EPA CERTIFICATION EXAM

PREPARATORY MANUAL
8th EDITION

for
AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION
TECHNICIANS
Federal Clean Air Act - Section 608

CONTAINS ALL OF THE INFORMATION AIR CONDITIONING AND REFRIGERATION

SERVICE PERSONNEL WILL NEED TO SUCCESSFULLY BECOME CERTIFIED AS A

UNIVERSAL TECHNICIAN
Every paragraph contains answers to questions!
ThismanualwasdevelopedbyTheESCOINSTITUTE
MountProspect,IL60056

ESCOInstitute
P.O.Box521
MountProspect,IL.60056

Phone:1(800)7269696 Fax: 1(800)5463726
Website:http://www.escoinst.com EMail:vbaker@escoinst.com

COPYRIGHT 2012ESCOPRESS
Allrightsreserved

PrintedinTheUnitedStatesofAmerica
ISBN1930044011

Nopartofthismanualmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedbyanymeans,
electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the au
thors. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein.
Whileeveryprecautionhasbeentakeninthepreparationofthisbook,theauthorsandpublisheras
sumenoresponsibilityforerrorsoromissions.Neitherisanyliabilityassumedfordamagesresulting
fromtheuseoftheinformationcontainedherein.

TABLEOFCONTENTS

INTRODUCTION iiii

CORE

STRATOSPHERICOZONEDEPLETION 1
OZONEDEPLETIONPOTENTIAL 1
CLEANAIRACT 2
MONTREALPROTOCOL 2
THETHREE'R's 2
RECOVERYDEVICES 2
SALESRESTRICTION 3
SUBSTITUTEREFRIGERANTS&OILS 3
RECOVERYTECHNIQUES 3
LEAKDETECTION 3
DEHYDRATION 4
RECOVERYCYLINDERS 4
SAFETY 5
SHIPPING&TRANSPORTING 5

TYPEICERTIFICATION
EQUIPMENTREQUIREMENTS 6
LEAKREPAIRREQUIREMENTS 6
RECOVERYTECHNIQUES 6
SAFETY&SHIPPING 7

TYPEIICERTIFICATION
LEAKDETECTION 8
LEAKREPAIRREQUIREMENTS 8
RECOVERYTECHNIQUES 8
RECOVERYREQUIREMENTS 9
REFRIGERATIONNOTES 10
SAFETY 10

TYPEIIICERTIFICATION
LEAKDETECTION 11
LEAKREPAIRREQUIREMENTS 11
RECOVERYTECHNIQUES 11
RECHARGINGTECHNIQUES 11
RECOVERYREQUIREMENTS 12
REFRIGERATIONNOTES 12
SAFETY 12

SaturationChart/WaterVaporizationChart BackCover


INTRODUCTION
Thismanualisintendedtopreparetechniciansforthecertificationtest,andcontainsalltheinformationatechnician
willrequiretosuccessfullycompletethetest.Thisbookletisnotintendedtobeaformalrefrigerationtrainingcourse.
Techniciansshouldbefamiliarwiththebasicvaporcompressionrefrigerationcycleandcommonserviceequipment
andprocedures.

Thismanualhasbeenassembledwiththemostcurrentinformationavailableatthetimeofthisedition.ShouldEPA
regulationschangeafteratechnicianbecomescertified,itistheresponsibilityofthetechniciantocomplywithany
futurechanges.TheEPAalsoreservestherighttomodifythetestquestionsandorcallforanewcertificationbasedon
advancementsinfuturetechnology.TheESCOInstitutewillupdatethismanualasnecessarytokeepcurrentwithEPA
rulings.

Section608oftheFederalCleanAirActrequiresthatallpersonswhomaintain,service,repair,ordisposeofappliances
thatcontainregulatedrefrigerants,becertifiedinproperrefrigeranthandlingtechniquesasofNovember14,1994.

Therearefour(4)categoriesoftechniciancertification:

TYPEI
PersonswhomaintainserviceorrepairsmallappliancesmustbecertifiedasTypeItechnicians.

TYPEII
Persons,whomaintain,service,repairordisposeofhighorveryhighpressureappliances,exceptsmallappliancesand
motorvehicleairconditioningsystems,mustbecertifiedasTypeIItechnicians.

TYPEIII
Persons,whomaintain,service,repair,ordisposeoflowpressureappliancesmustbecertifiedasTypeIIItechnicians.

UNIVERSAL
Persons,whomaintain,serviceorrepairbothlowandhighpressureequipment,aswellassmallappliances,mustbe
certifiedasUniversaltechnicians.

TESTFORMAT
The test contains four sections, A, I, II, III. Each section contains twenty five (25) multiplechoice questions. A technician
MUSTachieveaminimumpassingscoreof70percentineachgroupinwhichtheyaretobecertified.Forinstancea
technicianseekingUniversalcertificationmustachieveaminimumscoreof70percent,or18outof25correct,oneach
oftheSectionsofthetest.IfatechnicianfailsoneormoreoftheSectionsonthefirsttry,theymayretakethefailed
Section(s)withoutretakingtheSection(s)onwhichtheyearnedapassingscore.Inthemeantimethetechnicianwillbe
certifiedintheTypeforwhichtheyreceivedapassingscore.Thereisoneexception;atechnicianMUSTachieveapass
ingscoreonSectionAtoreceiveanycertification.

SectionAcontains25generalknowledgequestionsconcerningstratosphericozonedepletion,rulesandregulationsof
the Clean Air Act, the Montreal Protocol, refrigerant recovery, recycling and reclaiming, recovery devices, substitute
refrigerantsandoils,recoverytechniques,dehydration,recoverycylinders,safety,andshipping.SectionIcontains25
sectorspecific questionspertaining tosmallappliances.SectionIIcontains25 sectorspecific questionspertaining to
highpressureappliancesandSectionIIIcontains25sectorspecificquestionspertainingtolowpressureappliances.

Thelawrequiresthetesttobeaclosedbookexam.Theonlyoutsidematerialsallowedareatemperature/pressure
chartandacalculator.

