40 CFR Part 82 · Subpart F
The federal card every
refrigerant tech carries
Every fact on this site is verified against the regulation that created the exam, section by section. No guesses, no forum lore.
- Core
- 25 q
- Per type
- 25 q
- Universal
- 100 q
- Pass
- 70%
- Expires
- Never*
*The regulation sets no expiration or renewal requirement for technician certification, though 82.161(a)(5) reserves EPA's right to require recertification by a future Federal Register notice. Mail-in Type I passes at 84 percent. Structure per Appendix D of the regulation.
The four certifications
Type I
Small appliances: factory-sealed units holding 5 pounds of refrigerant or less (maintenance, service and repair; disposal-only work on small appliances needs no certification).
Type II
Medium-, high- and very high-pressure appliances, the residential and commercial split-system world.
Type III
Low-pressure appliances, the chiller plant world.
Universal
All three types.
What Core tests
Environmental impact of CFCs, HCFCs and substitutes; Laws and regulations; Changing industry outlook. The type sections cover leak detection, recovery techniques, safety, shipping, disposal.
Leak rate and leak detection for 608
The 608 leak rate is the percent of full charge an appliance loses in a year, worked out with the annualizing method or the rolling 365-day average. For appliances holding 50 or more pounds, repairs are required above 10 percent for comfort cooling, 20 percent for commercial refrigeration and 30 percent for industrial process refrigeration. The full walkthrough is in the 608 leak rates explained, with the definition in the leak rate glossary entry and the practical side in leak detection.
Start here
- How to get EPA 608 certified and which 608 type you need
- Type I, Type II and Universal certification guides
- The 608 fact sheet, 608 by state and the refrigerant glossary
- The HVAC certification path, what HVAC techs earn and whether to become an HVAC tech
The tools of the certified tech
Elitech digital manifold setThe gauge set is the trade's daily instrument
VIVOHOME 4CFM vacuum pumpEvacuation is half of what 608 regulates
VEVOR recovery machineRecovery is the other half
Fieldpiece DR58 leak detectorLeak detection is a Group II exam area
Elitech refrigerant scaleCharge tracking runs on the scaleCertification is the legal floor; these are the working instruments beside it. The full kit page.
The companion books
Core, Type I, II, III and Universal explained, with leak rates, recovery rules, and the regulation techs actually use.
200+ original practice questions with cited answers for Core, Type I, II, III and Universal, plus timed drills and a full mock exam.
Training, apprenticeships, EPA 608, state licensing, tools, and your first five years in the trade. No degree required.
The 608 fact sheet, free
Every verified 608 number on one printable page: the four types, the exam structure, the leak-rate and recovery figures. Enter your email and we will send you straight to it.
No spam. One useful sheet and occasional notes.