20 original practice questions. Pick an answer to see whether you were right, why, and which code section it comes from.
The real exam is 100 questions in 2 hours, closed book, with a passing score of 70%.
Based on: 40 CFR Part 82 Subpart F.
0 of 20 answered
Question 1 of 20
What is the regulatory definition of a Type I 'small appliance'?
Not quite. The answer is A: Equipment that is manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory, containing 5 pounds or less of refrigerant
The Type I definition hinges on two things together: the appliance was sealed at the factory (not field-charged and field-sealed) and it holds 5 pounds or less of refrigerant. Both conditions matter — a field-assembled system with a small charge doesn't automatically qualify as Type I just because of its low refrigerant weight if it wasn't factory-sealed.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.152 (Definition of 'small appliance')
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.152. Definition: fully manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with 5 lb or less of refrigerant.
What distinguishes a 'high-pressure appliance' from a 'low-pressure appliance' under Section 608?
Not quite. The answer is A: The classification is by the refrigerant's liquid saturation pressure at 104 °F: high-pressure refrigerants (such as R-22 and R-410A) fall between 170 and 355 psia, while low-pressure refrigerants (such as R-123) fall below 45 psia, which means the low side of the system normally runs below atmospheric pressure
The pressure class is a property of the refrigerant, not the size or building type: high-pressure means a liquid saturation pressure of 170–355 psia at 104 °F (R-22, R-410A), low-pressure means below 45 psia (R-123, as in many centrifugal chillers). Refrigerants in between, such as R-134a (45–170 psia), are classed as medium-pressure — and the rule has Type II technicians cover medium-, high-, and very high-pressure appliances alike. Low-pressure systems run with their low side under vacuum, which is why their service and evacuation procedures differ so much.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.152; 82.161(a)(1) (Definitions of high-, medium-, and low-pressure appliance)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.152. Definitions are by liquid-phase saturation pressure at 104 °F: high 170–355 psia (e.g., R-22, R-410A), medium 45–170 psia (e.g., R-134a), low below 45 psia (e.g., R-123). § 82.161(a)(1)(ii) says Type II covers medium-, high-, and very high-pressure appliances.
What defines a 'low-pressure appliance' (Type III)?
Not quite. The answer is B: Equipment using a refrigerant whose liquid saturation pressure is below 45 psia at 104 °F (such as R-123 in many centrifugal chillers), so the low side normally runs below atmospheric pressure
Low-pressure appliances are defined by how the refrigerant behaves at the system's operating conditions — centrifugal chillers using low-pressure refrigerants like R-123 run with their low side under vacuum during normal operation, which is the opposite condition from every high-pressure (Type II) refrigerant and drives fundamentally different service, leak-detection, and evacuation procedures.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.152 (Definition of 'low-pressure appliance')
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.152. Definition: appliance using a refrigerant with a liquid-phase saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104 °F (examples R-11, R-123, R-113, R-245fa).
Under the current Section 608 leak-repair rule for appliances with a full charge of 50 pounds or more of an ozone-depleting refrigerant (such as R-22), a comfort-cooling appliance must be repaired (or retrofitted/retired) once its annual leak rate exceeds what level?
Not quite. The answer is B: 10%
Since the 2016 rule took effect on January 1, 2019, the comfort-cooling trigger is 10% of full charge per year (20% for commercial refrigeration, 30% for industrial process refrigeration). The older 15% comfort-cooling figure (35% for commercial and industrial) was the rule before 2019 and is the classic trap. The 2020 rule narrowed § 82.157 to appliances with 50 lb or more of ozone-depleting refrigerant such as R-22; leak repair for HFC-only appliances comes from the AIM Act rule (40 CFR 84.106) instead.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.157(a), (c)(2) (Leak-rate thresholds)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.157. (c)(2)(iii): 10 percent for comfort cooling and other appliances with 50+ lb; (c)(2)(i): 20 percent commercial refrigeration; (c)(2)(ii): 30 percent industrial process refrigeration. (a) limits the section to appliances with 50+ lb of class I/II refrigerant.
Does the Section 608 venting prohibition apply to low-pressure (Type III) appliances, given that these systems normally operate under vacuum rather than positive pressure?
Not quite. The answer is B: Yes — the venting prohibition applies to all regulated equipment, including low-pressure appliances, regardless of their normal operating pressure
The venting prohibition isn't limited to equipment that happens to run above atmospheric pressure — it applies across the board to regulated refrigerant, including the refrigerant charge inside a low-pressure chiller. The fact that the system normally sits under vacuum doesn't create any exemption once refrigerant is actually removed or released from the equipment.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.154(a)(1) (Venting prohibition)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.154. Applies to any appliance and any non-exempt refrigerant with no carve-out by operating pressure.