Certainpersonalinformationisrequiredontheexam.Techniciansshouldbepreparedtopresent:
Pictureidentification
Socialsecuritynumber
Homeaddress

TechniciansshouldcarefullystudySectionsAandtheSection(s)relatedtotheTypeofcertificationinwhichtheyare
seekingtoachieveapassingscore.

i


4
3 5









Flow



1
2 6

VAPOR/COMPRESSIONREFRIGERATIONCYCLE
Inthevapor/compressionrefrigerationcycle,liquidrefrigerantatahighpressureisdeliveredtoametering
device,(1).Themeteringdevicecausesareductioninpressure,andthereforeareductioninsaturationtemperature.
Therefrigerantthentravelstotheevaporator,(2).Heatisabsorbedintheevaporatorandcausestherefrigerant
toboilfromliquidtovapor.Attheoutletoftheevaporator,(3),therefrigerantisnowalowtemperature,low
pressurevapor.Therefrigerantvaporthentravelstotheinletofthecompressor,(4).Therefrigerantvaporis
thencompressedandmovestothecondenser,(5).Therefrigerantisnowahightemperature,highpressureva
por.Astherefrigerantexpelsheat,therefrigerantcondensestoaliquid.Atthecondenseroutlet,(6),therefrig
erantisahighpressureliquid.Thehighpressureliquidrefrigerantisdeliveredtothemeteringdevice,(1),and
thesequencebeginsagain.

Someaccessoriesthatarenotshowninthebasicdiagramarethereceiverandaccumulator.Useofthesecompo
nentsdependsonsystemdesignand/oronthetypeofmeteringdeviceused.Asystemthatusesathermostatic
expansionvalveisusuallyequippedwithareceiver,whichwouldbelocatedintheliquidlinedirectlyfollow
ing the condenser. A system that uses a capillary tube or fixed bore metering device is usually equipped
withanaccumulator,whichwouldbelocatedinthesuctionlinedirectlyfollowingtheevaporator.

ii


GAUGEMANIFOLDSET
OneofthemostimportanttoolstotheHVACRtechnicianisthegaugemanifoldset.Thecompoundgauge(blue)
andthehighpressuregauge(red)areconnectedtothemanifold,andthemanifoldisthenconnectedbyhoses
toaccessportstomeasuresystempressures.Thecompoundgaugemeasureslowpressure(psig)andvacuum
(inches Hg.). The high pressure gauge measures high side (discharge) pressure. The manifold is also equipped
with a center port, (usually a yellow hose), that can be connected to a recovery device, evacuation vacuum
pump,orchargingdevice.EPAregulationsrequirethathosesbeequippedwithlowlossfittingsthatwillmini
mizerefrigerantlosswhenhosesaredisconnected.

iii
 CORE
SECTIONA
GENERALKNOWLEDGE

STRATOSPHERICOZONEDEPLETION
TheintroductionofCFCsandHCFCshasdramaticallychangedourlifestyles.Littledidweknowthattheuseandre
leaseofthesecompoundsintotheatmospherewouldhavefarreachingeffectsonourenvironment.Thegreatestef
fectisinthestratosphere,farremovedfromtheEarth'ssurface.

The stratosphere is the Earth's security blanket. It is located between 7 and 30 miles above sea level and is com
prisedof,amongotherthings,Ozone.AnOzonemoleculeconsistsofthreeoxygenatoms(03).Ozoneprotectsusfrom
harmfulultravioletradiationandhelpsmaintainstableEarthtemperatures.StratosphericOzonedepletionisaglobal
problem.DepletionofOzoneinthestratospherecauses:
CROPLOSS
INCREASEINEYEDISEASES
SKINCANCER
REDUCEDMARINELIFE
DEFORESTATION
INCREASEDGROUNDLEVELOZONE

CFCshavebeenfoundinairsamplestakenfromthestratosphere.CFC'sandHCFC's,whenreleasedintotheatmos
pheredepletetheOzonelayer.Thechlorineinthesecompoundsistheculprit.Whenachlorineatommeetswithan
Ozonemolecule,ittakesoneOxygenatomfromtheOzone.ThisformsacompoundcalledChlorineMonoxide(CIO)
andleavesanO2molecule.TheChlorineMonoxidewillcollidewithanotherOzonemolecule,releaseitsOxygenatom,
formingtwoO2molecules,andleavethechlorinefreetoattackanotherOzonemolecule.AsingleChlorineatomcan
destroy100,000Ozonemolecules.

TherehasbeenagreatdealofcontroversyoverthesubjectofOzonedepletion.SomebelievethattheChlorinefound
inthestratospherecomesfromnaturalsourcessuchasvolcaniceruptions.However,airsamplestakenovererupting
volcanoesshow that volcanoes contribute only a small quantity ofChlorineas compared toCFC's. Inaddition,the
riseintheamountofChlorinemeasuredinthestratosphereoverthepasttwodecadesmatchestheriseintheamount
ofFluorine,whichhasdifferentnaturalsourcesthanChlorine,overthesameperiod.Also,theriseintheamountof
Chlorinemeasuredinthestratosphereoverthepasttwentyyears,matchestheriseinCFCemissionsoverthesame
period.

UnlikeotherChlorinecompoundsandnaturallyoccurringchlorine,thechlorineinCFC'swillneitherdissolveinwater
norbreakdownintocompoundsthatdissolveinwater,sotheydonotrainoutoftheatmosphere.

OZONEDEPLETIONPOTENTIAL
OzoneDepletionPotential(ODP)isameasurementofCFC'sandHCFC'sabilitytodestroyozone.CFC'shavethehighest
ODP.HFC's(R134a)donotcontainchlorineandhavenoOzoneDepletionPotential.

Type Example Elements

CFC R11,12,500 ChlorineFluorineCarbon

HCFC R22,123 HydrogenChlorineFluorineCarbon

HFC R134a HydrogenFluorineCarbon

1
CLEANAIRACT
TheUnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)regulatessection608oftheFederalCleanAirAct.Failureto
complycouldcostyouandyourcompanyasmuchas$27,500*perday,perviolationandthereisabountyofupto
$10,000,tolureyourcompetitors,customersandfellowworkerstoturnyouin.ServicetechnicianswhoviolateCleanAir
Actprovisionsmaybefined,losetheircertification,andmayberequiredtoappearinFederalcourt.TheEPAmay
requiretechnicianstodemonstratetheabilitytoproperlyperformrefrigerantrecovery/recyclingprocedures.Fail
ingtodemonstratetheseskillscanresultinrevocationofcertification.

