EPA 608 Type I, II, III

A candidate for an HVACR license must first receive an appropriate education and training. Once a student for HVACR technician has completed his studies and training, he is ready to surrender his license exam HVACR. We are committed to help you pass your EPA-608 and HVACR exams once, the first time!

Nowdays, in USA and all over the world, the HVACR Technicians needs to obtain a legal certification in order to begin handling refrigerants. In USA, a HVACR Technician first needs to obtain a certification from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). This is because when refrigerants aren't used properly, they can cause damage to HVAC equipment, also causes serious environmental damage, or even lead to great injury and death of anyone close by.

The objetive of this page is to help you in your goal to obtain your EPA certification. It will help you know what the EPA certification is, the information and concepts you should learn, as well as provide adequate information on the EPA certification exam.

While it is true that acquiring an EPA certification is greatly important, getting a good understanding of refrigerants and their applications are also very important for you to become a good HVACR technician. An in-depth understanding of the physics of the refrigeration cycle can often be what separates top technicians from average ones. Let us briefly talk about the history of the use and evolution of refrigerants as well as how universal standards have developed over the years to govern the use and handling of refrigerants.

Use and Evolution of Refrigerants

Ammonia was the first widely-used refrigerant. Around the mid-1800’s, ammonia was widely used in food refrigeration systems. Although its heat absorbing properties were impressive, it still posed a threat when it comes to in-home refrigeration. However, new versions of refrigerants were developed and because of their reduced toxicity, refrigerators became quite common in households. In time, versions of these refrigerants were used for heat pumps as well as air conditioning systems. When scientist discovered in the early 1970’s, that the use refrigerants could be a reason for ozone depletion, they started a campaign that led to the Montreal Protocol in 1987. The Montreal Protocol was a treaty among all members of the United Nations to remove materials that were deemed harmful to the Earth's atmosphere. As a result, technicians were to have an EPA certification before they could handle certain refrigerants.

Many people currently use the acronyms HVACR, HVAC or HRAC assuming that everyone around them understands and knows these terms. The truth is that most ordinary people have no idea what those terms mean. HVACR stands for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. HRAC stands for Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning; HVACR (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) is the result of technology created and developed to give people a good thermal comfort and indoor air quality breathing.

Modern Refrigerants - Use and Regulations

There are two common types of refrigerants you might come in contact with in residential HVACR. They are R22 and R410A. The R22 refrigerants are being slowly phased out because Government regulations have brought a significant reduction in the number of R22 produced every year. The R401A, however, operates at a higher pressure compared to the R22 and is often used for newly-installed systems. These differences between the different types of refrigerants are the reason why HVAC technicians need to be certified first before handling refrigerants. Regulations like this ensure that not only are the HVAC systems protected from damage but most importantly, lives are protected by handling the refrigerants properly. Section 608 of the Clean Air Act requires that all technicians be certified before they can service, maintain, repair, or dispose of systems that could release toxic refrigerants to the atmosphere.

The great thing about having an EPA certification to handle refrigerants is that it can never expire!

EPA Certifications for Refrigerant

According to the EPA, there are 4 types of licenses for HVAC technicians who work or handle refrigerants:
- Type I.  This is for HVAC technicians who want to service small appliances.
- Type II.  For those who service or dispose of those high-pressure systems or appliances.
- Type III.  This is for servicing and disposing of low-pressure systems or appliances.
- Type Universal.  This type covers all the three types of certifications. HVACR Technician passing all three of these EPA types is certified as Universal.

CORE Exam

Before one becomes an HVAC technician, the person has to pass the ‘Core Section' of the EPA certification exam. The exam covers all areas that have to do with working with refrigerants. This core section covers the following topics:

-  Section 608 regulations
-  Ozone depletion
-  Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol
-  Type Universal
-  Recovery techniques.
-  Refrigeration
-  The three R's (Recycle, Recover, Reclaim)
-  Safety
-  Shipping
-  Dehydration evacuation

The section consists of 25 open book questions of which you need to 18 right to pass the exam. If you take the type I exam, you need to get 21 answers correctly.

TYPE I – SERVICING SMALL APPLIANCES

 This is the first type of EPA certification for new HVACR Technicians. This initial license allows technicians to servicing, maintaining or repairing small appliances that contain less than 5 pounds of refrigerants. The 25 open book questions in this exam are from the following topics:

- Recovery techniques
- Recovery requirements
- Safety

To obtain this certification, those taking the exams will need to correctly answer 21 of the 25 open book questions. As stressed earlier, potential technicians must also pass the Core Section of the exams. Although for the Type I certification you can use the open book for the Core Section, you will have to take the exam closed book if you want to get any certification higher than Type I.

Although the Type I exam is an open book exam, it is best you understand what a small appliance is. Familiarize yourself with the evacuation requirements for small appliances and those recovery equipment made before and after November 15, 1998.

To determine what type of refrigerant you’re dealing with, focus on using temperature and pressure. You also need to have a good understanding of recovery methods. Learn about how to put low-side and high-side access valves when you’re recovering the refrigerants from these small appliances. Lastly, you need a good understanding of solderless access fittings, operative compressors, and composition products of refrigerants.

TYPE II – DISPOSING OF AND SERVICING HIGH-PRESSURE APPLIANCES

The second type of the EPA certification allows, those who pass it, to service and dispose of high-pressure appliances. They, however, can not service and dispose of motor vehicle air conditioning and small appliances. The following are the topics covered in the Type II EPA certification exam:

-  Recovery requirements
-  Recovery techniques
-  Leak detection
-  Refrigeration
-  Leak repair requirements
-  Safety

Compared to other EPA certification exams, there’s a lot of emphases placed on leak detection in the Type II exam. It is highly important for those taking the exam to know how to check for any signs of leakage and know how to carry out a leak test. They should also have an understanding of the annual leak rate of commercial process refrigeration as well as those appliances that have over 50 pounds of refrigerants.