A technician disconnects a set of gauges from a system, and a small amount of refrigerant escapes from the hose during that disconnection. Is this a violation of the Section 608 venting prohibition?
Not quite. The answer is C: No — this qualifies as a 'de minimis' release, an unavoidable small quantity released while connecting or disconnecting service hoses and gauges, which is not treated as a venting violation
The venting prohibition targets knowing release, and the rule carves out de minimis releases from good-faith recovery work — the small amount that escapes when a hose or gauge is disconnected. The carve-out is conditional: it only holds when the technician is following the required evacuation practices, using certified recovery equipment, and is properly certified. It is not a license for careless practices or for deliberately releasing a system's charge to avoid recovery.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.154(a)(2) (De minimis releases)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.154. Paragraph (a)(2) exempts de minimis releases that occur during good-faith recovery when the listed practices are followed, including use of certified recovery equipment and certified technicians.
True or False: Even though HFC refrigerants have essentially zero ozone depletion potential, they are still regulated as 'substitute' refrigerants under the venting prohibition and related Section 608 requirements.
Not quite. The answer is A: True
Section 608's venting prohibition reaches substitute refrigerants as well as ozone-depleting ones. HFCs have essentially zero ozone depletion potential, but they are still non-exempt substitutes (only a short list such as CO2, nitrogen, water, and certain hydrocarbons in specific end-uses is exempt), so recovery equipment, technician certification, and the sales restriction still apply to them. Note the leak-repair rules under § 82.157 apply only to appliances with 50 lb or more of an ozone-depleting refrigerant; HFC appliances face leak repair under the separate AIM Act rule (40 CFR Part 84, Subpart C) instead.
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.154. Paragraph (a)(1) prohibits knowingly venting any refrigerant and lists the exempt substitutes (e.g., CO2, nitrogen, water, certain hydrocarbons); HFCs are not on that list. § 82.152 defines 'substitute' to include hydrofluorocarbons.
What does the regulatory term 'recover' mean with respect to refrigerant?
Not quite. The answer is B: To remove refrigerant, in any condition, from a system and store it in an external container without necessarily testing or processing it
Recovery is the foundational, lowest-bar step: get the refrigerant out of the equipment and into an approved container, regardless of what condition it's in. It doesn't imply any cleaning or purity testing — that's what distinguishes it from recycling or reclamation, both of which are additional processing steps performed after recovery.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.152 (Definition of 'recover')
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.152. Definition: remove refrigerant in any condition from an appliance and store it in an external container without necessarily testing or processing it.
Which of the following would typically be classified as a Type I small appliance?
Not quite. The answer is C: A factory-sealed household refrigerator, window air conditioner, or vending machine
Household refrigerators, window/room air conditioners, dehumidifiers, water coolers, and vending machines are classic examples of Type I equipment — small, factory-sealed, factory-charged units. A split-system AC that's field-charged after installation, or a large commercial chiller, doesn't meet the factory-sealed, low-charge definition and falls under different (Type II or Type III) categories instead.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.152 (Definition of 'small appliance' (examples))
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.152. The definition lists household/commercial refrigerators and freezers, room and window air conditioners, dehumidifiers, under-the-counter ice makers, vending machines, and drinking water coolers.
How should a technician determine the exact vacuum level (in inches of mercury) required to properly recover refrigerant from a specific high-pressure appliance?
Not quite. The answer is C: Look it up in the evacuation table (or the recovery equipment's certified specifications): the required level depends on the appliance's pressure class, whether its full charge is under or over 200 pounds, and when the recovery equipment was manufactured
Required evacuation levels for appliances other than small appliances are not one fixed number. Table 1 of § 82.156 sets them by pressure class (very high, high, medium, low), by whether the appliance's full charge is under or over 200 lb, and by whether the recovery equipment was made before or after November 15, 1993. A technician who memorizes a single number and applies it everywhere is exactly the failure mode this question tests for.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.156(a), Table 1 (Required levels of evacuation)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.156. Table 1 sets the level by pressure class, by whether full charge is under or over 200 lb, and by the manufacture date of the recovery equipment. It has no compressor-status variable.
In general, how do the required recovery evacuation levels for Type III (low-pressure) appliances compare to those for Type II (high-pressure) appliances?