ItisaviolationofSection608to:
Falsifyorfailtokeeprequiredrecords;
Failtoreachrequiredevacuationratespriortoopeningordisposingofappliances;
Knowinglyrelease(vent)CFC's,HCFC'sorHFCswhilerepairingappliances,withtheexceptionofdeminimusreleases;
Service,maintain,ordisposeofappliancesdesignedtocontainrefrigerantswithoutbeingappropriatelycertifiedasof
November14,1994.(Itistheresponsibilityofthefinalpersoninthedisposalchaintoensurethatrefrigeranthasbeen
removedfromappliancesbeforescrapping.)
VentCFC'sorHCFC'ssinceJuly1,1992;
VentHFC'ssinceNovember15,1995;
FailtorecoverCFC's,HCFC'sorHFCsbeforeopeningordisposingofanappliance;
FailtohaveanEPAapprovedrecoverydevice,equippedwithlowlossfittings,andregisterthedevicewiththeEPA;
Addnitrogentoafullychargedsystem,forthepurposeofleakdetection,andtherebycauseareleaseofthemixture;
Disposeofadisposablecylinderwithoutfirstrecoveringanyremainingrefrigerant(to0psig.)andthenrenderingthe
cylinderuseless,thenrecyclingthemetal;

Inaddition,somestateandlocalgovernmentregulationsmaycontainregulationsthatareasstrictasorstricterthan
Section608.

MONTREALPROTOCOL
Followingseveralyearsofnegotiations,aninternationalagreement(Treaty)regulatingtheproductionanduseofCFCs,
HCFCs,halons,methylchloroformandcarbontetrachlorideenteredintoforceinmid1989.KnownasTheMontreal
Protocol, this landmark agreement initially required a production and consumption freeze. The Montreal Protocol
calledforastepwisereductionandeventualproductionphaseoutofvariousOzoneDepletingSubstancesindeveloped
countries.CFC'swerephasedoutofproductiononDecember31,1995.HCFCrefrigerantsarescheduledofphaseoutin
the future. When virgin supplies of CFC's are depleted, future supplies will come from recovered, recycled, or re
claimedrefrigerants.

THETHREE"R's(RecoverRecycleReclaim)
Theprocessesofrecovery,recycling,andreclaimingsoundsimilar,buttheyarequitedifferent.

RECOVERistoremoverefrigerantinanyconditionfromasystemandstoreitinanexternalcontainer.

RECYCLE is to clean refrigerant for reuse by separating the oil from the refrigerant and removing moisture from the
refrigerantbypassingitthroughoneormorefilterdriers.

RECLAIM is to process refrigerant to a level equal to new (virgin) product specifications as determined by chemical
analysis.RECLAIMEDrefrigerantmustmeetthestandardsetforthinARI700beforeitcanberesold.

RECOVERYDEVICES
Refrigerant Recovery and/or Recycling equipment manufactured after November 15, 1993, must be certified and la
beledbyanEPAapprovedequipmenttestingorganizationtomeetEPAstandards.Therearetwobasictypesofrecov
erydevices.

1) Systemdependent which captures refrigerant with the assistance of components in the appliance from which
refrigerantisbeingrecovered.2)"Selfcontainedwhichhasitsownmeanstodrawtherefrigerantoutofthe
appliance.

*(althoughthecurrentfineishigher$27,500istheamountreflectedontheEPAexam.)

2
SALESRESTRICTION
As of November 14, 1994, the saleof CFC and HCFC refrigerants is restricted to certified technicians. Only techni
cianscertifiedunderCleanAirActSection609(MotorVehicleAirConditioning)areallowedtopurchaserefrigerantsin
containerssmallerthan20lbs.

SUBSTITUTEREFRIGERANTSANDOILS
Our industry is in a state of change. New refrigerants, blends of older refrigerants, and different oils have ap
pearedinthefield.

R134aisaHFCandisconsideredOzonefriendly.R134aistheleadingcandidateforCFCR12retrofit,butitisnota
dropinsubstitute.Actually,thereisn'tadropinalternative,butR134acanbeusedinmostR12systemsbyfollowing
appropriateretrofitprocedures.R134awillnotmixwithmostrefrigerantoils.TheoilsusedinmostR134arefrigera
tionsystemsareESTERS.Esterscannotbemixedwithotheroils.Itisalsoimportanttorememberthatwhenleaktesting
anR134asystemtousepressurizednitrogen.

Thereareseveralrefrigerantblendscommonlyinuse.SomeoftheblendsarecalledTernary,whichmeanstheyarea
threepartblend.Ternaryblendsareusedwithasyntheticalkylbenzenelubricant.Makecertainyouareusingthecor
rectoilfortherefrigerant.Mostrefrigerantoilsarehygroscopic.Hygroscopicoilhasahighaffinityforwater.Anoil
sampleshouldbetakenandanalyzedifasystemhashadamajorcomponentfailure.

Thereissomespecificinformationyouwillneedtoknowaboutblends.First,thecomponentsofablendedrefrigerant
will leak from a system at uneven rates due to different vapor pressures. Second, the proper charging method for
blended refrigerants is to weigh into the high side of the system as a liquid. A term you will need to know is
temperature glide. Temperature glide refers to a refrigerant blend that has a range of boiling points or condensing
pointsthroughouttheevaporatorandcondenserrespectively

Other blends may be azeotropic. An azeotropic mixture acts like a single component refrigerant over its entire tem
perature/pressurerange.Anazeotropedoesnothaveatemperatureglide.

RECOVERYTECHNIQUES
Now that recovery is the law, many contractors have increased their service rates to help offset the cost of recovery
equipmentandrecoverytime.Somecustomershavecomplainedabouttheincreasedcostofservice.Tojustifythein
crease,simplyexplainthatyouaredutyboundandrequiredbylawtorecoverrefrigerantsinordertoprotecttheenvi
ronmentandhumanhealth.

