked
    “(4) The requirements of this section apply as of January 1, 2026.”

Updated · Exam outline: T3: Leak Detection

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