EPA Section 608 Refrigerant Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (1–10)

Question 1

Under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act, knowingly releasing (venting) refrigerant while servicing an appliance is:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Prohibited. Section 608 prohibits the knowing release of refrigerant during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of appliances. The venting prohibition applied to CFCs and HCFCs starting July 1, 1992, and to most substitutes (including HFCs) starting November 15, 1995.

Question 2

Which class of refrigerants contains chlorine and has the highest ozone-depletion potential?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

CFCs. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) such as R-11 and R-12 are fully halogenated and contain chlorine, giving them the highest ozone-depletion potential. They have been phased out under the Montreal Protocol.

Question 3

Which statement best describes an HFC refrigerant such as R-134a?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Contains no chlorine and has zero ozone-depletion potential. HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) contain no chlorine, so their ozone-depletion potential is zero. They do, however, have a global-warming potential, which is why their use is also being managed.

Question 4

What does the chlorine released from CFCs and HCFCs do in the stratosphere?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Destroys ozone molecules. Once chlorine reaches the stratosphere, a single chlorine atom can destroy many ozone molecules in a repeating catalytic cycle, thinning the ozone layer that shields the Earth from ultraviolet radiation.

Question 5

The 'three R's' of refrigerant management are:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Recover, recycle, reclaim. Recover means to remove refrigerant and store it externally. Recycle means to clean it for reuse on site (oil separation, single or multiple passes). Reclaim means to reprocess it to meet the ARI/AHRI 700 new-product specification, which requires laboratory analysis.

Question 6

Which term means cleaning recovered refrigerant for on-site reuse using oil separation and filtration, without testing it to a purity specification?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Recycle. Recycling cleans refrigerant for reuse on the same site through oil separation and one or more passes through filter-driers. Unlike reclaiming, it does not require chemical analysis to a purity standard.

Question 7

To be sold as 'reclaimed,' recovered refrigerant must be processed to meet which purity standard?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

AHRI/ARI 700. Reclaimed refrigerant must be reprocessed to the purity level specified by AHRI (formerly ARI) Standard 700 and verified by chemical analysis. Reclamation can only be performed off site by an EPA-certified reclaimer.

Question 8

Before an appliance is opened for major service or disposal, the technician must first:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Recover the refrigerant. Refrigerant must be recovered into an approved external container before the appliance is opened or disposed of, because venting refrigerant to the atmosphere is prohibited.

Question 9

A small, unavoidable release of refrigerant that occurs during a good-faith attempt to recover is known as:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

A de minimis release. Releases that are small and unavoidable during good-faith attempts to recycle or recover refrigerant (such as the loss when connecting or disconnecting hoses) are considered de minimis and are not treated as a violation of the venting prohibition.

Question 10

Recovery and recycling equipment manufactured for use must be:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Certified by an EPA-approved equipment-testing organization. Recovery and recycling equipment must be certified by an EPA-approved testing organization (such as UL or AHRI) to meet EPA performance standards.

EPA Section 608 Refrigerant Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (1–10)

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