Optional Information
Name of school: 
Date of inspection:
Career-Technical program/course/room:
Signature of inspector: 

 
Servicing Appliances
Containing Refrigerant
Self-Inspection Checklist

Guidelines: This checklist covers regulations issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Subpart F, 40 CFR 82.150 to 82.166. A answer to a question indicates that this portion of the inspection complies with the EPA standard, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard, or with a nonregulatory recommendation. Definitions of terms in bold type are provided at the end of the checklist. This checklist does not cover motor vehicle air conditioners (MVACs). See the Service and Repair of Motor Vehicle Air Conditioners checklist. This checklist does not address regulations for approved equipment testing organizations, technician certification programs, persons who take the final step in the disposal process of small appliances or MVAC-like appliances, and reclaimer certification. appendixes A through D of the regulations 40 CFR 82.150 to 82.166 should also be consulted and include: Appendix A-Specifications for fluorocarbon refrigerants; Appendix B-Performance of refrigerant recovery, recycling, and/or reclaim equipment; Appendix C-Method for testing recovery devices for use with small appliances; and Appendix D-Standards for becoming a certifying program for technicians.
  Please Circle
Maintaining, Servicing, and Repairing Appliances
  1. Is it prohibited to knowingly vent or release

    2. any class I or class II refrigerant into the
    environment?
    [40 CFR 82.154(a)]

    Note: Small releases associated with good
    faith attempts to recycle or recover refrigerants
    are permitted if proper procedures are followed.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Do students and employees follow EPA-required

    2. procedures when opening an appliance for
    maintenance, service, or repair?
    [40 CFR 82.154(b) and 82.156]

    Note: Different appliances must be evacuated
    to different pressures according to the age of
    the recovery or recycling equipment and the
    type of appliance. Certain exceptions are also
    permitted. Consult 40 CFR 82.156 for additional
    information.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Are students and employees who open an

    2. appliance EPA-certified for that type of appliance?
    [40 CFR 82.161(a)]

    Note: Employees must be certified as one
    of the following: 
     

    1. Type I persons maintain, service, or

      2. repair small appliances.
       
    2. Type II persons maintain, service, or

      3. repair high- or very high-pressure
      appliances or MVAC-like appliances.
       
    3. Type III persons repair low-pressure

      4. appliances.
       
    4. Universal persons maintain, service, or

      5. repair all types of appliances.
    Persons who maintain, service, or repair
    MVAC-like appliances may be certified
    according to the requirements for MVAC
    service, repair, and disposal (see checklist
    for Service and Repair of Motor Vehicle Air
    Conditioners).
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. When students or employees open appliances,

    2. is refrigerant that is evacuated to a system
    receiver or a recovery or recycling machine
    certified according to EPA requirements?
    [40 CFR 82.154(f) and 82.156]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. When students or employees service appliances

    2. normally containing 50 or more pounds of
    refrigerant, does the owner/operator of the
    appliance receive an invoice or other
    documentation that indicates the amount of
    refrigerant added to the appliance?
    [40 CFR 82.166(j) and 82.158]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Are copies of certifications maintained at the

    2. school for at least 3 years?
    [40 CFR 82.166(l) and (m)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Do students and employees use recovery or

    2. recycling equipment according to the
    manufacturer's directions, unless the directions
    conflict with EPA requirements?
    [40 CFR 82.156(d)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
Disposal
  1. Is it prohibited to knowingly vent or release

    2. any class I or class II refrigerant to the
    environment when disposing of an appliance?
    [40 CFR 82.154(a)]

    Note: Small releases associated with good
    faith attempts to recover refrigerants are
    permitted, if all EPA required practices
    are followed.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Are all students and employees who dispose

    2. of appliances (except small appliances and
    MVAC-like appliances) EPA-certified for that
    type of appliance?
    [40 CFR 82.161(a)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Are copies of required certifications maintained

    2. at the school for at least 3 years?
    [40 CFR 82.166(l) and (m)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. When students or employees dispose of

    2. appliances (except small appliances and
    MVAC-like appliances), is refrigerant that is
    evacuated to a system receiver or a recovery
    or recycling machine certified according to
    EPA requirements?
    [40 CFR 82.156(a)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. If students or employees remove refrigerant

    2. before disposing of appliances, (except small
    appliances and MVAC-like appliances), do they
    follow EPA required procedures for proper
    evacuation?
    [40 CFR 82.156]

    Note: Different evacuation pressures are
    specified according to the age of the recovery
    or recycling equipment and the type of
    appliance. Consult 40 CFR 82.156(a) for
    additional information.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. If students or employees dispose of small

    2. appliances, do they recover refrigerant from
    the appliance according to one of the following?
    [40 CFR 82.156(h)]
     
    1. Ninety percent of the refrigerant must be

      2. recovered if the compressor is operating.
       
    2. Eighty percent of the refrigerant must be

      3. recovered if the compressor is not operating.
       