Not quite. The answer is B: Type III generally requires a notably deeper vacuum (lower absolute pressure) than Type II, since low-pressure equipment already operates near vacuum during normal operation
Table 1 of § 82.156 requires low-pressure appliances to be evacuated to 25 mm Hg absolute, which is a much deeper vacuum than the 0 to 15 inches of mercury vacuum required for high- and medium-pressure appliances. The relationship — Type III deeper than Type II — is the safe, exam-relevant fact; note that Type III is specified in mm Hg absolute rather than inches of mercury vacuum.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.156(a), Table 1 (Required levels of evacuation)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.156. Table 1: low-pressure appliances must be evacuated to 25 mm Hg absolute, a deeper vacuum than any high- or medium-pressure row (0 to 15 in. Hg vacuum).
Which set of annual leak-rate repair triggers is correct under the current rule for appliances with 50 or more pounds of ozone-depleting refrigerant (comfort cooling / commercial refrigeration / industrial process refrigeration)?
Not quite. The answer is C: 10% / 20% / 30%
The current triggers are 10% for comfort cooling, 20% for commercial refrigeration, and 30% for industrial process refrigeration. Before 2019 the figures were 15% for comfort cooling and 35% for both commercial and industrial process refrigeration, which is why older study material is wrong on this point. Commercial and industrial equipment still gets a higher allowance than comfort cooling; the relationship matters as well as the numbers.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.157(c)(2) (Leak-rate thresholds)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.157. Current triggers are 10% comfort cooling, 20% commercial refrigeration, 30% industrial process refrigeration. The 15%/35%/35% figures were the pre-2019 rule (former § 82.156(i)).
True or False: The exhaust from a low-pressure chiller's purge unit may be vented to atmosphere without any monitoring or refrigerant-loss limitation, since the discharge is described as 'mostly air.'
Not quite. The answer is B: False
Purge unit discharge is not pure air: it carries some refrigerant along with the non-condensables. Knowingly releasing that refrigerant falls under the venting prohibition, and for covered appliances purged refrigerant counts toward the annual leak rate unless it is destroyed at a verified destruction efficiency of 98 percent or better. Waving off purge discharge as 'basically just air' ignores the refrigerant loss it can represent over the life of a chiller.
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.154. § 82.154(a)(1) prohibits knowingly releasing refrigerant; § 82.157(k) counts purged refrigerant toward the leak rate unless it is destroyed at 98% or better efficiency.
What restriction does Section 608 place on who may purchase regulated refrigerant?
Not quite. The answer is D: Regulated refrigerant may be sold only to a certified technician or to a buyer who employs one and provides proof to the seller (a few narrow exceptions exist, such as sales to appliance manufacturers), and the seller must keep sale records for three years
Certification exists to make sure whoever handles refrigerant knows how to recover it and avoid illegal venting, so the rule ties purchase of regulated refrigerant to certification: the buyer must be a certified technician, or must employ one and give the seller proof. Sellers must keep invoices (buyer name, date, quantity) and any proof of employment for three years. A distributor selling to an uncertified buyer is itself in violation, not merely the buyer.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.154(c) (Sales restriction)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.154. Paragraph (c)(1) limits sale of regulated refrigerant to certified buyers, buyers employing a certified technician (with proof), and a short list of other exceptions; (c)(3) requires the seller to keep invoices for three years.
Which title of the Clean Air Act established the U.S. stratospheric ozone protection program that Section 608 was written under?
Not quite. The answer is C: Title VI
Title VI of the Clean Air Act is specifically dedicated to stratospheric ozone protection, and Section 608 (the technician certification, recovery, and venting-prohibition rules HVAC/R technicians deal with daily) was promulgated under that title's authority. Knowing the statutory home of these rules helps a technician recognize that they are federal environmental law, not merely an industry best practice.
Reference: Clean Air Act § 608 (42 U.S.C. 7671g), Subchapter VI — Stratospheric Ozone Protection (National recycling and emission reduction program)
Checked against the official text
Read 42 U.S.C. 7671g, 'National recycling and emission reduction program', which sits in Chapter 85, Subchapter VI (Title VI of the Clean Air Act).
What does 'recycle' mean, and what is a key limitation on recycled refrigerant compared to reclaimed refrigerant?
Not quite. The answer is C: Recycling cleans refrigerant for reuse (oil separation and one or more passes through devices reducing moisture, acidity, and particulates), typically done at the job site or in-house, but it does not reach the verified purity of reclaimed refrigerant and is generally limited to reuse in equipment owned by the refrigerant's original owner
Recycling is a lighter-touch cleanup than reclamation — it removes the contaminants most likely to cause immediate problems (moisture, acid, particulates, oil) but isn't verified against a purity standard through chemical analysis, which is why recycled refrigerant is generally kept within the same ownership chain rather than sold on as if it were new. Reclamation goes further specifically so the refrigerant can safely re-enter commerce for anyone to use.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.152 (Definition of 'recycle')
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.152. Definition: extract and clean refrigerant for reuse in equipment of the same owner without meeting all reclamation requirements, typically via oil separation and filter-driers.
