EPA 609 Equipment & Certification Requirements 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: To purchase refrigerant in containers larger than 2 pounds, a technician must show proof of:
- A state business license
- EPA Section 609 technician certification (Correct answer)
- ASE A7 (Heating and Air Conditioning) certification
- A HVAC contractor license
Correct answer: EPA Section 609 technician certification
Refrigerant sellers are required to verify that purchasers of containers over 2 lbs hold valid EPA Section 609 certification.
Question 2: Which organization sets the equipment standards (SAE J2788) for MVAC refrigerant recovery machines?
- EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
- SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers) (Correct answer)
- OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
Correct answer: SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers)
SAE International sets equipment performance standards like J2788, which the EPA then references in its regulations.
Question 3: Recovery-only equipment (not recycling) for MVAC service recovers refrigerant into a cylinder that must then be:
- Immediately returned to the vehicle
- Sent to a refrigerant reclaimer for processing if it is to be used in other vehicles (Correct answer)
- Filtered in-shop and stored for 30 days before reuse
- Mixed with fresh refrigerant in a 1:1 ratio
Correct answer: Sent to a refrigerant reclaimer for processing if it is to be used in other vehicles
Refrigerant recovered with recovery-only (non-recycling) equipment must be sent to a certified reclaimer before it can be used in vehicles other than the one from which it came.
Question 4: Equipment certified to SAE J2788 for R-134a may be used for R-1234yf service:
- Yes, all HFC and HFO equipment is interchangeable
- No — R-1234yf requires separate dedicated equipment certified for that refrigerant (Correct answer)
- Only if the machine is labeled 'universal'
- Yes, after adding a special adapter kit
Correct answer: No — R-1234yf requires separate dedicated equipment certified for that refrigerant
R-1234yf requires dedicated recovery/recycling equipment certified for its mildly flammable properties and different fittings — R-134a equipment cannot be used.
Question 5: A shop must keep records of refrigerant purchases and recovery activities for a minimum of:
- 6 months
- 1 year
- 3 years (Correct answer)
- 7 years
Correct answer: 3 years
EPA regulations require refrigerant purchase and service records to be retained for at least 3 years and made available to EPA inspectors upon request.
Question 6: Which is a valid EPA-approved testing format for Section 609 certification?
- Verbal exam administered by a shop manager
- Written or computer-based exam administered by an EPA-approved certification program (Correct answer)
- On-the-job training sign-off by a senior technician
- Online self-assessment with self-grading
Correct answer: Written or computer-based exam administered by an EPA-approved certification program
Section 609 certification requires passing a proctored written or computer-based test through an EPA-approved certification organization.
EPA 609 Equipment & Certification Requirements 1
To purchase refrigerant in containers larger than 2 pounds, a technician must show proof of: