EPA 608 Type III flashcards
EPA 608 Type III · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Low-pressure appliance definition
- An appliance using a refrigerant with a boiling point at atmospheric pressure at or above 0 degrees Celsius at 14.7 psia, such as CFC-11, CFC-113, HCFC-123, or HCFC-124.
- Required evacuation level
- Low-pressure appliances must be evacuated to 25 mm Hg absolute, roughly 0.5 inches of mercury vacuum, before opening or disposal.
- Recovery unit for low pressure
- Low-pressure recovery requires a compressor-driven unit with a condenser or subcooler to condense low-pressure vapor, since the refrigerant's low vapor pressure prevents simple pumping.
- Recycling versus reclamation
- Recycling cleans refrigerant on site for reuse by the same owner; reclamation restores refrigerant to ARI 700 purity and is required for sale or transfer to a different owner.
- Cylinder fill limit
- Recovery cylinders must not be filled beyond 80 percent of their capacity by weight, verified with a scale, to allow for liquid expansion.
- Never mix refrigerants
- Mixing different refrigerants in a recovery cylinder prevents recycling or reclamation and may make the entire cylinder a hazardous waste.
- Charging a low-pressure chiller
- Charge refrigerant as a liquid or vapor per the manufacturer's instructions, verifying the charge by weight and by subcooling, superheat, or liquid level.
- Purge unit function
- A purge unit removes non-condensable gases such as air and moisture from the condenser; excessive purging indicates a leak or purge unit problem.
- Non-condensables in low-pressure systems
- Because the evaporator operates under vacuum, air and moisture can enter through leaks; non-condensables raise condenser pressure and reduce efficiency.
- Moisture and acid formation
- Moisture combined with chlorine or fluorine refrigerants forms hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids, causing corrosion and oil breakdown; keep moisture below the manufacturer's limit.
- Leak detection for HCFC-123
- HCFC-123 is detected with an electronic leak detector sensitive to HCFC-123 or a colorimetric indicator tube; a halide torch is not suitable for all refrigerants.
- Opening a low-pressure system
- Recover refrigerant to the required vacuum, isolate the machine, remove residual refrigerant, then break the vacuum with dry nitrogen before service.
- Leak rate formula
- Leak rate equals pounds of refrigerant added over the past 12 months divided by the total charge, expressed as a percentage.
- Repair trigger thresholds
- Repair is required when the leak rate exceeds 15 percent for commercial refrigeration or 35 percent for comfort cooling appliances with 50 or more pounds of charge.
- Repair deadline
- A leak exceeding the threshold must be repaired within 30 days of discovery, with a possible 30-day extension if parts are unavailable or the appliance is temporarily shut down.
- Verification of repair
- Initial verification must occur within 30 days after repair, with follow-up verification within 30 days after the initial verification if the leak rate remains above the threshold.
- Retrofit or retirement plan
- If an appliance cannot be repaired, the owner must develop a retrofit or retirement plan within 30 days and keep it on site for EPA review.
- Recordkeeping period
- Service records, leak rate calculations, and retrofit or retirement plans must be kept for at least 3 years and made available to EPA upon request.
- Recurring leak rule
- If the same leak recurs within 12 months after verification, the appliance is again subject to leak repair requirements and may require retrofit or retirement.
- Evacuation before disposal
- Before dismantling or disposing of a low-pressure appliance, recover refrigerant to 25 mm Hg absolute and verify the level with a vacuum gauge.
- Vacuum verification
- Final evacuation must be verified with a micron gauge or manometer capable of reading the required vacuum range; a compound gauge alone is insufficient.
- Recovered refrigerant handling
- Refrigerant recovered during disposal must be recycled, reclaimed, or destroyed; it may not be vented to the atmosphere.
- Disposal documentation
- The technician must provide documentation of refrigerant recovery, including the amount recovered and the evacuation level achieved, to the owner or disposal facility.
- Recovery equipment capability
- Recovery equipment used for disposal must be able to reach 25 mm Hg absolute; a unit that cannot achieve this level is not acceptable for low-pressure appliances.
- Sealing after evacuation
- After evacuation, seal the service ports or tag the appliance as evacuated; open the system to atmosphere only after evacuation is complete.
- Section 608 venting prohibition
- Section 608 of the Clean Air Act prohibits venting ozone-depleting refrigerants and their substitutes, codified at 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F.
- Type III certification
- Type III certification covers low-pressure appliances; technicians must pass a proctored exam covering recovery, recycling, reclamation, leak detection, and disposal.
- Universal certification
- Universal certification covers all appliance types, including low-pressure appliances, and is obtained by passing the Type I, Type II, and Type III exams.
- Refrigerant sales restriction
- Ozone-depleting refrigerants may be sold only to certified technicians, and the seller must verify the buyer's certification before the sale.
- Reclaimer certification
- Reclaimed refrigerant must be processed by an EPA-certified reclaimer and meet ARI Standard 700 purity, with the reclaimer's name and purity level on the label.
- Recordkeeping requirement
- Owners of appliances with 50 or more pounds of refrigerant must keep service records, leak rate calculations, and retrofit plans for at least 3 years.
- Small appliance threshold
- Small appliances contain less than 5 pounds of refrigerant and have separate recovery requirements; low-pressure chillers generally exceed this threshold and face full requirements.