25 Type I — Small Appliances Practice Questions & Answers
Every Type I — Small Appliances practice question from the EPA 608 Certification Practice Test, with the correct answer and a short explanation.
Start practice test →1. A technician uses recovery equipment manufactured in 1996 to service a household refrigerator whose compressor still runs. What must the technician achieve?
- A.Recover 90% of the refrigerant, or evacuate the appliance to 4 inches of mercury vacuum✓ Answer
- B.Recover 80% of the refrigerant
- C.Recover 100% of the refrigerant
- D.Evacuate the appliance to 500 microns
Because the recovery equipment was manufactured on or after November 15, 1993, the higher 90% level applies whenever the appliance's own compressor is operating, since a working compressor can help pump refrigerant out. The alternative of evacuating the small appliance to 4 inches of mercury vacuum always satisfies the rule.
Source: 40 CFR 82.156(b)(2)Report a problem with this question
2. A technician recovers refrigerant from a window air conditioner using a recovery unit built in 1991. The appliance's compressor does not run. What level must be reached?
- A.80% of the refrigerant, or evacuation to 4 inches of mercury vacuum✓ Answer
- B.90% of the refrigerant, or evacuation to 4 inches of mercury vacuum
- C.90% of the refrigerant, with no vacuum alternative
- D.100% of the refrigerant
Recovery equipment manufactured before November 15, 1993 is held to a single 80% standard regardless of whether the appliance's compressor works, because that older equipment was never certified to the higher performance level. Evacuating the appliance to 4 inches of mercury vacuum is the permitted alternative.
Source: 40 CFR 82.156(b)(1)Report a problem with this question
3. Using recovery equipment manufactured in 2004 on a dehumidifier whose compressor is seized, the technician must recover:
- A.100% of the refrigerant, because the compressor cannot assist
- B.80% of the refrigerant, or evacuate the appliance to 4 inches of mercury vacuum✓ Answer
- C.90%, because the manufacture date of the equipment alone sets the level
- D.95% of the refrigerant
For post-November 15, 1993 equipment the required level depends on the appliance, not just the equipment: 90% applies only when the appliance's compressor is functioning, and it drops to 80% when the compressor is inoperative because refrigerant trapped in a dead system is far harder to remove. The 4 inches of mercury vacuum alternative remains available.
Source: 40 CFR 82.156(b)(2)Report a problem with this question
4. Which single method satisfies the small-appliance recovery requirement in every case — old or new recovery equipment, working or dead compressor?
- A.Recovering 80% of the charge
- B.Running the appliance's compressor for at least 30 minutes
- C.Evacuating the small appliance to 4 inches of mercury vacuum✓ Answer
- D.Recovering 90% of the charge
The regulation states each recovery-percentage requirement as an either/or with a vacuum level, so pulling the small appliance down to 4 inches of mercury vacuum is deemed compliant no matter which percentage would otherwise apply. Recovering 80% or 90% only satisfies the rule in the specific equipment-age and compressor combinations to which those figures are assigned.
Source: 40 CFR 82.156(b)Report a problem with this question
5. The alternative evacuation level EPA specifies for small appliances is expressed as:
- A.4 microns of mercury
- B.500 microns of mercury
- C.29 inches of mercury vacuum
- D.4 inches of mercury vacuum✓ Answer
The small-appliance standard is a comparatively shallow 4 inches of mercury vacuum, which a recovery unit can reach quickly; it is a recovery requirement, not a dehydration requirement. Deep-vacuum figures such as 500 microns belong to evacuating and dehydrating a system before recharging, which is a different operation with a different purpose.
Source: 40 CFR 82.156(b); EPA Type I test topic "Recovery Requirements"Report a problem with this question
6. Recovery equipment for small appliances that was manufactured before November 15, 1993 is considered certified if it:
- A.Was laboratory tested to AHRI Standard 700
- B.Is capable of recovering 80% of the refrigerant or of evacuating the appliance to 4 inches of mercury vacuum✓ Answer
- C.Is registered annually with EPA by the owner
- D.Bears a DOT certification label
EPA grandfathered older machines rather than forcing their replacement, so pre-November 15, 1993 equipment is deemed certified as long as it can actually meet the 80% or 4-inch-of-mercury performance level. Newer equipment must instead be certified by an EPA-approved third party against the ARI/AHRI 740 standard, with small-appliance devices tested by the method in Appendix C.
Source: 40 CFR 82.158; Appendix C to 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart FReport a problem with this question
7. Under 40 CFR 82.152, which description matches a "small appliance"?
- A.Any appliance field-charged with 5 pounds or less of refrigerant
- B.Any appliance holding 15 pounds or less of refrigerant, regardless of where it was charged
- C.A product fully manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory with 5 pounds or less of refrigerant✓ Answer
- D.Any appliance light enough for one technician to carry
All four elements of the definition must be present together: manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed in a factory, with a charge of 5 pounds or less. Weight, portability, or a small charge alone does not qualify an appliance — a field-assembled and field-charged unit falls outside Type I no matter how little refrigerant it holds.