Other topics to be covered in this exam are recovery techniques and recovery requirements. It is important that you learn the technique of chilling the recovery vessel for a speedier recovery. Is equally important that you know how to minimize emissions and cross-contamination during the recovery process. You should also be able to differentiate between a major repair and a minor one. Other important areas include the recovery requirements when dealing with repairs, disposal, and leaks of high-pressure appliances.

To successfully pass this exam, you will need to know the various components of these high-pressure appliances. The location of the refrigerants in the appliances, and how to administer the pressure-temperature test effectively. There are 25 questions in this exam in addition to the 25 core questions.

TYPE III – DISPOSING OF AND SERVICING LOW-PRESSURE APPLIANCES

This type of EPA certification exam is for those who want to service or dispose of low-pressure appliances. The topics covered in this test is quite similar to that of the type II EPA certification test. The type III EPA 608 certification test includes:

-  Recovery requirements
-  Recovery techniques
-  Leak repair requirements
-  Leak detection
-  Refrigeration
-  Safety

The section consists of 25 open book questions of which you need to 18 right to pass the exam. If you take the type I exam, you need to get 21 answers correctly.

UNIVERSAL CERTIFICATION

A HVACR Technician is awarded the universal certification when such a person passes all three tests (type I, type II, and type III) in addition to the questions found in the core section of the EPA 608 certification exam, making it a total of 100 questions. It is advised that you aim for the universal certification instead of just one specific certification.

You should also make sure that you acquire your certification from an EPA-approved certifying organization. You can visit the EPA's website to see the list of all approves organizations. In that list, you can also find the headquarters that issue the EPA certifications. Those administering the exams are often associated with these organizations.

HOW YOU CAN PREPARE FOR THE EPA 608 EXAM

Passing this exam is crucial to becoming an HVAC technician. To assist you as you study for the EPA 608 exam, below are practice tests for all four EPA test types. These are:

-  EPA-608 Core Practice Test
-  Type I Practice Test
-  Type II Practice Test
-  Type III Practice Test

These practice tests will go a long way in helping you. However, if you want to take studying to a higher level, you should try our premium study guide. The study guide provides all the information you need for the test in an easy-to-digest format. It is the most effective way of studying for the tests.

HOW TO GO ABOUT THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

Depending on how you approach the HVAC training, the fees for getting this certification may vary. For example, the fees could be less than 100 USD if you are training as an apprentice in the job and you want to take the exam. However, if you are new and inexperienced, you might need to enroll in a program that trains you and tests you for the EPA certification.

The Montreal Protocol - Ozone Depletion Substances

The ozone layer is an area located in the stratosphere of the earth that acts as a shield protecting the living beings in the earth, from the ultraviolet rays of the sun and harmful radiation. When the ozone layer thinens or disappears in some places, the sun's rays will reach with greater intensity the surface of the earth affecting life on earth and producing in people higher rates of skin cancer and cataracts in the eyes.

During the last 100 years the human activities of industrial type and domestic customs, have ocacionado serious damages in this protective shield of the nature. In the near future, by decreasing the ozone layer and the protection it provides, ultraviolet (UV) light will damage many food crops and lead to an increase in melanoma and other types of skin cancer. Ultraviolet rays have also been linked to damage to crops and organisms of marine life.

When scientist discovered in the early 1970’s, that the use refrigerants could be a reason for ozone depletion, they started a campaign that led to the Montreal Protocol in 1987. The Montreal Protocol was a treaty among all members of the United Nations to remove materials that were deemed harmful to the Earth's atmosphere. As a result, technicians were to have an EPA certification before they could handle certain refrigerants

In 1987, an international meeting was hosted in Canada with the aim of creating a program that will help in eliminating those substances causing ozone depletion. This led to a signed treaty known as the Montreal Protocol between nations to protect the ozone layer. Although the treaty was signed in 1987, a few amendments were made in 1990 and 1992. The protocol made sure that those compounds causing depletion of the ozone layer was phases out. The exam required to get EPA 608 Technician Certification in USA, must be administered by an EPA-approved certifying organization. It is required that HVACR technicians carry this card on their person at all times. And finally, the best thing: EPA 608 Technician Certification credentials do not expire in USA.

Our Practice exams are used to prepare HVAC studenst for the EPA-608 and the NATE-ICE certification test in each state of USA, including: Florida, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, California, Nevada,Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oregon, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Idaho, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine, Vermont, Hawaii and Alaska.

DISCLAIMER: This site www.epa-core-exam-preparation.com is not associated with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains its own web site that includes all the legal and related information regarding both section 608 and section 609 certification. www.epa-core-exam-preparation.com has created this online practice exams to help you quickly prepare for HVAC, HVAC, HVACR- Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration license in Canada and USA. Please note that this is not a real test. www.epa-core-exam-preparation.com is not responsible for any results of your real test. Provincial and state regulations and codes could be modified anytime. In no way is www.epa-core-exam-preparation.com is responsible for its accuracy. Provincial and State regulations should be reviewed anytime for changes, upgrades etc. are undertaken by anyone person or persons associated with any mechanical or electrical work being performed. Always consult your local, provincial or federal codes. At all times follow the manufacturer's listed installation and service requirements.

 

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