EPA 608 Type II study guide
EPA 608 Type II · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
EPA Section 608 Type II is one of the technician certification tracks created under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act and the regulations at 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F. Under those rules, technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment that could release ozone-depleting refrigerants into the atmosphere must be certified, and since January 1, 2018 that requirement also applies to appliances containing most substitute refrigerants, including HFCs. The EPA 608 Type II study guide has 5 sections and about 1,387 words.
01Leak Detection
Type II covers high-pressure appliances, and the leak-detection rules that get tested attach to the 50-pound charge threshold: an appliance holding 50 lb or more of refrigerant must be repaired once it leaks above its rate limit. EPA does not require a specific leak-detection tool.
288 words, about 1 min02Recovery Techniques
For high-pressure appliances the required recovery level depends on when the appliance was built and how much refrigerant it holds. Pre-11/15/1993 appliances: recover to 0 psig if the charge is under 200 lb, or to 4 inches of mercury vacuum if 200 lb or more.
281 words, about 1 min03Recycling and Reclaiming
Recycling cleans recovered refrigerant by passing it through oil separators, filters, and driers to remove moisture, acid, and particulates; the refrigerant stays in the field. Reclaiming reprocesses refrigerant to ARI 700 purity, verified by laboratory analysis, and is the only route that makes refrigerant resalable.
264 words, about 1 min04Evacuation and Charging
A compound manifold gauge cannot resolve a deep vacuum; use an electronic micron gauge placed at the system, not at the pump. The standard target for a tight high-pressure system is 500 microns.
281 words, about 1 min05Safety and Regulatory Compliance
Section 608 prohibits knowingly venting ozone-depleting refrigerants and their substitutes during service, maintenance, repair, or disposal. Only de minimis releases during good-faith repair are excused.
273 words, about 1 min