Source: 40 CFR 82.152 (definition of "small appliance")Report a problem with this question
8. Which of the following is NOT a small appliance for Type I purposes?
- A.An under-the-counter ice maker
- B.A residential split-system central air conditioner✓ Answer
- C.A drinking water cooler
- D.A window air conditioner
A residential split system is assembled and charged in the field, with line sets brazed on site, so it is not factory-charged and hermetically sealed and it is serviced under Type II. Window units, under-counter ice makers, and water coolers all arrive from the factory as sealed, pre-charged products with 5 pounds or less.
Source: 40 CFR 82.152; EPA Section 608 Type I scopeReport a problem with this question
9. Which of these may a Type I certified technician service as a small appliance?
- A.A packaged terminal air conditioner (PTAC) in a hotel room✓ Answer
- B.A rooftop packaged unit serving an office suite
- C.A supermarket refrigeration rack system
- D.A 200-ton centrifugal chiller
A PTAC or PTHP is shipped as a factory-sealed, factory-charged package holding 5 pounds or less, which is exactly what the small-appliance definition covers. Rack systems, chillers, and rooftop packaged equipment exceed that charge or are field-connected, placing them under Type II or Type III certification.
Source: 40 CFR 82.152; EPA Section 608 Type I scopeReport a problem with this question
10. A customer asks a Type I certified technician to recharge the air conditioning on her pickup truck. This work is:
- A.Covered by Section 608 Type I, because the charge is under 5 pounds
- B.Regulated under Section 609 and requires separate MVAC certification — Type I does not cover it✓ Answer
- C.Not federally regulated at all
- D.Covered by Section 608 Type II
Motor vehicle air conditioning is carved out of Section 608 and regulated separately under Section 609 of the Clean Air Act, with its own technician certification and approved service equipment. The size of the charge is irrelevant — the end use, not the pound count, determines which program applies.
Source: Clean Air Act Section 609; 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart BReport a problem with this question
11. System-dependent (passive) recovery equipment may NOT be used on an appliance with a full charge of more than:
- A.15 pounds, unless it is permanently attached to the appliance as a pump-out unit✓ Answer
- B.There is no charge limit on passive recovery
- C.50 pounds
- D.5 pounds
Passive equipment has no compressor of its own and relies on the appliance's pressure, gravity, and compressor, so EPA caps its use at appliances with a full charge of 15 pounds or less unless it is permanently installed as a pump-out unit. Every small appliance holds 5 pounds or less, so all of them fall safely under this 15-pound ceiling.
Source: 40 CFR 82.156(e)Report a problem with this question
12. A household refrigerator containing 6 ounces of refrigerant develops a slow leak. Which statement is correct?
- A.An automatic leak-detection system must be installed on the appliance
- B.The leak-repair requirements do not apply; they apply to appliances with a full charge of 50 pounds or more✓ Answer
- C.The owner must calculate and record an annualized leak rate
- D.The leak must be repaired within 30 days under the leak-repair rule
EPA's leak-rate calculation, repair, and follow-up verification duties are triggered only at a full charge of 50 pounds or more, so small appliances are excluded entirely. This is the third of the three charge thresholds a Type I candidate must keep straight: 5 pounds defines a small appliance, 15 pounds caps system-dependent recovery equipment, and 50 pounds triggers leak repair.
Source: 40 CFR 82.157 (leak repair applies at full charge of 50 lb or more)Report a problem with this question
13. A technician holds only Type II certification. May he legally open and repair the sealed refrigerant circuit of a vending machine?
- A.Yes — Type II certification covers all appliance types
- B.No — servicing small appliances requires Type I or Universal certification✓ Answer
- C.Yes, as long as the charge is under 5 pounds
- D.No, because Section 608 certifications expire after 5 years and must be renewed
Certification is type-specific: anyone who maintains, services, or repairs a small appliance in a way that could violate the integrity of the refrigerant circuit must hold Type I, and only Universal certification (which includes Type I) covers it in addition to other types. Section 608 technician certification does not expire and has no renewal or continuing-education requirement.
Source: 40 CFR 82.161(a) (technician certification by type)Report a problem with this question
14. A technician is using a system-dependent recovery device on a refrigerator whose compressor will not run. The correct procedure is to:
- A.Braze in a process tube and vent the residual vapor before recovering
- B.Install access valves on both the high side and the low side and recover from both✓ Answer
- C.Access the high side only, since that is where the refrigerant collects
- D.Access the low side only and wait for the system pressures to equalize
With a dead compressor there is nothing to pump refrigerant through the capillary tube restriction, so liquid and vapor stay trapped on both sides of the metering device. Opening both the high and low sides is what makes it possible to reach the required 80% recovery level; venting residual refrigerant at any point would be a separate violation.
