Introduction

EPA 608 Type 1 Chapter 1 (Take the full course for free)

In this module, we will take a look at how the EPA defines small appliances and what the Type I certification covers. Skip to quiz!

1. Type I Certification

Recall that the purpose of Section 608 is to regulate ozone-depleting substances, or ODS, and their substitutes. As you can tell by their name, these substances destroy the ozone layer.

In Core, we learned that ozone destruction increases the risk of skin cancer and cataracts in humans.

Ozone-depleting substances are CFCs and HCFCs. Their substitutes include HFOs. Appliances containing these refrigerants are subject to Section 608 regulations.

Type I certification is for technicians to service, maintain, and repair small appliances that contain CFCs, HCFCs, or HFCs.

Technicians can have either Type I or Universal certification which includes Type I to service appliances covered under Section 608.

Type I appliances must be:

• Hermetically sealed

• Fully charged, and

• Contain less than 5 lbs. of refrigerants.

We will discuss each of these properties in more detail.

Type I appliances are hermetically sealed. This means that internal components are sealed from outside elements and airtight. Think of this as your phone. The internal circuits and other parts of your phone are sealed in a neat device.

Recall that charge is the amount of refrigerant in a system.

Type I appliances are also factory charged, meaning the refrigerant inside the appliance was put into the appliance in the factory where it was manufactured.

So technicians do not need to charge the appliance. All the refrigerant that the

appliance needs to operate is already in there and ready to go.

And lastly, Type I appliances contain a maximum of five pounds of refrigerant. We will go over examples of these appliances so you get a sense of their size.

Types II and III cover appliances with higher amounts of ozone-depleting refrigerant such as chillers and commercial freezers. Type II covers high-pressure appliances and Type III covers pressure appliances. Universal includes all three types of appliances.

2. Small Appliance Definition

Like we discussed, small appliances are systems that are

• Hermetically sealed,

• Factory charged, and

• Contain 5 lbs. or less of refrigerant.

Recall that 1 lb. = 16 ounces.

Small appliances must contain less than five pounds of refrigerant, or less than 80 ounces of refrigerant.

For the EPA test, we’ll need to know the number of ounces in a pound. This lets us determine if a certain amount of refrigerant

belongs in a small appliance. For example, the EPA test might ask if a small appliance can have 20 ounces of refrigerant. The answer would be yes, because 20 ounces is less than 5 pounds.

Generally, small appliances would be items that are made for domestic use and not for industrial applications.

Examples of small appliances include household items such as:

• Refrigerators

• Freezers

• Window AC units

• Dehumidifiers, and

The following are appliances that are not necessarily for household use but still considered small appliances:

• Water coolers

• Under the counter ice makers, and

• Vending machines

Type I appliances contain smaller amounts of refrigerant than Types II and III appliances.

You can think of Type I appliances as things you would see in your everyday life like your freezer or your window AC unit, or even a vending machine.

To reiterate, Type I regulates small appliances that contain ODS.

For example, if a water cooler contains three pounds of R-22, which is an HCFC, it would require Type I certification to handle and dispose off.

A desiccant dehumidifier, on the other hand, does not require Type I certification.

That is because a desiccant dehumidifier uses silica gel to remove humidity, not refrigerant.

On the other hand, if a dehumidifier that contains R-410a refrigerant, it would require Type III certification to handle and dispose of.

Examples of appliances that are not small appliances would be:

• Supermarket refrigerators, which are Type II appliances

• Chillers, which are Type III appliances

MVAC and MVAC-like systems are also not covered under Type I. MVAC stands for Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning. These are cooling systems found in cars and other motor vehicles. MVAC service and repair are covered under Section 609, not Section 608.

Disposal and other procedures for MVACs and MVAC-like systems are covered under Section 608 Type II. This is because disposing and other procedures means working directly with refrigerants that are ozone-depleting.

For example, this includes buses that use R-12 (a CFC). These buses would be covered under Type II, not Type I. Recall that this is because the bus specifically contains CFC, which is ozone-depleting.

3. Conclusion

It’s important to remember that Section 608 regulates substances that are harmful to the ozone layer.

In this module, we went over what Type I certification means and why we would need it.

We compared Type I certification with Types II and III to see the differences between them.

We also looked at examples of appliances that are and are not small appliances under Type I.

Question #1: Up to how many pounds of refrigerant can Type I appliances contain?

1. 3

2. 5

3. 15

4. 50

Scroll down for the answer...

Type I appliances can contain a maximum of five pounds of refrigerant.

Question #2: Type I systems can have 3 pounds of refrigerant.

1. True

2. False

Scroll down for the answer...

This is true.

Type I systems can have up to five pounds of refrigerant. So they can have any amount of refrigerant less than five pounds.

Question #3: Type I systems need to be charged before using.

1. True

2. False

Scroll down for the answer...

False!

Type I systems are factory charged. This means technicians do not need to charge the appliance. All the refrigerant needed is already contained inside the appliance.

Type I appliances can be used straight out of the box.

Question #4: Hermetically sealed systems are systems that cannot lose refrigerant.

1. True

2. False

Scroll down for the answer...

False!

Hermetically sealed systems are contained and sealed from outside components. But they can still leak over time and lose refrigerant.

Question #5 Small appliances include:

1. Commercial freezers

2. Commercial refrigerators

3. Window AC units

4. All of these

Scroll down for the answer...

Of this list, only window AC units are considered small appliances.

Commercial freezers and commercial refrigerators are not small appliances. These appliances will have more than five pounds of refrigerant.

Only household freezers and household refrigerators are considered small appliances.

Question #6 If a water cooler has 14 ounces of R-134a, is it considered a Type I appliance under Section 608?

1. Yes

2. No

Scroll down for the answer...

This water cooler is considered a Type I appliance under Section 608 because:

• 14 ounces is less than 5 lbs (or 80 oz), and

• R-134a is an HFC refrigerant, which is covered under Section 608.

(Recall that 16 ounces = 1 lb)

Question #7 If a humidifier has 60 ounces of R-32, is it considered a Type I appliance under Section 608?

1. Yes

2. No

Scroll down for the answer...

This humidifier is considered a Type I appliance under Section 608 because:

• 60 ounces is less than 5 lbs (or 80 oz), and

• R-32 is an HFC refrigerant, which is covered under Section 608.

Question #8 If a humidifier has 90 ounces of R-32, is it considered a Type I appliance under Section 608?

1. Yes

2. No

Scroll down for the answer...

This humidifier is not considered a Type I appliance under Section 608 because:

• 90 ounces is greater than 5 lbs (or 80 oz)

Question #9 MVACs are considered Type I appliances under Section 608 but MVAC-like systems are not.

1. True

2. False

Scroll down for the answer...

False!

Neither MVACs or MVAC-like systems are considered Type I systems.

Review the previous slides if this is unclear.