An owner runs a 400-pound R-123 system in a cold-storage warehouse for perishable food. Under 40 CFR Part 82, what leak rate triggers repair?
20 percent. Cold storage warehouses are commercial refrigeration under the rule, and commercial refrigeration with 50 pounds or more of an ozone-depleting refrigerant must be addressed when it leaks above 20 percent a year.
- 10 percent
- 30 percent
- 15 percent
- 20 percentCorrect answer
Why “20 percent” is correct
EPA classes cold-storage warehouse equipment as commercial refrigeration. Commercial refrigeration appliances with 50 pounds or more of an ozone-depleting refrigerant have a 20 percent leak rate.
Source: 40 CFR 82.157(c); EPA: Leak Repair Requirements
Why the other answers are wrong
- 10 percent — 10 percent applies to comfort cooling and other appliances.
- 30 percent — 30 percent is for industrial process refrigeration.
- 15 percent — 15 percent is not a leak rate in Part 82.
The source, word for word
Commercial refrigeration means the refrigeration appliances used in the retail food and cold storage warehouse sectors.
20 percent leak rate for commercial refrigeration equipment
The three leak rate categories
The category comes from what the appliance is used for, not from its refrigerant or charge size, once it holds at least 50 pounds.
| Category | Examples from 40 CFR 82.152 | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial refrigeration | Supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, cold storage | 20 percent |
| Industrial process refrigeration | Chemical, pharmaceutical and petrochemical processes, industrial ice machines, ice rinks | 30 percent |
| Comfort cooling and other appliances | Chillers, commercial split systems and rooftop units cooling occupied buildings | 10 percent |
What happens above the rate
The owner or operator must repair the leak, or retrofit or retire the appliance (40 CFR 82.157(c)(1)). Appliances using HFCs are outside this section and follow 40 CFR 84.106. The leak repair rules guide has the deadlines.
Keep practicing
- EPA leak repair rules
- How often leak inspections are required at 500 pounds or more
- How long a retrofit or retirement plan can take
- EPA 608 Type 3 practice test
- EPA 608 Type 3 mock exam
Unofficial, not affiliated with the EPA or any EPA-approved certifying organization. Questions are original practice written from public EPA material, not real exam questions.