EPA 608 practice test

Answer: A. System-dependent equipment is restricted to appliances holding 15 pounds of refrigerant or less.

• ACorrect: system-dependent (passive) recovery may only be used on appliances holding 15 lb of refrigerant or less, unless the unit has a permanently attached pump-out.
• BWrong: self-contained machines have no 5 lb ceiling; they are the equipment you need on larger appliances.
• CWrong: system-dependent equipment is never required, and the 15 lb limit applies whatever the pressure class.
• DWrong: this describes system-dependent equipment; a self-contained machine has its own compressor and does not rely on the appliance.

System-dependent (passive) recovery equipment may be used only on appliances holding 15 pounds of refrigerant or less.

Answer: B. Access both the high and low sides of the system for recovery.

• AWrong: recovery is required before opening or disposing of the appliance; skipping it is venting.
• BCorrect: with an inoperative compressor, refrigerant is trapped on both sides, so you access the high and the low side to recover it.
• CWrong: adding refrigerant to push recovery wastes refrigerant and raises the amount you must then recover.
• DWrong: high-side access alone leaves refrigerant stranded on the low side when the compressor can't move it.

When a compressor is not operating in a refrigeration system, it is necessary to connect recovery equipment to both the high and low sides to ensure all refrigerants are properly retrieved. This prevents any residual refrigerant from being left in the system components.

Answer: B. 44.0 lbs

• AWrong: 55 lb multiplies capacity by specific gravity but skips the 80% fill limit, leaving no room for liquid expansion.
• BCorrect: 50 lb water capacity x 0.8 (80% fill limit) x 1.1 specific gravity = 44 lb.
• CWrong: 35.2 lb applies the 80% factor twice (50 x 0.8 x 0.8 x 1.1) and underfills the cylinder.
• DWrong: 40 lb is 80% of the water capacity but ignores that this refrigerant is denser than water (SG 1.1).

Maximum fill weight equals water capacity multiplied by 0.80 and specific gravity. Calculating 50 lbs times 0.80 times 1.1 yields exactly a 44.0 lbs maximum safe charge.

Answer: A. 10 psig

• ACorrect: stay at or below 10 psig, under the rupture disc (usually about 15 psig) (exam key and industry practice, not in the rule text).
• BWrong: 20 psig is above the usual 15 psig rupture disc and would burst it, releasing the charge.
• CWrong: 5 psig isn't the figure the exam keys; the usual ceiling is 10 psig, which still leaves margin under the disc.
• DWrong: 15 psig is the usual rupture disc setting itself, so testing there risks bursting the disc.

Keep the test pressure at or below 10 psig, safely under the rupture disc, which is usually set around 15 psig; both figures are exam key and industry practice, not in the rule text. The manufacturer's limit governs.

Answer: A. Three years

• ACorrect: Section 608 records such as disposal and recovery records are kept for 3 years.
• BWrong: one year is too short; the retention period for these records is 3 years.
• CWrong: five years is longer than the 3 years the rules require.
• DWrong: ten years far exceeds the 3-year retention period.

Records of refrigerant disposal are kept for at least three years.

Answer: A. The final recycler or scrap yard

• ACorrect: the final processor (scrap recycler or landfill) must recover the refrigerant or obtain a signed statement that it was already recovered.
• BWrong: the manufacturer has no recovery duty for appliances already sold and sent for disposal.
• CWrong: a technician who merely transports the unit is not the last person in the disposal chain that the rule makes responsible.
• DWrong: the owner can arrange recovery, but the rule puts the final duty to verify or recover on the final processor.

When transferring intact appliances, the final disposer is legally responsible for performing proper recovery and maintaining the required compliance documentation.

Answer: A. Perform a vacuum decay test

• ACorrect: isolate the pump and watch the gauge; a rise that levels off points to moisture boiling off, a steady rise points to a leak.
• BWrong: never put oxygen into a refrigeration system; it can explode in contact with oil.
• CWrong: pump speed does not tell you anything about leaks or moisture, and frozen moisture needs time and heat, not speed.
• DWrong: direct heat on lines is not a test, and open flame or torch heat can damage components and break down refrigerant or oil.

Rapid evacuation can freeze moisture, creating a false deep vacuum. You must isolate the pump and perform a vacuum hold/decay test to detect leaks or moisture boil-off accurately.

Answer: C. Air and moisture will be drawn into the system

• AWrong: a low-pressure system usually sits below atmospheric pressure, so air rushes in rather than refrigerant rushing out.
• BWrong: opening the system does not trigger any automatic compressor shutdown; that is not the problem the question asks about.
• CCorrect: low-pressure systems operate at or below atmospheric pressure, so an opening draws in air and moisture.
• DWrong: oil is not forced out; the pressure difference pulls air and moisture into the system.

When a low-pressure system is opened to atmosphere, air and moisture can enter the system. Since these systems operate below atmospheric pressure, they will draw in air rather than leaking refrigerant out.

Answer: C. The Clean Air Act

• AWrong: the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act covers solid and hazardous waste, not refrigerant handling.
• BWrong: the Energy Policy Act deals with energy efficiency and supply, not refrigerant venting and recovery.
• CCorrect: Section 608 of the Clean Air Act is the legal basis for refrigerant recovery, venting, and technician certification rules.
• DWrong: the Safe Drinking Water Act covers drinking water quality, not refrigerants.

The Clean Air Act grants the EPA authority to regulate refrigerant handling and recovery to protect the ozone layer.

Answer: D. It must be fully recovered

• AWrong: venting is prohibited for non-exempt substitutes such as HFCs, even though they don't deplete ozone.
• BWrong: refrigerants must never be mixed; mixtures can't be reused and are costly to reclaim.
• CWrong: HFC substitutes are covered by the Section 608 venting prohibition and recovery requirements.
• DCorrect: the venting prohibition covers non-exempt substitutes like HFCs, so the refrigerant must be recovered.

HFC substitutes are covered by the venting prohibition, so the charge must be recovered. Zero ODP doesn't make a refrigerant ventable; the legal test is the regulation's exempt list, not GWP.