Prepare for the EPA 608 HVAC certification with these practice questions and answers. This guide covers refrigerant handling, recovery, recycling, safety, and EPA regulations.
Q: What date was the sale of CFC’s & HCFC’s restricted to technicians certified in refrigerant recovery?
Answer: November 14, 1994
Q: Section 608 of the Federal Clean Air Act requires technicians to what?
Answer: Recover all refrigerants.
Q: The objective of the Clean Air Act is to protect what?
Answer: The earth’s stratosphere.
Q: HFC’s
Answer: HydroFlouroCarbon’s
Q: CFC’s
Answer: ChloroFluoroCarbon’s
Q: ODP
Answer: Ozone Depletion Potential
Q: Which international treaty agreement was the basis for Section 608?
Answer: The Montreal Protocol.
Q: Depletion of the ozone in the stratosphere is know to cause what 6 things?
Answer: 1.Crop losses2.Increases in eye diseases3.Skin Cancer4.Reduced marine life5.Deforestation6.Increased ground level ozone
Q: What happens when CFC or HCFC molecules get in the stratosphere & free atoms of Chlorine are set free?
Answer: These atoms attack Ozone Molecules causing the formation of Chlorine Monoxide (CLO), after colliding with another Ozone Molecule, causes 2 Oxygen (O2) molecules to be made & leaving an atom of chlorine to act as “Free Agent” starting the process over until 100,000 molecules of Ozone are destroyed by just one atom of chloride.
Q: What date was recovery equipment required to be certified by a lab, & achieve higher evacuation levels, & have low loss fittings?
Answer: November 15, 1993
Q: On what date was technician certification required?
Answer: November 14, 1994
Q: What date was CFC’s phased out of production?
Answer: December 31, 1995
Q: What is EPA 608 Type I certification?
Answer: Persons who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of small appliances (containing 5 pounds of refrigerant (or less).
Q: What is EPA 608 Type II certification?
Answer: Persons who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of high and very high pressure appliances. Except small appliances and motor vehicle air conditioning systems.
Q: What is EPA 608 Type III certification?
Answer: Persons who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of low pressure appliances.
Q: What is EPA 608 Universal certification?
Answer: Persons who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of both low and high pressure equipment, as well as appliances.
Q: HCFC’s
Answer: HydroChloroFluoroCarbons
Q: What are HydroChloroFluoroCarbons?
Answer: Commonly known as HCFC’s, they are a group of man-made compunds containing hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine, and carbon.
Q: A recovery cylinder must not be filled more than ___ % of it’s capacity by weight?
Answer: 80%
Q: How should refrigerant cylinders be shipped?
Answer: Up-right with proper DOT classification tags.
Q: What oil MUST be used with ALL HFC’s for HVAC/Refrigeration but will also work with CFC’s and HCFC’s.
Answer: Polyolester
Q: HCFC’s have very low atmospheric concentrations measured in parts per?
Answer: Trillion
Q: All cooling systems containing more than 50 lbs. of refrigerant must be repaired when the annual leak rate exceeds___?
Answer: 15%
Q: Mineral Oils are used with?
Answer: All CFC’s
Q: Alkebenzene is used alone or as an additive for?
Answer: HCFC’s (Will also work with CFC’s)
Q: POE
Answer: Polyolester
Q: What is the definition of a Type I Appliance?
Answer: A small appliance that is manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with 5 Lbs. of refrigerant or less.
Q: What is the definition of a Type II Appliance?
Answer: High pressure or very high pressure appliances except for small appliances and motor vehicle air conditioning. Refrigeration systems containing more than 5 Lbs. of high or very high pressure refrigerants.
Q: What is the definition of a Type III Appliance?
Answer: Low pressure equipment like low pressure chillers.
Q: All refrigerants are assumed to be a single chemical if they are numbered what?
Answer: 1-399 and 600 and above.
Q: What is an Azeotrope?
Answer: A mixture of two or more liquids in such a ratio that it’s composition cannot be changed by vaporizing it.
Q: Azeotrope’s are numbered what?
Answer: 500 to 599
Q: What is fractionation?
Answer: When the refrigerant leaks, it leaks out in different rates due to the different pressures.
Q: What is Temperature Glide?
Answer: When the temperature of the vaporizing refrigerant changes, even though the pressure remains the same.
Q: What are the two basic types of recovery devices?
