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EPA Section 608 Technician Certification Exam Cheat Sheet (2026)
A free, printable EPA Section 608 Technician Certification exam cheat sheet: the 85 highest-yield points to know, grouped into 6 sections that follow the exam's content areas, each section with its published weight.
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- 26 of the 85 points carry a citation to the rule they come from.
- Prints from your browser (Ctrl-P, or Cmd-P on a Mac) — the navigation, buttons and links drop out of the printed copy.
- 240 free EPA Section 608 Technician Certification practice questions on the same material, every one explained.
- Last updated: September 2026.
Studying in order?
In the EPA Section 608 Certification guide: 24 worked examples that walk the decision itself — which vacuum level this appliance needs, recover or reclaim, which Type it falls under. Practice here stays free.
Core: Ozone, the Clean Air Act, and the Three R's
~9% of the exam- Chlorine from CFCs and HCFCs destroys stratospheric ozone
- UV light frees chlorine atoms, and each atom can break apart thousands of ozone molecules before it is neutralized.· Clean Air Act Title VI
- ODP is measured against CFC-11 set at 1.0
- CFCs have the highest ozone depletion potential, HCFCs less, and chlorine-free HFCs have an ODP of zero.
- Refrigerants carry both an ODP and a GWP
- Global warming potential rates a refrigerant's climate impact, and modern rules limit both ozone damage and warming.
- Venting refrigerant is illegal
- Since July 1, 1992, knowingly releasing CFC and HCFC refrigerant is banned; the ban covered HFC substitutes starting November 15, 1995.· 40 CFR §82.154
- Only narrow exceptions are allowed
- Small good-faith releases while connecting recovery equipment and de minimis unrecoverable amounts are not violations.
- Nitrogen is not a refrigerant
- Nitrogen used for pressure testing or purging may be released to the atmosphere without violating the venting rule.
- Recover means remove and store, nothing more
- Recovered refrigerant is pulled from the appliance into a container without any cleaning or testing.
- Recycle reduces oil, moisture, and acidity
- Recycling cleans refrigerant with an oil separator and filter-driers but does not verify purity by chemical analysis.
- Reclaim restores refrigerant to AHRI 700 purity
- Only an EPA-certified reclaimer may reprocess and lab-test refrigerant to new-product specification.· 40 CFR §82.152
- U.S. CFC production ended January 1, 1996
- CFC-11 and CFC-12 are now available only as recovered or reclaimed refrigerant, not as new product.
- Virgin HCFC-22 production ended January 1, 2020
- Since 2010 no new HCFC-22 equipment could be made, and existing systems must be serviced with reclaimed or existing supply.
- The AIM Act phases down high-GWP HFCs
- EPA is reducing production of HFCs like R-404A and R-410A because of their high global warming potential.
- Zeotropic blends have temperature glide
- Their components boil at different temperatures, so charge them as a liquid to prevent fractionation and composition shift.
- SNAP approves substitutes by end use
- EPA's SNAP program lists acceptable substitute refrigerants, and each may be used only where it is approved.· 40 CFR §82 Subpart G
- Never mix different refrigerants
- A mixed charge cannot be recycled or reclaimed and generally must be destroyed, so keep each refrigerant separate.
Regulations, Enforcement, and Safety
~8% of the exam- Certification is required to service covered appliances
- Anyone who maintains, services, repairs, or disposes of appliances with regulated refrigerant must hold the proper certification type.· 40 CFR §82.161
- Only certified technicians may buy refrigerant
- The sales restriction limits purchases of regulated refrigerant to certified technicians, businesses that employ one, and buyers purchasing for resale.
- Certification does not expire
- Once you pass, your Section 608 certification is valid for life with no renewal required.
- Fines reach $124,426 per day per violation
- Each day a violation continues can be treated as a separate offense, and knowing violations may bring criminal charges.· Clean Air Act §113
- EPA can revoke certification
- A technician who violates the rules can lose the certification that lets them buy refrigerant and work legally.
- Whistleblower rewards up to $10,000
- EPA may pay up to $10,000 for information leading to a penalty against a venting violator.
- The exam's rule: 50+ pounds of a class I or class II refrigerant
- §82.157 applies only to appliances with a full charge of 50 or more pounds of a class I or class II (ozone-depleting) refrigerant. This is the figure the 608 content outline keys.· 40 CFR §82.157
- Triggers are 30% industrial process, 20% commercial refrigeration, 10% comfort cooling
- Industrial process refrigeration triggers at 30% annual leakage, commercial refrigeration at 20%, and comfort cooling and all other appliances at 10%. Both leak-repair rules use these same three rates.
- Repair triggered leaks within 30 days
- Once an appliance exceeds its threshold rate, leaks must generally be fixed and verified within 30 days.