True or False: Required recovery for small (Type I) appliances is normally expressed as a percentage of the refrigerant charge recovered (90% with a working compressor, 80% without, using equipment made after November 1993), while larger high- and low-pressure appliances are held to the vacuum levels in the evacuation table.
Not quite. The answer is A: True
Small appliances are held to a percentage-recovered standard (the rule also lets a technician instead evacuate to 4 inches of mercury vacuum), while Type II and Type III appliances must be evacuated to the vacuum levels in Table 1 of § 82.156. Mixing these approaches up — expecting a percentage on a chiller, or a fixed vacuum reading as the only standard for a refrigerator — is a common and avoidable error.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.156(b) (Required recovery for small appliances)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.156. Small appliances: recover 90% (compressor working) or 80% (not working) with post-1993 equipment, 80% with older equipment, or evacuate to 4 in. Hg vacuum; other appliances use the Table 1 vacuum levels.
A high-pressure appliance (for example, one using R-22) has a full charge of 250 pounds and is being recovered with equipment manufactured after November 15, 1993. To what level must it be evacuated before it is opened?
Not quite. The answer is C: 10 inches of mercury vacuum
Table 1 of § 82.156 splits high-pressure appliances at 200 lb of full charge: under 200 lb requires 0 in. Hg (0 psig) with newer equipment, while 200 lb or more requires 10 in. Hg. The 4 in. Hg figure is the level for 200-lb-plus high-pressure appliances when older (pre-November 1993) equipment is used, and 15 in. Hg is the newer-equipment level for medium-pressure appliances of 200 lb or more. Compressor status does not change these levels; it matters only for the percentage standard on small appliances.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.156(a), Table 1 (Required levels of evacuation)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.156. Table 1: high-pressure appliance with a full charge of 200 lb or more, using recovery equipment made on or after Nov. 15, 1993, must be evacuated to 10 in. Hg vacuum (under 200 lb: 0 in. Hg).
Is a standard recovery machine designed and rated for Type II high-pressure work automatically adequate for recovering refrigerant from a Type III low-pressure chiller?
Not quite. The answer is B: No — Type III work requires recovery/vacuum equipment specifically rated and capable of pulling and holding the deeper vacuum levels low-pressure equipment demands; a machine adequate for Type II work is not automatically adequate for Type III
Equipment capability has to match the job — a recovery machine built and rated for the shallower vacuum levels typical of Type II work will not necessarily be able to pull or hold the much deeper vacuum a low-pressure chiller requires. Assuming any certified recovery machine works for any appliance type, regardless of its own rated performance, is a real equipment-selection mistake, distinct from the technician's own certification credentials.
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.154. Equipment must be certified for that type of refrigerant and appliance; § 82.158 Table 2 sets separate evacuation capabilities by appliance type, including low-pressure.
Once a covered appliance's leak rate is identified as exceeding its applicable repair trigger, what is the classic Section 608 timeframe historically taught for completing the repair?
Not quite. The answer is D: 30 days
Once refrigerant is added to an appliance whose leak rate exceeds its trigger, the owner has 30 days (120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) to find and repair the leaks, with a certified technician doing the leak inspection. The owner can instead elect to retrofit or retire the appliance under a written plan, completed within one year. Limited extensions exist (for example, parts that are not available), but they require documentation and a request to EPA. The same 30-day clock also applies under the AIM Act rule for HFC appliances (40 CFR 84.106).
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.157. (d): identify and repair leaks within 30 days (120 days if an industrial process shutdown is required) of the addition that shows the leak rate exceeded; (e): initial and follow-up verification tests; (h): retrofit/retirement plan within 30 days if not repairing.
Trade Code Wizard is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed by the International Code Council (ICC), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), IAPMO, the ESCO Institute, NATE, HVAC Excellence, NASCLA, NICET, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PSI, Prov, Pearson VUE, or any state or local licensing board. Exam and code names are used only to identify which examination this study material prepares you for.
These are original practice questions written to publicly published exam content outlines. They are not actual exam questions, and they do not reproduce code text. Explanations cite code sections and state requirements in our own words — always verify against the code edition your jurisdiction has adopted, which may differ from the edition cited here.
Passing is not guaranteed. This is study material, not a substitute for the adopted code, for your licensing board's requirements, or for qualified instruction.