EPAregulationsrequireaserviceapertureorprocessstubonallappliancesthatuseaClassIorClassIIrefrigerantinorder
tomakeiteasiertorecoverrefrigerant.

Whenservicingasystem,ifyoudiscoverthattwoormorerefrigerantshavebeenmixedinasystem,youmustre
coverthemixtureintoaseparatetank.ItisimportantNOTtomixdifferentrefrigerantsinthesamerecoverytankbe
causethemixturemaybeimpossibletoreclaim.Recoveronlyonetypeofrefrigerantintoarecoverycylinder.

Ifastrongodorisdetectedduringtherecoveryprocess,acompressorburnouthaslikelyoccurred.Whenrecoveringre
frigerantfromasystemthatexperiencedacompressorburnout,watchforsignsofcontaminationintheoil.After
recoveringrefrigerant,ifnitrogenisusedtoflushdebrisoutofthesystem,thenitrogenmaybelegallyvented.Asuc
tionlinefilterdriershouldbeinstalledtotrapanydebristhatmaydamagethenewcompressor.

Thelengthofthehosebetweentheunitbeingrecoveredfromandtherecoverymachinewillgreatlyeffecttheeffi
ciencyoftherecoveryprocess.Longhoseswillcauseexcessivepressuredrop,increasedrecoverytime,andhaveapo
tentialforincreasedemissions.Sinceallrefrigerantshaveapressuretemperaturerelationship,thelowertheambient
temperature,theslowertherecoveryrate.

After completing the transfer of liquid refrigerant between a recovery unit and a refrigeration system, you should
guardagainsttrappingliquidrefrigerantbetweentheservicevalves.

3
LEAKDETECTION
Inordertodeterminethegeneralareaofaleakuseanelectronicorultrasonicleakdetector.Oncethegeneralareaof
theleakislocatedtheuseofsoapbubbleswillpinpointtheleak.
DEHYDRATION
Properdehydrationproceduresthroughevacuationareimportanttofollow.

Aseverytechnicianknows,thereasonfordehydratingarefrigerationsystemistoremovewaterandwatervapor.If
moisture is allowed to remain in an operating refrigeration system, hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids may form.
Evacuationofasystemisthesuggestedmethodofdehydration.Itisnotpossibletooverevacuateasystem.

Neverevacuateasystemtotheambientairwithoutfirstfollowingproperrecoveryproceduresandattainingtheman
datedvacuumlevel.

Thefactorsaffectingthespeedandefficiencyofevacuationare;sizeofequipmentbeingevacuated,ambienttempera
ture, amount of moisture in the system, the size of the vacuum pump and suction line. In addition, vacuum lines
shouldbeequaltoorlargerthanthepumpintakeconnection.Thepipingconnectiontothepumpshouldbeasshorta
lengthaspossibleandaslargeindiameteraspossible.Thesystemvacuumgaugeshouldbeconnectedasfaraspossi
blefromthevacuumpump.Measuringasystemsvacuumshouldbedonewiththesystemisolatedandthevacuum
pumpturnedoff.Asystemthatwillnotholdavacuumprobablyhasaleak.Duringevacuationyoumaywishtoheat
therefrigerationsystemtodecreasedehydrationtime.Dehydrationiscompletewhenthevacuumgaugeshowsthat
youhavereachedandheldtherequiredfinishedvacuum.
(Seewatervaporizationchartinbackofmanual.)

RECOVERYCYLINDERS
Recoverycylindersdifferinmanywaysfromdisposablecylinders.Disposablecylindersareusedonlywithvirginre
frigerantandmayNEVERbeusedforrecovery.

Recoverycylindersarespecificallydesignedtoberefilled.Recoverycylindershave2ports,oneliquidandonevapor.
Caremustbetakennottooverfillorheatthesecylinders,therebycausinganexplosion.TheEPArequiresthatarefilla
blerefrigerantcylinderMUSTNOTBEFILLEDABOVE80%ofitscapacitybyweight,andthatthesafefillinglevelcanbe
controlledbyeithermechanicalfloatdevices,electronicshutoffdevices(thermistors),orweight.Refillablecylinders
mustbehydrostaticallytestedanddatestampedevery5years.

RefillablecylindersusedfortransportingrecoveredpressurizedrefrigerantmustbeDOT(DepartmentofTransporta
tion)approved.Approvedrefrigerantrecoverycylinderscaneasilybeidentifiedbytheircolors,YELLOWTOPSAND
GRAYBODIES.AllrefrigerantrecoverycylindersshouldbeinspectedforRUST.Iftheyshowsignsofrustorappearto
notbesecuretheyshouldbereducedto0psiganddiscarded.

4
SAFETY
TheEPAisnotonlyconcernedwiththepreventionofrefrigerantventing,butisalsoconcernedwiththetechnicians
overall safety. When handling and filling refrigerant cylinders, or operating recovery or recycling equipment, you
shouldwearsafetyglasses,protectivegloves,andfollowallequipmentmanufacturerssafetyprecautions.

Whenpressurizingasystemwithnitrogen,youshouldalwayschargethroughapressureregulatorandinsertarelief
valveinthedownstreamlinefromthepressureregulator.ReliefvalvesMUSTNOTbeinstalledinseries.Ifcorrosion
buildupisfoundwithinthebodyofareliefvalve,thevalveMUSTbereplaced.

Whenleakcheckingasystem,NEVERpressurizethesystemwithoxygenorcompressedair.Whenmixedwithrefriger
ants,oxygenorcompressedaircancauseanexplosion.Todeterminethesafepressureforleaktesting,checkthedata
plateforthelowsidetestpressurevalue.

WhenusingrecoverycylindersandequipmentwithSchradervalves,itiscriticaltoinspecttheSchradervalvecorefor
leaks,bendsandbreakage.Replacedamagedvalvecorestopreventleakage,andalwayscapSchraderportstoprevent
accidentaldepressionofthevalvecore.NEVERheatarefrigerantcylinderwithanopenflame.Donotcutorbrazere
frigerantlinesonachargedunit.

