The 608 Core Section: What You Must Know

Core is the one section every 608 candidate takes. Appendix D to 40 CFR 82, Subpart F puts 25 Core (Group I) questions on every Type I, Type II and Type III test, and on Universal. If you are short on time, this is where your hours pay off twice: the same terms come back in the technical sections.

This guide follows the topic list EPA publishes, and for each one points to the rule text that backs it up.

What EPA lists for Core

EPA's Section 608 Test Topics page lists these Core headings:

1. Environmental Impacts
2. Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol
3. Section 608 Regulations
4. Substitute Refrigerants and oils
5. Refrigeration
6. Three R Definitions
7. Recovery Techniques
8. Dehydration Evacuation
9. Safety
10. Shipping

Appendix D describes Group I in broader terms: the environmental impact of CFCs, HCFCs and substitute refrigerants, laws and regulations, and the changing industry outlook. Read the two together and you get the picture: Core is about why the rules exist and what the rules are, more than about any one machine.

The rule at the center: no venting

Under 40 CFR 82.154(a), no one maintaining, servicing, repairing or disposing of appliances may knowingly vent or otherwise release refrigerant into the environment. EPA's venting prohibition page says the rule covers ozone-depleting substances and their substitutes, such as HFCs.

EPA's page lists three kinds of release that are permitted:

• De minimis releases made during good-faith attempts to recapture and recycle refrigerant, including releases from connecting or disconnecting hoses to charge or service appliances. The regulation ties this to following the required practices: proper evacuation, certified recovery equipment, technician certification and the reclamation rules.
• Releases during normal operation, such as mechanical purging and leaks. EPA adds that leaks above a certain size must be repaired in equipment with 50 pounds or more of refrigerant.
• Exempt substitutes, which EPA has decided do not pose a threat to the environment when released. The regulation lists carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water in any application, plus specific uses of ammonia, some hydrocarbons and others.

Also in 82.154(a): knowingly releasing refrigerant that you already recovered is a violation. A full recovery cylinder is not a reason to vent.

Source: EPA Section 608, 40 CFR 82.154 and the venting prohibition page.

The three Rs

"Three R Definitions" is its own Core topic, and it is a favorite for questions that look alike. From 40 CFR 82.152:

There is a full breakdown in recovery, recycling and reclaiming: the differences.

Who counts as a technician

EPA's certification requirements page describes a technician as someone who attaches and detaches hoses and gauges to measure pressure in an appliance, adds or removes refrigerant, or does any other work that could violate the integrity of the refrigerant circuit. Apprentices are exempt from certification while they are "closely and continually supervised by a certified technician."

The sales restriction

Under 40 CFR 82.154(c), refrigerant in cylinders, cans or drums may be sold only to certain buyers. EPA's sales restriction page names them: Section 608 certified technicians, employers who give the wholesaler written evidence that they employ at least one certified technician, and a few others. Section 609 technicians may buy refrigerant for motor vehicle air conditioning, but not refrigerant meant for stationary equipment. The restriction has covered non-exempt substitutes, such as HFCs, since January 1, 2018. Small cans of MVAC refrigerant of two pounds or less, with a unique fitting, are an exception, and since January 1, 2018 those cans must have a self-sealing valve.

Evacuation basics every Core student needs

"Recovery Techniques" and "Dehydration Evacuation" are on the Core list. The regulation behind recovery is 40 CFR 82.156. The parts that matter for Core:

• Before opening an appliance, a technician must evacuate the refrigerant, including liquid refrigerant, to the levels in Table 1, using certified recovery or recycling equipment.
• The technician must verify that the required level has been reached before opening the appliance.
• The level depends on the appliance type and on whether the recovery equipment was made before or after November 15, 1993. The table itself is covered in the Type II and Type III guides.
• Recovered refrigerant may go back into the same appliance, or another appliance owned by the same person, without recycling or reclamation (except MVAC and MVAC-like appliances).

Source: EPA Section 608, 40 CFR 82.156.

Records technicians keep

Since January 1, 2018, technicians disposing of appliances with a full charge of more than 5 and less than 50 pounds keep records for three years: company name, location of the appliance, date of recovery and type of refrigerant, plus monthly totals and any transfers for reclamation or destruction (40 CFR 82.156(a)(3)). Separately, you keep a copy of your own certificate at your place of business (40 CFR 82.161).

Topics to finish in your study manual

EPA lists Refrigeration, Safety, Shipping and Dehydration Evacuation as Core headings, but the Section 608 rule pages do not teach those subjects in depth. The technical detail (the refrigeration cycle, cylinder handling, labeling for shipment, pulling a deep vacuum) comes from your training program or your certifying organization's manual. Use this guide for the rules, and your manual for the shop practice.

A Core question to try

Ready to test yourself? The free quiz has three Core questions with explanations.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pass Core to get Type I, II or III?

Every Type I, Type II and Type III test includes 25 Core (Group I) questions, per Appendix D to Subpart F. You cannot take a technical type without them.

What topics are on the 608 Core section?

EPA lists: Environmental Impacts; Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol; Section 608 Regulations; Substitute Refrigerants and oils; Refrigeration; Three R Definitions; Recovery Techniques; Dehydration Evacuation; Safety; and Shipping.

Can a technician vent a small amount of refrigerant legally?

Only de minimis releases made during good-faith recovery that follows the required practices, releases during normal operation, and releases of exempt substitutes are allowed. Knowingly venting refrigerant otherwise is prohibited under 40 CFR 82.154(a).

Who can buy refrigerant under the sales restriction?

Section 608 certified technicians, employers who show they employ at least one certified technician, and a few other listed buyers. Section 609 technicians may buy MVAC refrigerant but not refrigerant for stationary equipment.