    3. The appliance is evacuated to 4 inches

      4. of mercury vacuum.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. If refrigerant is recovered for disposal of

    2. MVAC-like appliances, is the system pressure
    of the appliance reduced to or below
    102 mm of mercury vacuum, using equipment
    that meets EPA requirements?
    [40 CFR 82.156(g)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. If the small appliance or MVAC-like appliance

    2. is sent to someone else for final disposal and
    the refrigerant has been recovered according
    to EPA requirements, is documentation
    provided that includes (a) a signed statement
    certifying that the refrigerant has been
    properly removed, (b) the name and address
    of the person who recovered the refrigerant,
    and (c) the date the refrigerant was removed?
    [40 CFR 82.156(f)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. If the small appliance or MVAC-like appliance

    2. refrigerant is not recovered before disposal,
    is the appliance sent to a person who will
    dispose of the appliance according to
    EPA requirements?
    [40 CFR 82.156]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
General Requirements
  1. Has a proper Equipment operations

    2. certification been prepared and sent to EPA?
    [40 CFR 82.154(e) and 82.162]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. If class I or class II substances are sold or

    2. distributed for use as a refrigerant, are
    invoices maintained for at least 3 years
    indicating the name of the purchaser, the
    date of sale, and the quantity of
    refrigerant purchased?
    [40 CFR 82.166(a) and (m)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is it prohibited to alter the design of any

    2. certified refrigerant recycling or recovery
    equipment in a way that would affect the
    equipment's ability to meet the
    certification standards?
    [40 CFR 82.154(d)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. If class I or class II refrigerants are purchased,

    2. is evidence provided to the wholesaler
    regarding each person's certification,
    including any changes to certification?
    [40 CFR 82.166(b)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is selling any used class I or class II

    2. refrigerant prohibited unless one of the
    following is true?
    [40 CFR 82.154(g) and (h)]
     
    1. The buyer is an EPA-certified reclaimer

      2. following EPA approved procedures.
       
    2. The class I or class II substance was

      3. used only in an MVAC or MVAC-like
      appliance and is to be used only in
      an MVAC or MVAC-like appliance.
       
    3. The class I or class II substance is

      4. contained in an appliance that is
      sold or offered for sale together with
      the class I or class II substance.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. Is selling or distributing any class I or

    2. class II substance for use as a refrigerant
    prohibited unless
    [40 CFR 82.154(m)]
     
    1. the buyer is a EPA-certified technician;

      2.  
    2. the refrigerant is sold only for

      3. eventual resale to EPA-certified
      technicians or to appliance
      manufacturers;
       
    3. the refrigerant is sold to an appliance

      4. manufacturer;
       
    4. the refrigerant is contained in an

      5. appliance; or
       
    5. the refrigerant is charged into an

      6. appliance by a EPA certified technician
      during maintenance, service, or repair.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. If you are the owner/operator of an appliance

    2. normally containing 50 or more pounds of
    refrigerant, are records maintained documenting
    the date and type of service on the appliance
    and the amount of refrigerant added?
    [40 CFR 82.166(k)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. If you are the owner/operator of a commercial

    2. refrigeration or industrial process refrigeration
    equipment, are all leaks repaired within
    30 days if the equipment is leaking at a rate
    such that the loss of refrigerant will exceed
    35º of the total charge during a
    12-month period?
    [40 CFR 82.156(i)(1)]
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 
  1. If you are the owner/operator of an appliance

    2. normally containing more than 50 pounds of
    refrigerant and not covered by question 25,
    are all leaks repaired within 30 days if the
    appliance is leaking at a rate such that the
    loss of refrigerant will exceed 15º of the
    total charge during a 12-month period?
    [40 CFR 82.156(j)]

    Note: Owners are not required to repair the
    leaks indicated in questions 25 and 26 if,
    within 30 days, they develop a one-year
    retrofit or retirement plan for the leaking
    equipment. The plan must be in writing,
    dated and kept on site. All work must be
    completed within one year of the plan's date.
 Y   N   N/A   ?? 

 
Definitions:
 
Appliance: any device that contains and uses a class I or class II substance as a refrigerant and that is used for household or commercial purposes, including air conditioner, refrigerator, chiller, or freezer.
Class I refrigerants: include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform.
Class II refrigerants: include hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).
Equipment operations certification: a signed statement from a school that maintains, services, or repairs appliances except for MVACs and includes: (a) the name and address (including the county) of the purchaser of any EPA-approved equipment used to recover and recycle refrigerant; (b) the name and address of the establishment where the equipment will be located; (c) the manufacturer name and equipment model number, the date of manufacture, and the serial number of the equipment; (d) a statement that the equipment will be properly used in servicing appliances and that the information given is true and correct; (e) a signature of the owner of the equipment or other responsible officer. This equipment operations certification must be sent to CAA § 608 Enforcement Contact, EPA Region II, Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, 26 Federal Plaza, Room 5000, New York, NY 10278. [40 CFR 82.154(e) and 82.162]
High-pressure appliance: an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a boiling point between -50 and 10ºC at atmospheric pressure (29.9 inches of mercury). This definition includes appliances using refrigerants -12, -22, -114, -500, or -502.
Low-pressure appliance: an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a boiling point above 10ºC at atmospheric pressure (29.9 inches of mercury). This definition includes equipment using refrigerants -11, -113, and -123.
MVAC-like appliance: a motor-vehicle air-conditioner-like appliance. It includes mechanical vapor compression, open-drive compressor appliances used to cool the driver's or passenger's compartment of a non-road motor vehicle. This includes the air-conditioning equipment found on agricultural or construction vehicles. This definition does not cover appliance using HCFC-22 refrigerant.
Opening an appliance: any service, maintenance, or repair on an appliance that could be reasonably expected to release refrigerant from the appliance to the atmosphere unless the refrigerant was previously recovered from the appliance.
Small appliance: any of the following products that are fully manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with 5 pounds or less of refrigerant: refrigerators and freezers designed for home use, room air conditioners (including window air conditioners and packaged terminal air conditioners), packaged terminal heat pumps, dehumidifiers, under-the-counter ice makers, vending machines, and drinking water coolers.
Very high-pressure appliance: an appliance that uses a refrigerant with a boiling point below -50ºC at atmospheric pressure (29.9 inches of mercury). This definition includes equipment using refrigerants -13 and -503.
 
Sources of Additional Information:
 
Stratospheric Ozone Information Hotline: 1-800-296-1996
Comments/Corrective action:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Back to the previous page           Back to Contents

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health