Type I Small Appliances

Question 1

Type 1 Technician Requirements

Answer 1

If you maintain, services, or repair small appliances, sale of refrigerants to service or install refrigeration and air conditioning equipment is restricted to technicians who are EPA certified in refrigerant recovery.

Question 2

Definition of small appliances

Answer 2

EPA defines a small appliances as a product that is fully manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with five pounds or less of refrigerant.

Question 3

Disposal chain

Answer 3

Anyone along the disposal chain can recover the refrigerant, but the final personal in the disposal chain has the responsibility to ensure the refrigerant has been properly recovered.

Question 4

Rules of Flammable Refrigerants

Answer 4

EPA found that using R-600a (Isobutane), R290(Propane), and R441A in household refrigeration is acceptable. The use of HFC-32 ( Difluoromethane) is acceptable in room air conditioning units.

Question 5

Rules for flammable refrigerants

Answer 5

These specific flammable refrigerants may be used only in the new equipment designed specifically and clearly identified for the refrigerant. None of these substitutes may be used as conversion or retrofit refrigerant for existing equipment designed for other refrigerants.

Question 6

Rules for flammable refrigerants - Continued

Answer 6

The charge size limitations are 57g (2.0 ounces ) for house hold refrigeration and 150g ( 5.3 ounces weight) for retail Food machines. The size limitations applies to each individual isolated refrigerant circuit in the device, not the charge in the entire appliance.

Question 7

Odorization of flammable refrigerants

Answer 7

EPA final rule does not prohibit the introduction of an odorant into isobutane, propane, or R-441A refrigerants as long as the refrigerant remains within purity specifications.

Question 8

Flammable Tube Marking

Answer 8

Refrigerants must have red marked pipes. The color is required at all services ports and where service puncturing or otherwise creating an opening from the refrigerant circuit to the atmosphere would be expected to occur. The color must extend a minimum of 1 inch in both directions from such locations.

Question 9

UL standards to Service Ports

Answer 9

UL Standards referenced in this rule dont allow the inclusion of service ports in finished products using flammable refrigerants. You can add service ports during servicing and the red line marking requirement would still apply.

Question 10

Flammable color marking

Answer 10

The red coloring must always be present, even when a hose or piping is replaced or removed. you are required to replace the red marking on the service tube.

Question 11

Flammable Labeling

Answer 11

Any small appliances that is using flammable refrigerants must have “DANGER and CAUTION” labels permanently attached at specified locations (on or near any evaporator, near the machine compartment, near exposed refrigerant tubing, and on the exterior of the refrigerator.

Question 12

Flammable Containers

Answer 12

All flammable refrigerant containers must have red band on the shoulder or top of the container. The EPA does not require unique fittings on the refrigerant cylinders.

Question 13

Caution about Non-Refrigerant- Grade.

Answer 13

Non-Refrigerant- Grade hydrocarbons should never be used as refrigerants because the impurities in the lower grade can cause serious problems. The contaminants are typically not removed by the filter drier and can cause lubricant to thicken, resulting in increased wear or passage clogging.

Question 14

If you are opening small appliances for maintenance, service, or repair you must do what?

Answer 14

1. ) Recover 90% of the refrigerant in the appliance when the compressor in the appliance is operating ( 90% of the name plate charge.
2. ) Recovery 80% of the refrigerant in the appliance when the compressor ISNT operating ( 80% of the nameplate charge)
3. ) Evacuate the small appliances to 4 inches of mercury vacuum, regardless of the operating condition of the compressor.

Question 15

Recovery equipment

Answer 15

A recovery bag can be used instead of a recovery tank. A recovery bag inflates as a refrigerant is introduced so the pressure does not build up in the bag, allowing greater amounts of refrigerant to be recovered into the bag without pressure increase.

Question 16

Recovery Devices Testing

Answer 16

Recycling and recovery equipment must be tested by an EPA approved third party and be equipped with low loss fittings. The low loss-fittings can be either manually closed or automatically closed when disconnected to prevent loss of refrigerant from hoses. The recovery equipment does not need to have an oil separator or be able to handle more than one refrigerant. AHRI 740 has two equipment classifications, system dependent and self- contained.

Question 17

System Dependent Equipment

Answer 17

Equipment depends on the operation of the components of system where the refrigerant is being recovered and can only be used on the appliances with 15 pounds or less refrigerant. to

You cant use system-dependent recovery device for larger appliances.

