EPA 608 Cheat Sheet (Quick Reference)
This is a study sheet, not something to take into the test. Type II, III and Universal exams are closed-book (Appendix D).
It puts the numbers that show up most on one page, each linked to the rule it comes from. Print it, learn it, then check yourself with the free EPA 608 practice test.
Required evacuation levels (Table 1, 40 CFR 82.156)
| Type of appliance | Recovery equipment made before Nov 15, 1993 | Recovery equipment made on or after Nov 15, 1993 |
|---|---|---|
| Very high-pressure appliance | 0 | 0 |
| High-pressure appliance, or isolated component of such appliance, with a full charge of less than 200 pounds of refrigerant | 0 | 0 |
| High-pressure appliance, or isolated component of such appliance, with a full charge of 200 pounds or more of refrigerant | 4 | 10 |
| Medium-pressure appliance, or isolated component of such appliance, with a full charge of less than 200 pounds of refrigerant | 4 | 10 |
| Medium-pressure appliance, or isolated component of such appliance, with a full charge of 200 pounds or more of refrigerant | 4 | 15 |
| Low-pressure appliance | 25 mm Hg absolute | 25 mm Hg absolute |
Small-appliance recovery
80% with recovery equipment made before Nov 15, 1993. With newer equipment, 90% if the compressor works and 80% if it doesn't. Or evacuate to 4 inches of mercury vacuum (82.156(b)).
Leak repair rates
| Appliance | Rate |
|---|---|
| Commercial refrigeration | 20% |
| Industrial process refrigeration | 30% |
| Comfort cooling and other appliances | 10% |
Repair within 30 days, or 120 days if an industrial process shutdown is needed. Applies to appliances with 50 lb or more of CFC or HCFC since April 10, 2020 (82.157), and to HFCs and other substitutes with GWP above 53 at 15 lb or more since January 1, 2026, excluding residential and light-commercial A/C and heat pumps (84.106).
How to calculate a leak rate
The rule allows two methods, and a facility must use the same one for all its appliances (82.152, "leak rate").
- Annualizing method: (pounds added ÷ full charge) ÷ (days since the last addition, or 365 if shorter, ÷ 365) × 100.
- Rolling average method: pounds added over the past 365 days (or since the last successful follow-up verification test, if shorter) ÷ full charge × 100.
Example, annualizing: a 100 lb comfort-cooling system takes 5 lb, 73 days after the last top-off. (5 ÷ 100) ÷ (73 ÷ 365) × 100 = 0.05 ÷ 0.2 × 100 = 25% a year. That's over the 10% trigger.
Test numbers
25 questions per section; 70% to pass (18 of 25); mail-in Type I 84%; Universal 100 questions (Appendix D).
System-dependent recovery limit
Not allowed on appliances with more than 15 lb of refrigerant, unless permanently attached as a pump-out unit (82.156(e)).
Refrigerant cylinder colors
Since January 2020, AHRI Guideline N calls for one paint color, RAL 7044, on all new refrigerant containers, and the label is the way to tell refrigerants apart. Flammable refrigerants still carry a red band on the shoulder or top (AHRI). It's an industry guideline, not an EPA rule. Older color charts online describe the pre-2020 system.
Reusable recovery cylinders are different: EPA's Core outline says to know their yellow-and-gray color code, and that they must be DOT-approved (EPA test topics). The outline doesn't say which part is which. The federal text that does is the car A/C rule: containers for used refrigerant from recover-only equipment "must be gray with a yellow top" (40 CFR 82 Subpart B, Appendix F, 6.3.1). That rule covers car A/C service equipment, not stationary systems, but it's the same yellow-and-gray scheme.
Recordkeeping: keep for 3 years
Keep a copy of your technician certificate until three years after you stop working as a tech (82.161(a)(4)). Techs disposing of appliances with more than 5 and less than 50 lb must keep disposal records for three years (82.156(a)(3)).
Practice the numbers
Type 2 practice test · Type 1 practice test · Type 3 practice test · study guide