Source: 40 CFR 82.156(b); EPA Type I test topic — high and low side access valves with inoperative compressorsReport a problem with this question
15. When recovering with a system-dependent (passive) device, the refrigerant must be discharged into:
- A.The atmosphere, if the release is de minimis
- B.Any recovery cylinder, at whatever pressure it happens to hold
- C.A non-pressurized container, such as a recovery bag or an evacuated recovery cylinder✓ Answer
- D.A disposable cylinder pre-charged with 50 psig of nitrogen
Passive recovery has no pump and depends entirely on the pressure difference between the appliance and the container, so any back pressure in the receiving vessel stalls the transfer. A recovery bag or a cylinder that has been evacuated first keeps that differential as large as possible; intentional venting is never permitted.
Source: 40 CFR 82.156(a)-(b); EPA Type I test topic "Recovery Techniques"Report a problem with this question
16. Which practice will speed up passive recovery from a refrigerator with a seized compressor?
- A.Playing an open propane flame over the compressor shell
- B.Warming the recovery cylinder so it is hotter than the appliance
- C.Applying gentle heat with a heat lamp and tapping the compressor housing with a soft mallet, while keeping the recovery container cooler than the appliance✓ Answer
- D.Using longer hoses of smaller internal diameter
Gentle heat and light blows drive refrigerant out of solution in the compressor oil, and chilling the recovery container lowers its pressure so the differential driving the transfer grows. An open flame is prohibited because it can decompose refrigerant into toxic products and overheat the shell, and long, narrow hoses add restriction that slows recovery.
Source: EPA Type I test topic "Recovery Techniques" (recovery from inoperative compressors)Report a problem with this question
17. What should be done with a solderless (saddle/piercing) access valve at the conclusion of service?
- A.Leave it in place and note it on the disposal verification statement
- B.Remove it and properly seal or braze the access point, because solderless fittings tend to leak over time✓ Answer
- C.Paint it yellow so the next technician can find the access point
- D.Leave it in place with a cap installed, as a permanent service port
Piercing valves rely on a gasket clamped around a punched hole, and that seal degrades, so leaving one on a sealed system creates a predictable future leak. EPA's Type I outline states that solderless access fittings should be removed at the conclusion of service; if the appliance is going back into use, a permanent brazed access fitting should be installed instead.
Source: EPA Type I test topic "Recovery Techniques" — removal of solderless access fittingsReport a problem with this question
18. The nameplate on a small appliance is missing. Before beginning recovery, the technician should:
- A.Assume it is R-134a, since that is the most common refrigerant today
- B.Pressurize the system with nitrogen and watch for a pressure drop
- C.Identify the refrigerant with an electronic identifier, or by comparing measured pressure and temperature against a P-T chart✓ Answer
- D.Recover it into a cylinder that already contains R-22 and sort it out later
A saturated refrigerant has a unique pressure at any given temperature, so a gauge reading plus a thermometer reading and a pressure-temperature chart will distinguish R-12, R-22, and R-134a from one another. Guessing risks mixing refrigerants in the recovery cylinder, and a mixture cannot be reclaimed to AHRI 700 purity — it must be destroyed, usually at the technician's expense.
Source: EPA Type I test topic "Recovery Techniques" — refrigerant identification by pressure/temperatureReport a problem with this question
19. A recovery cylinder has been stored out of direct sunlight and has stabilized at ambient temperature. Its measured pressure is well above the P-T chart value for the refrigerant it holds. This indicates that:
- A.The cylinder has been overfilled past 80% by weight
- B.Noncondensables (air) are present, and they should be purged slowly from the vapor space at the top of the upright cylinder✓ Answer
- C.The cylinder is undercharged and needs topping off
- D.Some of the refrigerant vapor has condensed to liquid
Pure saturated refrigerant can only produce the chart pressure for its temperature, so any excess pressure is the partial pressure of air added on top of it. Air collects in the vapor space, which is why the purge is taken slowly from the top of an upright cylinder — pure refrigerant would otherwise be lost with it.
Source: EPA Type I test topic "Recovery Techniques" — detecting noncondensables by pressure/temperatureReport a problem with this question
20. Refrigerant that has been reprocessed to the purity of AHRI Standard 700 and verified by chemical analysis has been:
- A.Recovered
- B.Recycled
- C.Evacuated
- D.Reclaimed — which may only be done by an EPA-certified reclaimer, not in the field✓ Answer
Reclamation is defined by the purity standard and the laboratory analysis that proves it, which field equipment cannot perform, so only an EPA-certified reclaimer may declare refrigerant reclaimed. Recovery merely removes refrigerant in any condition into an external container, and recycling cleans it on site through oil separation and filter-driers without any purity verification.
