EPA Section 608 Type I Certification Review

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering EPA Section 608 Type I certification requirements, recovery standards, and safety protocols for small appliances.

Small Appliance

Products manufactured, fully charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory containing $5$ pounds or less of refrigerant.

Type I Technician

A person certified to handle refrigerant during the maintenance, service, or repair of small appliances (excluding MVAC).

MVAC

Motor vehicle air conditioning; these systems do not meet the criteria for Type I appliance certification regardless of the type or quantity of refrigerant.

Self-contained (active) recovery equipment

Recovery devices that have their own means to draw the refrigerant out of an appliance, required for CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, and HFOs.

System-dependent (passive) recovery equipment

Recovery gear that captures refrigerant in a non-pressurized container, limited to a maximum charge of $15$ pounds for appliances containing HCFCs or HFCs.

80% Fill Level

The maximum percentage a recovery tank is allowed to be filled, monitored by a refrigerant scale or internal float device.

90% Recovery

The percentage of refrigerant that self-contained recovery devices must be able to capture from a small appliance when the compressor is operating.

4-inch vacuum

The vacuum level that recovery equipment must achieve under AHRI 740 conditions when the compressor is operating or inoperative.

R-600a

Hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerant approved for new household refrigerators, freezers, and combination units, but not approved for retrofitting.

SNAP Regulations

EPA regulations that have approved refrigerants such as $R-290$, $R-450A$, and $R-600a$ for newly manufactured household refrigerators.

R-744

Carbon dioxide ($CO_2$), a very high-pressure refrigerant that generally does not need to be recovered.

Pressure-Temperature (PT) Chart

A reference tool used to check for non-condensables or contaminated refrigerant by comparing stable temperature and pressure readings.

Piercing Access Valve

A solderless type access fitting used on small appliances that should be leak tested before recovery and removed after repair because it tends to leak over time.

Non-condensable gas

Impurities in the refrigerant that can cause excessive pressure on the high side of recovery machines and cylinders.

Compressor Burn-out

An issue indicated by a pungent odor from the refrigerant; requires checking for oil contamination and potentially flushing the system.

Phosgene gas

A toxic substance that CFC and HCFC refrigerants can decompose into when exposed to high temperatures.

Butyl-lined gloves

Required safety equipment specifically mentioned for use when connecting or disconnecting hoses during refrigerant recovery.

R-1233zd

An HFO refrigerant with a safety group rating of A1 used for new chillers and foam blowing.