EPA Section 608 Refrigerant Certification
Technicians who service, repair or dispose of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment must be certified under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act. The rules protect the atmosphere, but refrigerants also pose real hazards to the technicians handling them.
- HVAC
- Appliance technicians
- Maintenance
Photo: HVAC technician connecting a refrigerant recovery machine and cylinder to a rooftop unit, wearing gloves and safety glasses
Certification types
| Type | Covers |
|---|---|
| Type I | Small appliances (5 pounds of refrigerant or less), like window units and refrigerators |
| Type II | High-pressure and very high-pressure equipment, like most residential and commercial A/C |
| Type III | Low-pressure equipment, like many chillers |
| Universal | All three types |
Certification comes from an EPA-approved testing organization and doesn’t expire. Motor vehicle A/C work is covered by a separate certification under Section 609.
Key rules
- Knowingly venting refrigerants into the air is illegal
- Use certified recovery equipment and recover refrigerant before opening systems or disposing of equipment
- Only certified technicians can buy many regulated refrigerants
- Larger systems have leak repair and record-keeping requirements
Refrigerant hazards
- Frostbite: liquid refrigerant flashing to gas can freeze skin and eyes instantly. Wear gloves and safety glasses.
- Asphyxiation: refrigerants are heavier than air and can displace oxygen in basements, pits and machine rooms. Ventilate and use refrigerant detectors. See Inert Gas Asphyxiation.
- Toxic gases: some refrigerants break down into toxic gases when exposed to flame or very hot surfaces, like during brazing.
- Flammable refrigerants: newer low-GWP refrigerants rated A2L are mildly flammable, and some (A3, like propane R-290) are highly flammable. Use tools and procedures rated for them, and keep ignition sources away.
- Pressure: overfilled or heated recovery cylinders can rupture. Don’t fill above 80% of capacity.
Ammonia systems in industrial refrigeration have their own serious hazards and training requirements. See Ammonia Refrigeration.
Standards & references
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