In the event of a large release of refrigerant in a confined area, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) is re
quired.Ifalargeleakofrefrigerantoccursinanenclosedarea,andSCBAisnotavailable,IMMEDIATELYVACATEAND
VENTILATEthearea.Inlargequantities,refrigerantscancausesuffocationbecausetheyareheavierthanairanddis
placeoxygen.Inhalingrefrigerantvaporsormistmaycauseheartirregularities,unconsciousness,andoxygendepriva
tionleadingtodeath(asphyxia).

NEVERexposeR12orR22toopenflamesorglowinghotmetalsurfaces.Athightemperatures,R12andR22decom
posetoformHydrochloricacid,Hydrofluoricacid,andPhosgenegas.

Alwaysreviewthematerialsafetydatasheets,whenworkingwithanysolvents,chemicals,orrefrigerants.

SHIPPING&TRANSPORTING
Beforeshippinganyusedrefrigerantcylinders,checkthatthecylindermeetsDOTstandards,completetheshipping
paperwork including the number of cylinders of each refrigerant, and properly label the cylinder with the type and
amountofrefrigerant.Cylindersshouldbetransportedinanuprightposition.EachcylindermustbemarkedwithaDOT
classificationtagindicatingitisa2.2nonflammablegas.Somestatesmayrequirespecialshippingprocedurestobe
followedbasedontheirclassificationofusedrefrigerants.CheckwiththeDOTinyourstate.

5
 TYPEICERTIFICATION

Techniciansservicingsmallappliancesexceptmotorvehicleairconditioning(MVAC)mustbecertifiedinrefrigerant
recovery if they perform sealed system service.TheEPAdefinitionofasmallapplianceincludesproductsmanufac
tured,charged,andhermeticallysealedinafactorywithfivepoundsofrefrigerantorless.Personshandlingrefriger
antduringmaintenance,serviceorrepairofsmallappliancesmustbecertifiedaseitheraTypeITechnicianorasaUni
versalTechnician.IfEPAregulationschangeafteratechnicianbecomescertified,itwillbetheresponsibilityofthetechni
ciantocomplywithanyfuturechanges.ThesaleofCFCsandHCFCsisrestrictedtocertifiedtechnicians.

EQUIPMENTREQUIREMENTS
RecoveryequipmentmanufacturedbeforeNovember15,1993mustbecapableofremoving80%oftherefrigerant,
whetherornotthecompressorisoperating,orachieve4inchvacuumundertheconditionsofARI740.

RecoveryequipmentmanufacturedafterNovember15,1993,mustbecertifiedbyanEPAapprovedtestinglabora
tory,(example,U.L.orE.T.L)ascapableofrecovering90%oftherefrigerantifthecompressorisoperating,80%ofthe
refrigerantifthecompressorisnotoperating,orachievinga4inchvacuumundertheconditionsofARI740.

All equipment must be equipped with low loss fittings that can be manually closed, or close automatically, when
hosesaredisconnectedtominimizetherefrigerantloss.

ThefollowingchartisdesignedtoaidyouinmemorizingtheEPArequirements.

LEAKREPAIRREQUIREMENTS
TheEPAdoesnotrequireleakrepairforsmallappliances,butleaksshouldberepairedwheneverpossible.

RECOVERYTECHNIQUES
Beforebeginningarefrigerantrecoveryprocedure,itisnecessarytoknowthetypeofrefrigerantthatisinthesys
tem.Ifareclamationfacilityreceivesatankofmixedrefrigerant,theymayrefusetoprocesstherefrigerantandre
turnitattheowner'sexpense.Theymayagreetodestroytherefrigerant,buttypicallyasubstantialfeeischarged.
Donotmixrefrigerantsinarecoverytank.

Selfcontained(active)recoveryequipmenthasitsownmeansofremovingrefrigerantfromappliancesandiscapa
bleofreachingtherequiredrecoveryrateswhetherornottheappliancecompressorisoperable.Selfcontainedre
coveryequipmentstoresrefrigerantinapressurizedrecoverytank.Beforeoperatingaselfcontainedrecoveryma
chine, make sure that the tank inlet valve is open, and that the recovery tank does not contain excessive non
condensables,(air).Obtainingaccuratepressurereadingsofrefrigerantinsidearecoverycylinderisnecessarytodetect
excessivenoncondensables.Theonlywaytoreadrefrigerantpressureaccuratelyisatastable,knowntemperature.
Airinarefrigerationsystemwillcausehigherdischargepressures.Followtheoperatinginstructionssuppliedbythe
recovery equipment manufacturer regarding purging of noncondensables. All refrigerant recovery equipment
shouldbecheckedforoillevelandrefrigerantleaksonadailybasis.

Asystemdependent(passive)recoveryprocessforsmallappliancescapturesrefrigerantintoanonpressurizedcon
tainer.Thesearespecialcharcoalactivatedplasticbagcontainers.Systemdependentequipmentcapturesrefrig
erantwiththeassistanceoftheappliancecompressor,anexternalheatsource,oravacuumpump0.Astandardvac
uumpumpcanonlybeusedasarecoverydeviceincombinationwithanonpressurizedcontainer.
6
Withsystemdependantrecoveryequipment,somespecialproceduresmaybenecessary,dependingonthecondi
tionoftheappliance.Whenusingasystemdependentrecoveryprocessonanappliancewithanoperatingcom
pressor,runthecompressorandrecoverfromthehighsideofthesystem.Usually,oneaccessfittingonthehigh
sidewillbesufficienttoreachtherequiredrecoveryrate,astheappliancecompressorshouldbecapableof
pushingtherefrigeranttothehighside.

