True or False: A small amount of refrigerant that escapes while a technician is connecting or disconnecting gauges during service on a small appliance is treated as a de minimis release and is not considered a venting violation.
Not quite. The answer is A: True
The de minimis exception applies to small appliances the same way it applies to any other regulated equipment — it covers the trivial, effectively unavoidable release that happens when hoses and gauges are connected or disconnected during normal service, as distinct from deliberately venting 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. Same de minimis provision as for any appliance; the exception is conditioned on following the recovery, equipment, and certification requirements.
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