EPA 608 Universal case studies
EPA 608 Universal · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Section 608 Technician Certification is the credential required by EPA regulations (40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F) under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act for technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants into the atmosphere. The credential comes in four forms, each matched to the equipment a technician intends to work on: Type I for small appliances, Type II for high- or very high-pressure appliances other than small appliances and MVACs, Type III for low-pressure appliances, and Universal for all types of equipment. The EPA 608 Universal case studies are 5 cases and about 3,930 words.
1The Seized Compressor in Unit 4B
A maintenance technician holding only a Type I certificate works for a 12-unit apartment complex. Unit 4B's refrigerator - a 2004 model whose nameplate reads R-134a, 5.0 oz, hermetically sealed, no service ports - has a compressor that is electrically open; the box is warm and the compressor never starts.
757 words, about 4 min2The Rooftop at 95 Degrees
An HVAC technician holding a Type II certificate is taking the charge out of a 2016 rooftop unit so a cracked liquid-line braze can be repaired. Nameplate: R-410A, 24 lb 8 oz.
812 words, about 4 min3The Chiller That Lives in a Vacuum
A 1998 400-ton centrifugal chiller, R-123, 900 lb charge, serves a hospital. Logs show the purge unit running 16–18 hours a day (normal is under 2), the purge counter climbing steadily, and condenser approach temperature rising from 2°F to 9°F over three months.
814 words, about 4 min4One Van, Three Machines
A Universal-certified technician covers a 90,000 sq ft grocery store containing: a parallel refrigeration rack charged with 850 lb of R-404A; a 1997 R-123 centrifugal chiller with a 600 lb charge serving the store's HVAC; and a self-contained reach-in ice machine nameplated R-404A, 3.2 lb, hermetic. The day's work order lists three jobs: recover the rack for a valve replacement, replace a leaking gasket on the chiller, and swap the ice machine under warranty.
753 words, about 4 min5The Rack That Always Needs a Little Top-Off
A contractor services a food distribution warehouse running a 2002 blast-freezer rack with a nameplate charge of 180 lb of R-22 - a high-pressure appliance well over the 5 lb threshold. The service history for the last twelve months shows 15 lb added in February, 10 lb in June, and 9 lb in October.
794 words, about 4 min