Source: 40 CFR 82.152 (definitions of recover, recycle, reclaim); AHRI Standard 700Report a problem with this question
21. Retrofitting a small appliance from CFC-12 to R-134a requires:
- A.Nothing more than adding R-134a on top of whatever R-12 remains
- B.Keeping the original mineral oil, which is miscible with R-134a
- C.Changing to a compatible lubricant such as POE (ester) oil, plus compatible service fittings and filter-drier — there is no true drop-in✓ Answer
- D.Blending R-12 and R-134a to balance capacity
Mineral oil is not miscible with R-134a, so oil returning to the compressor would log in the evaporator and starve the bearings unless the charge is changed to a polyol ester lubricant, along with matching fittings and an R-134a-compatible drier such as XH-7 or XH-9. Mixing R-12 and R-134a is never acceptable, because the resulting mixture cannot be reclaimed and must be destroyed.
Source: EPA Type I test topic — R-134a as a CFC-12 substitute; 40 CFR 82.152 (reclamation)Report a problem with this question
22. Why must all refrigerant be recovered before brazing on a sealed system?
- A.Because EPA requires a nitrogen purge label on every brazed joint
- B.Because refrigerant vapor will extinguish the torch flame
- C.Because refrigerant vapor is explosive at any concentration in air
- D.Because CFC and HCFC refrigerants exposed to an open flame or hot surface decompose into phosgene, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride, which are highly toxic and corrosive✓ Answer
High temperature breaks the refrigerant molecule apart into carbonyl halides and acid gases that attack the lungs and eyes at very low concentrations. That is also why a leaking system should be ventilated before hot work and why the halide torch has given way to electronic leak detectors and soap-bubble testing.
Source: EPA Section 608 Type I test topic "Safety" — decomposition products of refrigerants at high temperatureReport a problem with this question
23. Which statement about recovery cylinders used for small-appliance work is correct?
- A.A cylinder may be warmed with a torch to speed up refrigerant transfer
- B.EPA sets cylinder specifications and the hydrostatic retest interval
- C.A disposable cylinder may be refilled with recovered refrigerant if it is evacuated first
- D.A recovery cylinder must not be filled above 80% of capacity by weight, and DOT — not EPA — sets cylinder specifications and the 5-year hydrostatic retest interval✓ Answer
The 20% vapor space left by the 80% fill limit gives liquid refrigerant room to expand if the cylinder warms, preventing hydrostatic rupture, and fill level is verified with a scale rather than by pressure. Jurisdiction splits cleanly: DOT owns cylinder construction, refillability, markings and retest, while EPA owns who may handle refrigerant, required recovery levels, and records.
Source: 49 CFR Parts 173/180 (DOT cylinder requirements); 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart FReport a problem with this question
24. A scrap metal yard accepts household refrigerators for shredding. Under EPA's disposal rules, the scrap yard must:
- A.Do nothing, because the last owner of the appliance is always responsible
- B.Recover any remaining refrigerant within 30 days after shredding
- C.Recover any remaining refrigerant with certified equipment, or obtain a signed statement or contract verifying that the refrigerant was already recovered, and keep those records on site for 3 years✓ Answer
- D.File an annual disposal report with EPA
EPA places the duty on the person taking the final step in the disposal chain, because that is the last point at which the refrigerant can still be captured before the shell is destroyed. The signed statement must include the name and address of the person who recovered the refrigerant and the date of recovery, and copies are kept on site for three years.
Source: 40 CFR 82.156(f) and 82.166 (disposal recordkeeping)Report a problem with this question
25. Which refrigerant-and-end-use combination is exempt from the Section 608 venting prohibition?
- A.HCFC-22 in a window air conditioner
- B.R-134a in a household refrigerator
- C.Isobutane (R-600a) in a household refrigerator or freezer, and propane (R-290) in a vending machine or stand-alone retail food refrigeration unit✓ Answer
- D.CFC-12 in an under-the-counter ice maker
EPA exempted a short list of hydrocarbon substitutes — including R-600a and R-290, along with R-441A — in specific end uses because their tiny charges pose negligible climate and ozone impact relative to the safety risk of recovering a flammable charge. The exemption is end-use specific and does not extend to HFCs, HCFCs, or CFCs, whose venting remains prohibited.
Source: Clean Air Act Section 608(c); 40 CFR 82.154(a) (exempt substitutes in specified end uses)Report a problem with this question
Practice questions modeled on the EPA Section 608 Technician Certification content (Clean Air Act §608; 40 CFR Part 82). Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or any approved certifying organization. Study the official EPA program materials before testing. Official EPA 608 →