Question 18

Passive Recovery Device

Answer 18

It is a subset of a system-dependent recovery device that captures the refrigerant in a non-pressurized container or recovery device that captures the refrigerant in a non-pressurized container or recovery bag without the use of the system compressor to transfer the refrigerant. A passive recovery device can use heat (to raise the pressure in the system) or cooling of the recovery tank ( to lower the recovery tank pressure.

Question 19

Passive recovery device with inoperative compressor

Answer 19

You need to connect both the high and low side of system to the passive recovery tank or bag to achieve maximum refrigerant.

Question 20

Appliances containing Refrigerant for maintenance

Answer 20

Maintenance, service or repair, you must have at least one self- contained recovery machine available. The exception to this rule is if you’re working on small appliances or systems with a charge of less than 15 pounds. You can use system dependent recovery devices.

Question 21

Self Contained Equipment

Answer 21

Recovery or recycling equipment does not require the help from or operation of any components in the system where the refrigerant is being recovered or recycled.

Question 22

Self Contained Equipment - continued

Answer 22

If you hold a Type 1 Certification, you dont need to have any certified recovery equipment. You can rely on system dependent recovery. For example, using the system compressor if it works and refrigerant bags or an evacuated recovery tank. EPA certification other than just Type I certification, you must have at least one piece, self contained recovery or recycling at you place of business.

Question 23

Static Electricity Concerns

Answer 23

When the concentration of a flammable refrigerant reaches or exceeds the lower flammability limit (LFL) and is below the upper flammability limit (UFL) an explosion or fire can occur if an ignition source such as a spark, open flame, or other hot surfaces exist. A static electricity spark can be this ignition source.

Question 24

Compressor Burn Out

Answer 24

If you smell a pungent odor during recovery or repair of a system, acid is probably in the system as a result of a compressor burn out. A new compressor is necessary.

Question 25

Access Valves on small appliance

Answer 25

You might be tempted to keep access valves in place for future use, This would be a mistake because the valve isn't a perfect seal. all refrigerant would leak out of the system.

Question 26

Filling Graduated Cylinders

Answer 26

You must recover the refrigerant that is vented off the top of the cylinder.

Question 27

Mixing Refrigerants

Answer 27

If you mix one refrigerant type with another, you cant reuse the refrigerant. Refrigerants should never be mixed.

Question 28

Charge Refrigerant at ambient pressure thru High Side

Answer 28

Charge the refrigerant back into the system using the additional pressure head developed by the recovery machine. Use a heated graduated charging cylinder. Heat the refrigerant storage container ( Never use and open torch.)

Question 29

System- Dependent Recovery process

Answer 29

If you are using this process and the compressor does operate, recover the refrigerant from the high side because the compressor will pump the refrigerant to the high side.

Question 30

Access Valve (Caution)

Answer 30

After connecting to the system ( Installing a piercing access valve or connecting to an existing service valve) If the system pressure is 0 PSIG, don't begin any recovery procedure.

Question 31

Releasing Trapped Refrigerant

Answer 31

Strike the compressor several times with a rubber mallet to help dislodge any refrigerant that could be trapped under the oil in the compressor oil sump.

Question 32

None Condensable Gases

Answer 32

Air or any other non-condensable vapors displace the refrigerant, leading to increased system high-side pressure as well as potentially trapping these non-condensable in the condenser.

Question 33

Replacement Refrigerants

Answer 33

There are no "Drop-in" service replacements for any refrigerants. The term drop in replacement means that the refrigerant provides exactly the same cooling, efficiency, pressure ratio, and other performance factors as the original refrigerant with no changes to existing equipment.

Question 34

Leak repairs on Small Appliances

Answer 34

It isn't mandatory to repair leaks in small appliances, its is highly recommended to do so whenever possible.

Question 35

Recovering refrigerant from a sealed system

Answer 35

You can use nitrogen to pressurize the system for leak checking or blow debris out of the system, you can vent the nitrogen to the ambient air.

Question 36

Disposal of Refrigerants

Answer 36

You don't need to be certified tech. to remove refrigerant from small appliances. The equipment used to recover refrigerant from appliances before their final disposal must meet the same performance standards as the refrigerant recovery equipment used for servicing.

Question 37

Safety

Answer 37

When working with any compressed gas, you need a pair of protective eye goggles with vented side shields to keep the goggles from fogging up and to keep cool. At high temperatures( Open flames glowing metal surfaces), R-12 and R-22 can decompose to form poisonous hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids an phosgene gas. When using nitrogen, only use nitrogen vapor and always use a pressure regulator with a relief valve inserted in the downstream line from the pressure regulator. The release of refrigerants in large quantities can cause suffocation because refrigerants are heavier than air and displace oxygen.