True or False: An owner may legally continue operating a leaking covered appliance indefinitely, without ever repairing or retiring it, as long as they keep adding refrigerant to keep it running.
Not quite. The answer is B: False
Continually topping off a leaking system instead of repairing it is exactly the pattern the leak-repair provisions exist to stop. Once a covered appliance's leak rate exceeds its trigger, the owner must repair it (with verification tests) or retrofit or retire it under a written plan. 'Covered' means appliances with 50 lb or more of an ozone-depleting refrigerant under § 82.157, and, since January 1, 2026, HFC appliances of 15 lb or more under the AIM Act rule (40 CFR 84.106), except the residential and light commercial air-conditioning and heat pump subsector.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.157(c) (Requirement to address leaks)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.157. Owners must repair appliances over the applicable leak rate, or retrofit/retire under a plan; they cannot simply keep adding refrigerant. Applies to appliances with 50+ lb of class I/II refrigerant; 40 CFR 84.106 extends similar duties to HFC appliances of 15+ lb (excluding residential and light commercial AC/heat pumps) starting Jan. 1, 2026.