- HFCs have their own rule: 15+ pounds, GWP above 53, since January 1, 2026
- §82.157 has covered class I and class II refrigerants only since April 10, 2020. Under the AIM Act, §84.106 reaches appliances with 15 or more pounds of an HFC or a substitute with a GWP greater than 53, excluding residential and light-commercial A/C and heat pumps. Smaller appliances are not exempt by default any more — a 20-lb R-410A system is covered.· 40 CFR §84.106
- Wear eye and hand protection around liquid refrigerant
- Liquid refrigerant can cause frostbite on contact, so safety glasses and gloves are required when transferring it.
- Refrigerant can displace oxygen and suffocate
- In a confined space escaping refrigerant pushes out oxygen and settles low, so ventilation and self-contained breathing gear matter.
- Never pressurize with oxygen or compressed air
- Oxygen mixed with refrigerant oil can explode; always use dry nitrogen for pressure and leak testing.
- Store cylinders upright, secured, and cool
- Keep them below 125°F, away from flame and sunlight, and strapped so they cannot fall.
- Never heat a cylinder with a torch
- Heat sharply raises internal pressure and can rupture the cylinder; use warm water or a blanket if gentle warming is needed.
- Fill recovery cylinders to no more than 80%
- Leaving 20% headspace lets liquid refrigerant expand safely as the temperature rises.· 40 CFR §82.154
Type I: Small Appliances
25% of the exam- A small appliance holds 5 pounds or less
- It must be fully manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed at the factory to qualify.· 40 CFR §82.152
- Common examples are refrigerators, window units, and water coolers
- Household and light-commercial sealed systems fall under Type I as long as they meet the five-pound limit.
- Field-charged or larger units are not small appliances
- Anything over five pounds or charged on-site requires Type II or Type III certification instead.
- Recover 90% with a working compressor, 80% without
- This applies to recovery equipment manufactured on or after November 15, 1993.· 40 CFR §82.156
- Older equipment must recover 80%
- Recovery equipment made before November 15, 1993 has a flat 80 percent recovery requirement.
- Four inches of mercury vacuum is an accepted alternative
- Newer equipment may evacuate a small appliance to 4 in Hg vacuum instead of meeting a recovery percentage.
- System-dependent equipment needs the appliance's help
- Passive recovery relies on the unit's compressor or pressure, so run the compressor if it works.
- Access both sides when the compressor is dead
- With no working compressor you often must recover from the high and low sides to pull the required amount.
- Use a piercing access valve on sealed systems
- A bolt-on piercing saddle valve lets you tap a hermetically sealed small appliance that has no service port.
- Never vent, even from an exempt small appliance
- The venting prohibition applies to every regulated refrigerant regardless of the appliance's size.
- Final disposal requires verified recovery
- The last person handling the appliance must ensure the refrigerant was recovered before it is scrapped.· 40 CFR §82.156
- Identify the refrigerant first
- Older units may hold CFC-12 while newer ones use HFC-134a or a blend, so confirm before recovering.
Type II: High-Pressure Appliances
25% of the exam- High-pressure means 170 to 355 psia at 104°F
- Medium-pressure is 45 to 170 psia and very-high-pressure is above 355 psia; the class, not the boiling point, picks the evacuation row.· 40 CFR §82.152
- R-22, R-410A, R-404A and R-407C are high-pressure; R-12 and R-134a are medium-pressure
- Older guides file R-12 and R-134a as "other high-pressure"; the CFR puts them in the medium-pressure class. All three classes are Type II.· 40 CFR §82.152
- Small appliances and vehicle A/C are excluded
- Those fall under Type I and Section 609, so Type II covers the larger stationary medium-, high- and very-high-pressure systems.
- High-pressure: 0 in Hg under 200 lb, 10 in Hg at 200 lb or more
- With post-1993 equipment this row covers R-22, R-410A, R-404A and R-407C.· 40 CFR §82.156 Table 1
- Medium-pressure: 10 in Hg under 200 lb, 15 in Hg at 200 lb or more
- With post-1993 equipment this row covers R-12, R-134a and R-500. 15 in Hg is never the answer for R-410A or R-404A.· 40 CFR §82.156 Table 1
- Very-high-pressure appliances evacuate to 0 in Hg
- Refrigerants such as R-13 and R-503 require only 0 inches of mercury vacuum before opening.
- Electronic detectors find small leaks
- They sense refrigerant near a joint and are among the most sensitive methods for pinpointing a leak.
- Pressurize with dry nitrogen, not oxygen
- A trace of refrigerant may be added so an electronic detector can sense it, but oxygen can explode with refrigerant oil.
- Repair leaks before recharging
- Charging a system that still leaks wastes refrigerant and violates the intent of the conservation rules.
- Recover liquid before vapor on large charges
- Pulling liquid first moves the bulk of the refrigerant quickly, then vapor recovery finishes the job.
