CSLB C-20 HVAC ContractorCooling and RefrigerationMedium
A technician performs an annual leak check on a commercial comfort cooling chiller with a 75 lb refrigerant charge and calculates an 18% annual leak rate. Under EPA Section 608 refrigerant management requirements, what must occur?
- AThe owner must repair the leak within 30 days because comfort cooling appliances with 50+ lbs charge trigger repair at a 15% annual leak rate
- BNo action is required because 18% is below the 20% commercial refrigeration threshold
- CThe technician must convert the unit to a non-ozone-depleting refrigerant within 30 days
- DThe system must be immediately decommissioned and the refrigerant reclaimed
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. The owner must repair the leak within 30 days because comfort cooling appliances with 50+ lbs charge trigger repair at a 15% annual leak rate
Under 40 CFR Part 82 Subpart F, comfort cooling appliances containing 50 lbs or more of refrigerant must be repaired within 30 days if the annual leak rate exceeds 15%. An 18% leak rate exceeds this threshold, triggering the repair requirement — decommissioning is not mandated for a leak alone.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. 20% is the industrial process refrigeration threshold, not comfort cooling, and 18% still exceeds the applicable 15% rate.
- C. EPA leak rules do not mandate refrigerant conversion for leak repair compliance.
- D. Decommissioning is not required; repair within 30 days is the mandated action.
EPA Leak Repair Threshold
Appliances with 50+ lbs of refrigerant charge exceeding a specified annual leak rate must be repaired within 30 days under EPA regulations.
- Comfort cooling/other appliances: 15% threshold
- Industrial process refrigeration: 30-35% threshold
- Applies to appliances with 50 lbs or more full charge
Memory trick: 50 lbs, 15% — fix it fast, or face the blast (of fines)