Iftheappliancehasanonoperatingcompressor,accesstoboththelowandhighsideofthesystemmaybe
necessary.Inordertoachievetherequiredrecoveryefficiency,itwillbenecessarytotakemeasurestohelp
releasetrappedrefrigerantfromthecompressoroil,(heatandtapthecompressorseveraltimesand/orusea
vacuumpump).Becauseapplianceswithnonoperatingcompressorscannotalwaysachievedesiredevacuation
rates utilizing systemdependent recovery equipment, the EPA requires technicians to have at least one self
containedrecoverydeviceavailableattheshoptorecoverrefrigerantfromsystemswithnonoperatingcompres
sors.Theexceptiontothisruleistechniciansworkingonsmallappliancesonly.Systemdependentdevicesmay
onlybeusedonappliancescontaining15lbs.ofrefrigerantorless.

Smallappliancesareequippedwithastraightpieceoftubingthatcanbeusedtoinstallapiercingtypeaccessfit
ting.Wheninstallinganaccessfittingontoasealedsystem,thefittingshouldbeleaktestedbeforeproceeding
withrecovery.Itisgenerallyrecommendedthatsolderlesspiercingtypevalvesonlybeusedoncopperoralumi
numtubingmaterial.Thesefittingstendtoleakovertimeandshouldnotbeleftonanapplianceasapermanent
servicefixture.Afterinstallinganaccessfitting,ifyoufindthatthesystempressureis0psig.,donotbeginthe
recoveryprocess.Iftheapplianceisequippedwithadefrostheater,suchasinadomesticfrostfreerefrigerator,
operating the defrost heater will help to vaporize any trapped liquid refrigerant and will speed the recovery
process. If a strong odor is detected during the recovery process, a compressor burnout has likely occurred.
Whenrecoveringrefrigerantfromasystemthatexperiencedacompressorburnout,watchforsignsofcon
taminationintheoil.Afterrecoveringrefrigerant,ifnitrogenisusedtoflushdebrisoutofthesystem,thenitro
genmaybelegallyvented.

Refrigeratorsbuiltbefore1950mayhaveusedMethylFormate,MethylChloride,orSulfurDioxideasrefrigerant
andshouldnotberecoveredwithcurrentrecoverydevices.Smallappliancesusedincampersorotherrecreational
vehiclesmayuserefrigerantssuchasAmmonia,Hydrogen,orWater,andthereforeshouldnotberecoveredus
ingcurrentrecoveryequipment.

Whenfillingagraduatedchargingcylinderwitharegulatedrefrigerant,therefrigerantvaporthatisventedoff
thetopofthecylindermustberecovered.

SAFETY&SHIPPING
ThesafetyandshippingrequirementsforTYPEIcertificationarecoveredintheCOREsectionofthismanual.

7
 TYPEIICERTIFICATION
Techniciansmaintaining,servicing,repairingordisposingofhighpressureorveryhighpressureappliances,except
smallappliancesandmotorvehicleairconditioningsystems(MVAC),mustbecertifiedasaTypeIITechnicianora
UniversalTechnician.

LEAKDETECTION
Aftertheinstallationofanytypeofsystem,theunitshouldfirstbepressurizedwithnitrogen(aninertgas)andleak
checked.Inordertodeterminethegeneralareaofaleakuseanelectronicorultrasonicleakdetector.Oncethegen
eralareaoftheleakislocatedtheuseofsoapbubbleswillpinpointtheleak.

Arefrigerationunitusinganopencompressorthathasnotbeenusedinseveralmonthsislikelytoleakfromtherotat
ingshaftseal.Duringavisualinspectionofanytypeofsystem,tracesofoilareanindicatorofarefrigerantleak.Exces
sivesuperheat,causedbyalowrefrigerantcharge,isalsoanindicationofaleakinahighpressuresystem.

LEAKREPAIRREQUIREMENTS
EPAregulationsrequirethatallcomfort cooling appliances containing more than 50 lbs.ofrefrigerantMUSTbere
pairedwhentheannualleakrateexceeds15%.

EPAregulationsrequirethatallCommercialandIndustrialProcessRefrigerationcontainingmorethan50lbs.ofre
frigerantMUSTberepairedwhentheannualleakrateexceeds35%.

RECOVERYTECHNIQUES
ProperrecoverytechniquesbeginwiththeuseofappropriaterecoveryequipmentthathasbeencertifiedbyanEPA
approvedlaboratory(ULorETL)tomeetorexceedARIstandards.

Recoveredrefrigerantsmaycontainacids,moisture,andoil.Itisthereforenecessarytofrequentlycheckandchange
boththeoilandfilteronarecyclingmachine.Bothrecyclingandrecoveryequipmentusinghermeticcompressors
havethepotentialtooverheatwhendrawingadeepvacuumbecausetheunitreliesontheflowofrefrigerantthrough
thecompressorforcooling.Beforeusingarecoveryunityoushouldalwayschecktheservicevalvepositions,theoil
leveloftherecoveryunit,andevacuateandrecoveranyremainingrefrigerantfromtheunitsreceiver.

Techniciansworkingwithmultiplerefrigerants,beforerecoveringand/orrecyclingadifferentrefrigerant,mustpurge
therecover/recycleequipmentbyrecoveringasmuchofthefirstrefrigerantaspossible,changethefilter,andevacu
ate. The only exception to this rule is for technicians working with R134a who must provide a special set of hoses,
gauges,vacuumpump,recoveryorrecovery/recyclingmachine,andoilcontainerstobeusedwithR134aonly.

Althoughrecoveringrefrigerantinthevaporphasewillminimizethelossofoil,recoveringasmuchaspossibleinthe
liquidphasecanreducerecoverytime.Thetechnicianmaychoosetospeeduptherecoveryprocessbypackingthere
coverycylinderiniceand/orapplyingheattotheappliance.Afterrecoveringliquidrefrigerant,anyremaining vapor is
condensedbytherecoverysystem.

Whenperformingrefrigerantsystemserviceonaunitthathasareceiver/storagetank,refrigerantshouldbeplacedin
the receiver. Refrigerant should be removed from the condenser outlet if the condenser is below the receiver. In a
buildingthathasanaircooledcondenserontheroofandanevaporatoronthefirstfloor,recoveryshouldbeginfrom
theliquidlineenteringtheevaporator.

