3 Refrigerant Handling and Service Procedures

Core service requirements

Section 608 service procedures are intended to prevent refrigerant releases and ensure refrigerant is handled appropriately. Technicians must be EPA-certified for the appliance type they service, use suitable recovery equipment, and follow the equipment manufacturer's instructions.

Intentional venting during service, repair, or disposal is generally prohibited. Only limited de minimis releases during good-faith recovery or service are allowed. Small incidental releases when connecting or disconnecting hoses are treated differently from deliberate venting.

Use recovery or recycling equipment certified for the appliance category and refrigerant being serviced. Keep refrigerants separated by type; do not knowingly mix refrigerants in a recovery cylinder. Follow equipment instructions and observe cylinder capacity and handling requirements.

Recovery, recycling, and reclamation

Recover means remove refrigerant from an appliance and store it in an external container; it does not require testing or cleaning. Recycle means clean recovered refrigerant, typically by oil separation and filtration, to reduce moisture, acids, and particles. Reclaimed refrigerant is reprocessed to applicable purity specifications, and its purity is verified by the prescribed analytical method by an EPA-certified reclaimer.

Under Section 608, recycled refrigerant may be reused in equipment owned by the same person, but recycling is not equivalent to reclamation. Used refrigerant generally must be reclaimed before it is sold or transferred to a new owner for reuse. For example, a technician may recover refrigerant from a customer's system and return it to another system owned by that same customer, subject to proper handling. If the refrigerant is to be sold to a different owner for reuse, it must first be reclaimed by an EPA-certified reclaimer.

Recovery from small appliances

For small appliances containing $5$ pounds or less of refrigerant, recovery equipment must achieve either $90\%$ recovery when the compressor is functional or $80\%$ when it is not functional. Evacuating the appliance to $4$ inches of mercury vacuum is also recognized as a way to satisfy the recovery requirement.

Evacuation before opening equipment

For appliances containing more than $5$ pounds of refrigerant, technicians generally must recover refrigerant to the applicable EPA evacuation level before opening the appliance for maintenance, service, repair, or disposal. These regulatory levels are recovery endpoints; they are not the deeper vacuum commonly used later to dehydrate a system before charging. Use certified equipment where required and follow its instructions.

The required level depends on appliance type, charge, and manufacture date. The listed vacuum readings are relative to standard atmospheric pressure; the low-pressure appliance value is an absolute pressure.

• Very-high-pressure appliance: $0$ inches of mercury vacuum, whether manufactured before or on/after November 15, 1993.

• High-pressure appliance with a charge under $200$ pounds: $0$ inches of mercury vacuum, whether manufactured before or on/after November 15, 1993.

• High-pressure appliance with a charge of $200$ pounds or more: $4$ inches of mercury vacuum if manufactured before November 15, 1993; $10$ inches if manufactured on/after that date.

• Medium-pressure appliance with a charge under $200$ pounds: $4$ inches of mercury vacuum if manufactured before November 15, 1993; $10$ inches if manufactured on/after that date.

• Medium-pressure appliance with a charge of $200$ pounds or more: $4$ inches of mercury vacuum if manufactured before November 15, 1993; $15$ inches if manufactured on/after that date.

• Low-pressure appliance: $25$ mm Hg absolute, regardless of manufacture date.

Limited exceptions

If a leak prevents reaching the required level, isolate leaking components from non-leaking components where possible. Evacuate non-leaking portions to the required level. Evacuate the leaking portion as far as possible without substantially contaminating the recovered refrigerant, but not above $0$ psig.

Different rules apply to certain minor repairs that do not involve evacuating the appliance to the environment. High- and very-high-pressure equipment must be at $0$ psig before opening; low-pressure equipment must be brought to $0$ psig before opening. These are limited exceptions, not replacements for normal evacuation requirements.

Refrigerant dissolved in oil

Oil can contain dissolved refrigerant. Before removing oil, reduce the pressure in the appliance or isolated section to $5$ psig or less. Alternatively, drain the oil into a system receiver that will be reduced to $5$ psig or less. Changing oil above $5$ psig violates the EPA service-practice requirement.

Leak detection and repair

A sound repair sequence is to identify and locate the leak, recover refrigerant as required before opening the circuit, repair the leak, verify the repair, evacuate the opened portion to the applicable level, and return the appliance to service using the correct refrigerant and charge.

Leak-location methods include an appropriate leak detector, bubble solution, ultrasonic detection, or gas-imaging equipment. A pressure or vacuum decay test can show that a system is leaking, but does not by itself locate the leak.

Section 608 rules for ozone-depleting refrigerants

Corrective action is required when an appliance with a full charge of $50$ pounds or more of an ozone-depleting refrigerant exceeds its applicable annualized leak-rate threshold:

• Industrial process refrigeration: $30\%$.

• Commercial refrigeration: $20\%$.

• Comfort cooling: $10\%$.

• All other appliances: $10\%$.

In general, the owner or operator must repair the leak within $30$ days, or develop a retrofit or retirement plan within that period and complete the plan within one year. If an industrial-process shutdown is necessary for repair, the repair period can extend to $120$ days. Initial and follow-up verification tests are required for repairs subject to these rules. These Section 608 leak-repair requirements do not apply to appliances containing only substitute refrigerants such as HFCs.

Separate AIM Act rules for certain HFCs and substitutes

As of 2026, a separate EPA leak-repair program generally covers appliances with a full charge of $15$ pounds or more of an HFC or HFC substitute with a GWP greater than $53$. Residential and light-commercial air-conditioning and heat-pump appliances are exempt from these leak-repair provisions.

The applicable thresholds are $30\%$ for industrial process refrigeration, $20\%$ for commercial refrigeration, and $10\%$ for comfort cooling and other covered appliances. Covered leaks generally must be repaired within $30$ days, or within $120$ days when an industrial-process shutdown is needed. The AIM Act rule has distinct verification and inspection requirements, so do not assume that Section 608 timelines apply to it.

Distinguishing leak-related tests

A leak inspection locates leaks. An initial verification test checks the repair before refrigerant is added back. A follow-up verification test checks the repair after the appliance returns to normal operating conditions. Follow the timeline for the specific program and appliance.

Records and release prevention

For appliances containing $50$ pounds or more of ozone-depleting refrigerant, provide the owner documentation of refrigerant added and, when required, records of leak inspections and verification tests.

When disposing of appliances containing from $5$ to $50$ pounds of refrigerant, technicians must keep records that include the recovery location and date, refrigerant type, monthly recovered quantities, and quantities transferred for reclamation or destruction. These records must be kept for $3$ years.

Across service, repair, and disposal work, do not intentionally vent refrigerant. Make good-faith efforts to recover it, use certified equipment as instructed, and keep any required documentation and records.

• Reclaim