EPA’s Refrigerant Management Requirements - What Technicians Need to Know

Oct 4, 2026

EPA’s Section 608 of the Clean Air Act sets refrigerant management rules to prevent knowing releases during maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. The requirements cover ozone-depleting refrigerants and certain non-exempt substitute refrigerants, while some refrigerants are exempt. The fact sheet explains certification, sales restrictions, limits on reselling recovered refrigerant, evacuation standards before opening, and recordkeeping for disposal of mid-sized appliances.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

What Technicians Need to Know

What is Section 608?

Section 608 Refrigerant Management Requirements for Technicians

Sales Restriction

Technician Certification

Recordkeeping for Appliances with 5 to 50 Pounds of Refrigerant

Maintenance, Servicing, Repair, and Disposal

Important Changes to the Section 608 Leak Repair Regulations

EPA’s Refrigerant Management Requirements What Technicians Need to Know What is Section 608? Section 608 of the Clean Air Act prohibits the knowing release of refrigerant during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of air-conditioning (AC) and refrigeration equipment. EPA requires proper refrigerant management practices by those who buy or sell refrigerant, technicians, owners and operators of AC and refrigeration systems, and others. These requirements apply for all refrigerants that contain ozone-depleting substances, e.g. , hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and non-exempt substitute refrigerants, e.g. , hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and blends thereof. Some refrigerants are exempt from the refrigerant management requirements. Examples include carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water. Fora full list of exempt refrigerants, see 40 CFR § 82. 154(a) . What are the Section 608 refrigerant management requirements for technicians? 1 Only certified technicians can use non-exempt refrigerants to service AC and refrigeration equipment. Technicians must comply with the following provisions for ozone-depleting and non-exempt substitute refrigerants. With the exception of the applicability of the leak repair provisions to substitutes, these provisions did not change as a result of EPA’s 2020 update. Sales Restriction • Refrigerant can only be sold to technicians certified under Sections 608 or 609 of the Clean Air Act, where individuals may only purchase refrigerant consistent with the appliances covered by their certification. o There is an exception for small cans (under two pounds) of substitute refrigerant, which can be sold to individuals for use in a MVAC if the can has a self-sealing valve. • Recovered refrigerant may not be resold unless it has been reclaimed by a certified reclaimer; is being transferred to equipment belonging to the same owner; or was used only in a motor vehicle air conditioner (MVAC) or MVAC-like appliance and was recycled. 2 Technician Certification Technicians servicing AC and refrigeration equipment must: • Pass a certification exam offered by an approved technician certification program in order to maintain, service, repair, or dispose of appliances containing refrigerants. • Keep a copy of their certificate at their place of business. • Maintain a copy of their certificate until three years after no longer operating as a technician. To assist in reissuing lost certification cards, certifying organizations must post online lists of newly certified technicians. Technicians may opt out of the online lists if they so choose. 1 This fact sheet highlights select provisions that may be of most interest to this community. Please see the regulations at [https://go.usa.gov/xpKhq](https://go.usa.gov/xpKhq) for the full requirements. Requirements for individuals servicing motor vehicle air conditioners (MVAC) or MVAC-like appliances are discussed in more detail [at](at www.epa.gov/mvac)[ ](at www.epa.gov/mvac)[www.epa.gov/mvac](at www.epa.gov/mvac). 2 This does not apply to the sale of used refrigerant for reclamation or destruction. Recordkeeping for Appliances with 5 to 50 Pounds of Refrigerant Technicians who dispose of mid-sized appliances (e.g. , residential split AC systems), must keep records of: • The location, date of recovery, and type of refrigerant recovered for each disposed appliance; • The quantity of refrigerant, by type, recovered from disposed appliances in each calendar month; and • The quantity of refrigerant, and type, transferred for reclamation or destruction, the person to whom it was transferred, and the date of the transfer. Maintenance, Servicing, Repair, and Disposal Technicians must: • Evacuate refrigerant before opening or disposing of appliances to the evacuation levels specified in the regulations using certified recovery and/or recycling equipment. • Before opening or disposing of MVACs or MVAC-like appli

FAQs

What does Section 608 prohibit for technicians working on AC and refrigeration equipment?

Section 608 prohibits the knowing release of refrigerant during maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. It also requires proper refrigerant management practices for covered parties.

Who can use non-exempt refrigerants to service AC and refrigeration systems?

Only certified technicians can use non-exempt refrigerants to service AC and refrigeration equipment. Technicians must follow specific provisions for ozone-depleting and non-exempt substitute refrigerants.

What recordkeeping is required when disposing of mid-sized appliances with 5 to 50 pounds of refrigerant?

Technicians must keep records of the location, date of recovery, and type of refrigerant recovered for each disposed appliance; the monthly quantity recovered by type; and quantities and details transferred for reclamation or destruction, including the transferee and transfer date.

Oct 4, 2026

Upload by RuangKosong