- Non-condensables slow recovery
- Air and other non-condensable gases raise head pressure, so purge them and avoid pulling air into the system.
- Use low-loss fittings and watch the 80% fill limit
- Low-loss fittings cut the refrigerant lost at connections, and the recovery cylinder must never exceed 80 percent.
Type III: Low-Pressure Appliances
25% of the exam- Low-pressure means below 45 psia at 104°F
- The chiller operates at or below atmospheric pressure, so its low side sits in a vacuum.· 40 CFR §82.152
- R-11, R-123, and R-1233zd are typical low-pressure refrigerants
- These are used in large centrifugal chillers for commercial building cooling.
- Leaks pull air and moisture inward
- Because the low side is under vacuum, a leak admits air and water rather than releasing refrigerant.
- Recover low-pressure appliances to 25 mm Hg absolute
- This deep-vacuum level applies regardless of when the recovery equipment was manufactured.· 40 CFR §82.156
- Keep refrigerant warm and the cylinder cool
- Warming the chiller and cooling the recovery cylinder drives vapor toward the cylinder and speeds recovery.
- Warm the chiller with water, never a torch
- Circulating warm water or using built-in heaters raises refrigerant temperature safely; an open flame is dangerous.
- Never exceed 10 psig in a low-pressure appliance
- Pressurizing above 10 psig risks bursting the rupture disk and releasing the charge.· 40 CFR §82.156
- The rupture disk typically relieves at 15 psig
- This safety device protects the low-pressure shell, so keep test pressure well below its setting.
- Use refrigerant and nitrogen, never oxygen
- Add a trace of refrigerant with nitrogen for leak testing; oxygen or compressed air can cause an explosion.
- A purge unit removes non-condensables from the condenser
- Air and moisture collect at the high point and raise head pressure, so the purge unit vents them off.
- High-efficiency purge units cut refrigerant loss
- Modern purge designs release far less refrigerant per pound of air than older units.
- Frequent purging signals an air leak
- A rising purge rate means the vacuum side is drawing in air, so find and fix the leak.
- Water intrusion corrodes and contaminates the chiller
- A tube leak under vacuum lets water in, causing acid, freezing damage, and refrigerant contamination.
- Investigate tripped limit devices, do not just reset
- A high- or low-pressure limit trip can signal water or non-condensables that need attention.
- Never bypass the rupture disk
- The rupture disk protects the low-pressure shell and must be kept sound and unobstructed.
Recovery, Recycling, and Reclamation
~8% of the exam- Recover, recycle, and reclaim mean three different things
- Recovery only removes and stores; recycling cleans for reuse; reclamation restores to new-product purity.· 40 CFR §82.152
- Recycled refrigerant can stay with the same owner
- Refrigerant recovered and recycled on-site may be returned to the same owner's equipment without reclamation.
- Refrigerant changing owners must be reclaimed
- Before it is resold to a new owner, refrigerant generally must be reclaimed to the AHRI 700 specification.
- AHRI 700 sets the reclaimed-refrigerant purity spec
- It limits moisture, acid, non-condensables, and other contaminants, verified by chemical analysis.· AHRI Standard 700
- Only certified reclaimers may reclaim and resell
- Reclamation to new-product purity can only be performed by an EPA-certified reclaimer.
- Keep recovered refrigerant clean for reclamation
- Uncontaminated single-refrigerant recovery can be reclaimed; mixed refrigerant often cannot.
- Post-1993 recovery equipment must be EPA-certified
- It must be tested by an approved lab such as UL or ETL to meet EPA performance standards.· 40 CFR §82.158
- Self-contained equipment has its own compressor
- Active equipment can recover from any appliance because it does not depend on the unit's compressor.
- System-dependent equipment may not be used above 15 lb
- Passive equipment relies on the appliance's pressure or compressor; §82.156(e) bars it on appliances holding more than 15 pounds unless permanently attached as a pump-out unit.· 40 CFR §82.156(e)
- Store recovered refrigerant in a refillable DOT cylinder
- Use a DOT-approved recovery cylinder, never a disposable one-trip container.· 40 CFR §82.154
- Recovery cylinders are gray with a yellow top
- The gray body and yellow shoulder mark it as a recovery cylinder distinct from virgin refrigerant containers.
- Never fill past 80 percent by weight
- Leaving 20 percent headspace prevents a hydraulically full cylinder from rupturing when it warms up.
- Identify refrigerant before recovering
- A refrigerant identifier prevents pulling an unknown or contaminated charge into clean equipment.· 40 CFR §82.156
- Never mix refrigerants in one cylinder
- A mixed batch usually cannot be recycled or reclaimed and must be destroyed, so keep each refrigerant separate.
- Keep recovery and equipment records
- Retain proof of equipment certification and servicing records for EPA inspection and compliance.· 40 CFR §82.166
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