2 Type I: Small Appliances

Which appliances qualify

Type I certification applies to service of small appliances under EPA Section 608. A qualifying appliance is fully manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed at the factory with 5 pounds or less of refrigerant.

Examples include household refrigerators and freezers, room air conditioners, packaged terminal heat pumps, dehumidifiers, under-counter ice makers, vending machines, and drinking-water coolers.

A technician who services a small appliance and may open its refrigerant circuit generally needs Section 608 certification. There is a federal certification exception for people recovering refrigerant from small appliances in the waste stream as part of disposal. Recovery and safe-disposal rules still apply.

Recovery and evacuation requirements

Recover refrigerant before opening the refrigerant circuit or disposing of the appliance. Use recovery and/or recycling equipment certified for small appliances, and follow the equipment manufacturer’s instructions.

Federal rules allow either the applicable percentage-recovery method or evacuation to 4 inches of mercury vacuum. Under the percentage method, the required amount depends on the recovery equipment’s manufacture date and the compressor’s condition:

• Equipment manufactured before November 15, 1993: recover $80\%$, regardless of compressor condition.

• Equipment manufactured on or after November 15, 1993, with a functioning compressor: recover $90\%$.

• Equipment manufactured on or after November 15, 1993, with a compressor that is not functioning: recover $80\%$.

For example, with equipment manufactured on or after November 15, 1993, the percentage option requires $90\%$ recovery if the compressor functions and $80\%$ if it does not. Evacuation to 4 inches of mercury vacuum is the alternative.

Recovery equipment designs

Two broad recovery-device designs are used. Self-contained (active) equipment has its own means of moving refrigerant into a recovery container. System-dependent (passive) equipment relies on the appliance’s compressor or system pressure to move refrigerant.

System-dependent equipment may be used only on appliances with a full charge of 15 pounds or less, unless it is permanently attached as a pump-out unit.

Service practices

When using a system-dependent device, operate a functioning compressor to help move refrigerant. If the compressor is inoperative, provide access to both the high and low sides so refrigerant trapped in either side can be recovered. Warming the appliance may help encourage refrigerant to move; use methods compatible with the appliance and equipment instructions, and avoid damaging components.

Solderless access fittings can provide temporary access on sealed systems. Remove temporary fittings at the end of service when appropriate, and check for leaks before charging or recharging. Use certified equipment and handle recovered refrigerant in a way that avoids releases and cross-contamination.

Recovery means removing refrigerant and storing it in an external container. Recovery alone does not require testing or processing the refrigerant.

Leaks and venting

Qualifying small appliances are below the charge-size thresholds for federal mandatory leak-rate repair programs. EPA describes a 50-pound threshold for applicable ozone-depleting refrigerants under Section 608 and a 15-pound threshold for covered HFCs and certain substitutes under the AIM Act. The federal leak-rate timelines therefore do not apply to a qualifying small appliance.

This does not permit intentional refrigerant venting. Recover refrigerant before opening the system, and locate and repair leaks as sound service practice before returning the appliance to service.