After recovery, refrigerant may be returned to the appliance from which it was removed or to another appliance
ownedbythesamepersonwithoutbeingrecycledorreclaimed,unlesstheapplianceisanMVAC(MotorVehicleAir
Conditioner) like appliance. The technicianshould always evacuate an empty recovery cylinder before transferring
refrigerant to the cylinder. Quick couplers, selfsealing hoses, or hand valves should be used (as low loss fittings) to
minimizerefrigerantreleasewhenhosesareconnectedanddisconnected.

8
RECOVERYREQUIREMENTS
RefrigerantRecoveryand/orRecyclingequipmentmanufacturedafterNovember15,1993,mustbecertifiedand
labeledbyanEPAapprovedequipmenttestingorganizationtomeetEPAstandards.

Thefollowingisalistoftherequiredrecoverylevels(ininchesofmercury)forTypeIIappliances:

Type of Appliance Equipment Manufacture Date

Before 11/15/93 After 11/15/93
HCFC-22 appliances or isolated components 0 0
of such appliances normally containing less
than 200 lbs. of refrigerant.

HCFC-22 appliances or isolated components 4 10

of such appliances normally containing
more than 200 lbs. of refrigerant.
Other high pressure appliances or isolated 4 10
component of such appliance normally
containing less than 200 lbs. of refrigerant.
Other high pressure appliances or isolated 4 15
component of such appliance normally
containing more than 200 lbs. of refrigerant.

Very high pressure appliances 0 0

Afterreachingthedesiredvacuum,thetechnicianshouldwaitafewminutestoseeifthesystempressurerises,
indicatingthatthereisstillrefrigerantinliquidformorintheoil.Appliancescanbeevacuatedtoatmospheric
pressure(Opsig)ifleaksmakeevacuationtotheprescribedlevelunattainable.Thetechnicianmustisolatea
parallelcompressorsysteminordertorecoverrefrigerant.Failuretoisolateaparallelcompressorsystemwill
cause an open equalization connection that will prevent refrigerant recovery. Systemdependant recovery
equipmentcannotbeusedonappliancescontainingmorethan15poundsofrefrigerant.

UnderEPAregulations,amajorrepairmeansanymaintenance,serviceorrepairinvolvingtheremovalofany
or all of the following components: the compressor, the condenser, the evaporator or an auxiliary heat ex
changercoil.

REFRIGERATIONNOTES(Reviewvapor/compressionsysteminintroduction)
Formanyyears,themostcommonrefrigerantusedinresidentialsplitairconditioningsystemswasR22,butwiththe
currentchangesintheindustry,readthenameplatetodeterminethetypeofrefrigerantused.

Filterdrierswillremovemoisturefromtherefrigerantinasystem,butthereisalimittotheircapacity.Somesys
temsareequippedwithamoistureindicatingsightglass.Whenthesightglasschangescolor,thesystemcontains
excessivemoistureandwillneedtobeevacuated.Thefilterdriershouldbereplacedanytimeasystemisopenedfor
servicing.Ifastrongodorisdetectedduringtherecoveryprocess,acompressorburnoutmayhaveoccurred.When
recoveringrefrigerantfromasystemthatexperiencedacompressorburnout,watchforsignsofcontaminationinthe
oil.

Acrankcaseheaterisoftenusedtopreventrefrigerantfrommigratingtotheoilduringperiodsoflowambienttem
perature.Refrigerantintheoilwillcauseoilfoaminginthecompressoratstartup.

Whenevacuatingavaporcompressionsystem,thevacuumpumpshouldbecapableofpulling500microns(29.90hg.)
ofvacuum.Themoreaccurateandpreferredmethodofmeasuringadeepvacuumisinmicrons.

Warning:Ahermeticcompressor'smotorwindingcouldbedamagedifenergizedwhenunderadeepvacuum.

The use of a large vacuum pump could cause trapped water to freeze. During evacuation of systems with large
amountsofwater,itmaybenecessarytoincreasepressurebyintroducingnitrogentocounteractfreezing.

Thesourceofmostnoncondensablesisair.Noncondensableswillcausehigherdischargepressures.

Wherethereisariskoffreezing,chargingofanR12refrigerationsystemshouldbeginwithvaporfromavacuumlevel
toapressureofapproximately33psig.followedbyaliquidchargethroughtheliquidlineservicevalve.Thisisalsothe
propermethodtochargeasystemthatcontainsalargequantityofrefrigerant.

SAFETY(AdditionalSafetyandshippinginformationiscoveredinthecoresectionofthismanual.)
ASHRAEstandard15requiresarefrigerantsensorthatwillsoundanalarmandautomaticallystartaventilationsystem
inoccupiedequipmentroomswhererefrigerantfromaleakwillconcentrate.

RefrigerantsCFC12,CFC11,andHFC134aarecategorizedasA1.

Allrefrigerationsystemsmustbeprotectedbyapressurereliefvalve(s)(mustnotbeinstalledinseries).

NEVERenergizeareciprocatingcompressorifthedischargeservicevalveisclosed.

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TYPEIIICERTIFICATION
Technicians maintaining, servicing, repairing or disposing of lowpressure appliances must be certified as a Type III
TechnicianoraUniversalTechnician.

AsofNovember14,1994,thesaleofCFCandHCFCrefrigerantsisrestrictedtocertifiedtechnicians.

NOTE:IfEPAregulationschangeafterthetechnicianiscertified,itwillbethetechnician'sresponsibilitytocomplywith
anyfuturechanges.

LEAKDETECTION
Becausealowpressuresystemoperatesbelowatmosphericpressure(inavacuum),leaksinthegasketsorfittingswill
causeairandmoisturetoenterthesystem.

Themostefficientmethodofleakcheckingachargedlowpressurerefrigerationunitistopressurizethesystembythe
useofcontrolledhotwaterorheaterblankets.Whencontrolledhotwaterorheaterblanketsarenotfeasible,usenitro
gentoincreasesystempressure.Whenpressurizingasystem,donotexceed10psig.Exceeding10psigcancausethe
rupturedisctofail.Whenleaktestingawaterbox,becertainthewaterhasbeenremovedbeforeplacingtheleakde
tectorprobethroughthedrainvalve.Toleaktestatube,useahydrostatictubetestkit.Systemswithopendrivecom
pressorsarepronetoleaksattheshaftseal.