Answer: Self-Contained and System-Dependent.
Q: System-Dependent devices may only be used on appliances containing how much refrigerant?
Answer: 15 Lbs of refrigerant or less
Q: What MUST be placed on a refrigerant cylinder being returned for reclaiming.
Answer: A refrigerant label.
Q: After completing the transfer of liquid refrigerant between a recovery unit and a refrigeration system, you should guard against what?
Answer: Trapping liquid refrigerant between the service valves.
Q: When pressurizing a system with nitrogen, you should always?
Answer: Charge through a pressure regulator.
Q: What are the three “R’s”?
Answer: Recover, Recycle, and Reclaim.
Q: In relation to the three “R’s” what is Recover?
Answer: To remove refrigerant in any condition from a system and store it in an external approved container.
Q: In relation to the three “R’s” what is Recycle?
Answer: To clean refrigerant for reuse by seperating the oil from the refrigerant and removing moisture from the refrigerant by passing it through one or more filter dryers.
Q: Can Recycled refrigerant be resold?
Answer: It cannot be re-sold but it can be re-used.
Q: In relation to the three “R’s” what is Reclaim?
Answer: To process refrigerant to a level equal to new (virgin) product specifications as determined by chemical analysis.
Q: Can Reclaimed refrigerant be resold?
Answer: Yes, but must meet the standard set forth in ARI 700 before it can be resold.
Q: What chemical has been found in the stratosphere indicating ozone depletion?
Answer: Chlorine Monoxide (CLO)
Q: What are 5 Type I appliances?
Answer: 1.Household refrigerators2.Household freezers3.Room air conditioners4.Water Coolers5.Drinking fountains
Q: What are 6 Type II appliances?
Answer: 1.Walk-in coolers2.Walk-in freezers3.Reach-in refrigerators4.Reach-in freezers5.Residential & Commercial comfort cooling systems6.Ice machines
Q: What is an example of a Type III appliance?
Answer: Low pressure chiller.
Q: When is “Dew Point” used?
Answer: When calculating Superheat.
Q: When is “Bubble Point” used?
Answer: When calculating Sub-cooling.
Q: What does the EPA require on all Type I equipment that uses Class I or Class II refrigerants.
Answer: EPA requires a service aperature (process stub).
Q: TXV
Answer: Thermostatic Expansion Valve
Q: The EPA considers a major repair to be the replacement of what 4 items?
Answer: 1.Evaporator2.Condenser3.Compressor4.Auxillary Heat Exchanger
Q: When the refrigerant is put back into a Type III chiller, following recovery and system repair, where is it added?
Answer: The charging valve on the evaporator.
Q: What method is used to find suspected water tube leaks in chillers?
Answer: Hydrostatic (tube) test
Q: What temperature should be attained when removing oil from a low pressure system to ensure a lower level of refrigerants in the oil?
Answer: 130-Degrees F
Q: The typical design burst pressure for a rupture disc is what?
Answer: 15 PSIG
Q: Excessive moisture collection in the purge unit can indicate what?
Answer: Tube Leakage
Q: Vacuum pumps need to be capable of pulling what level of vacuum?
Answer: 500 microns
Q: All refrigeration systems containing more than 50 lbs. of refrigerant must be repaired when the annual leak rate exceeds___?
Answer: 35%
Q: The most efficient method of leak checking a charged low-pressure system is to use?
Answer: Controlled hot water or heater blankets.
Q: Systems with open drive compressors are prone to leak where?
Answer: At the shaft seal.
Q: What does ASHRAE standard 15 require?
Answer: A refrigerant monitor that will sound and alarm and automatically start a ventilation system in equipment rooms before the refrigerant concentration reaches the TLV-TWA.
Q: TLV-TWA
Answer: Threshold Limit Value, Time Weighted Average
Q: A-1 Group Refrigerants only require what?
Answer: Oxygen Deprivation Sensor
Q: All “B” rated refrigerants require what?
Answer: “Refrigerant Specific” Mechanical Room Sensor.
Q: What are Cooling Towers?
Answer: They are heat removal devices used to transfer process waste heat to the atmosphere.
Q: What is the maximum test pressure to use for pressurizing Type III centrifugal systems with nitrogen?
Answer: 10 psig
Q: Enough vapor has entered the system and you may begin charging liquid refrigerant when the refrigerant saturation temperature increases to?
Answer: 36F