Controlledhotwatercanbeusedtopressurizeasystemforthepurposeofopeningthesystemforanonmajorre
pair.UnderEPAregulations,amajorrepairmeansanymaintenance,serviceorrepairinvolvingtheremovalofanyor
allofthefollowingcomponents:thecompressor,thecondenser,theevaporatororanyauxiliaryheatexchangercoil.

LEAKREPAIRREQUIREMENTS
EPAregulationsrequirethatallcomfort cooling appliancescontaining more than 50 lbs. ofrefrigerantberepaired
whentheannualleakrateexceeds15%.

EPAregulationsrequirethatallcommercialandindustrialprocessrefrigerationcontainingmorethan50lbs.ofrefrig
erantberepairedwhentheannualleakrateexceeds35%.
(SeeTypeIIfordefinitionofcommercialandindustrialappliances.)

RECOVERYTECHNIQUES
Arecoveryunit'shighpressurecutoutissetfor10psigwhenevacuatingtherefrigerantfromalowpressurechiller
andarupturedisconalowpressurerecoveryvesselrelievesat15psig.

RefrigerantrecoveryfromasystemusingR11orR123startswithliquidremovalandisfollowedbyvaporrecovery.
Asubstantialamountofvaporwillremainintheapplianceafterallliquidisremoved.Forinstance,anaverage350ton
R11chillerat0psigstillcontains100lbs.ofvaporafteralltheliquidhasbeenremoved.

Watermustbecirculatedthroughthetubeswhenevacuatingrefrigerantinordertopreventfreezingthewater.Most
lowpressure recovery machines utilize a watercooled condenser that is connected to the municipal water supply.
When recovering refrigerant, the system water pumps, the recovery compressor, and the recovery condenser water
should all be on. If a chiller is suspected of tube leaks, the water sides of the evaporator and condenser should be
drainedpriortorecoveringtherefrigerant.

TheASHRAEGuideline31996statesthatifthepressureinasystemrisesfrom1mmHgtoalevelabove2.5mmHg
duringvacuumtesting,thesystemshouldbeleakchecked.

Atemperatureof130Fshouldbeattainedwhenremovingoilfromalowpressuresystem.Lessrefrigerantiscon
tainedintheoilatthishighertemperature.

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RECHARGINGTECHNIQUES
Refrigerantisaddedthroughthelowestaccesspointonthesystem,theevaporatorchargingvalve.However,intro
ducingliquidrefrigerantintoadeepvacuumwillcausetherefrigeranttoboilandmaylowertemperaturesenoughto
freezewaterinthetubes.Therefore,initialchargingisinthevaporphase.Beforechargingwithliquid,anR11refrig
erationsystemrequiresavaporpressureof16.9hg.vacuum,orasaturationtemperatureof36F.
RECOVERYREQUIREMENTS
Refrigerant Recovery and/or Recycling equipment manufactured after November 15, 1993, must be certified and la
beledbyanEPAapprovedequipmenttestingorganizationtomeetEPAstandards.Allequipmentmusthavelowloss
fittingstominimizerefrigerantlosswhenhosesaredisconnected.

ThefollowingisalistoftherequiredlevelsofevacuationforLowPressureappliances:

UsingrecoveryorrecyclingequipmentmanufacturedorimportedbeforeNov.15,1993
25inchesHg

UsingrecoveryorrecyclingequipmentmanufacturedorimportedonorafterNov.15,1993
25mmHgabsolute

Oncetherequiredvacuumhasbeenachieved,thetechnicianshouldwaitforafewminutesandmonitorthesystempres
sure.Ifthepressurerises,indicatingthatthereisrefrigerantremaininginthesystem,recoverymustberepeated.When
leaksinanappliancemakeevacuationtotheprescribedlevelunattainable,theapplianceshouldbeevacuatedtothe
lowestattainablelevelpriortoamajorrepair.

REFRIGERATIONNOTES(Reviewvapor/compressionsysteminintroduction)
The use of a large vacuum pump could cause trapped water to freeze. During evacuation of systems with large
amountsofwater,itmaybenecessarytoincreasepressurebyintroducingnitrogentocounteractfreezing.

Ifastrongodorisdetectedduringtherecoveryprocess,acompressorburnoutmayhaveoccurred.Whenrecoveringre
frigerantfromasystemthatexperiencedacompressorburnout,watchforsignsofcontaminationintheoil.

BecausechillersusingrefrigerantssuchasCFC11andHCFC123operatebelowatmosphericpressure,theyrequirea
purge unit. The primary purpose of a purge unit is to remove noncondensables from the system. A centrifugal
chiller's purge condensing unit takes its suction from the top of the condenser, removes air and other non
condensables from the system, and returns refrigerant to the evaporator. Although a high efficiency purge unit dis
chargesalowpercentageofrefrigerantwiththeairtheyremove,frequentpurgingandsubsequentrefrigerantlosscan
indicatethataleakisallowingairintothesystem.Highdischargepressureisalsoanindicationofairinthesystem.Ex
cessivemoisturecollectioninthepurgeunitcanindicatetubeleakage.

To protect the system from overpressurization, lowpressure chillers typically use a rupture disc mounted on the
evaporatorhousing.Thetypicaldesignburstpressureforarupturediscis15psig.

SAFETY(AdditionalSafetyandshippinginformationiscoveredinthecoresectionofthismanual.)
ASHRAEstandard15requiresarefrigerantmonitorthatwillsoundanalarmandautomaticallystartaventilationsys
tem in equipment rooms before the refrigerant concentration reaches the TLVTWA, (threshold limit valuetime
weightedaverage).

ArefrigerantmonitorisrequiredforallASHRAErefrigerantsafetygroups.

CFC12,CFC11,andHFC134aarecodegroupedasA1.R123iscodegroupedasB1.

Allrefrigerationsystemsmustbeprotectedbyapressurereliefvalve(s)(mustnotbeinstalledinseries).

AdditionalSafetyandshippinginformationiscoveredinthecoresectionofthismanual.

12