Unless granted extra time, how long does an owner have to complete the work in a retrofit or retirement plan for a leaking R-22 appliance of 50 pounds or more?
One year from the plan's date, and no later than 13 months from when the plan was required. That applies when an owner of a leaking appliance chooses to retrofit or retire it instead of repairing it, unless extra time is granted.
- 30 days from the plan's date
- Six months from the plan's date
- One year from the plan's dateCorrect answer
- Two years from the plan's date
Why “One year from the plan's date” is correct
All work under the plan must be finished within one year of the plan's date, and no later than 13 months from when the plan was required. Extensions are available only in limited cases.
Source: 40 CFR 82.157(h)(5); EPA: Leak Repair Requirements
Why the other answers are wrong
- 30 days from the plan's date — 30 days is the time to create the plan, not to carry it out.
- Six months from the plan's date — Six months is too short; the rule allows one year.
- Two years from the plan's date — Two years exceeds the standard schedule.
The source, word for word
Unless granted additional time, all work performed in accordance with the plan must be finished within one year of the plan's date (not to exceed 13 months from when the plan was required in paragraph (h)(1) of this section).
Owners or operators of commercial refrigeration, industrial process refrigeration, comfort-cooling, or other equipment are automatically allowed 18 months to retire an appliance if the replacement appliance uses a substitute refrigerant exempted under § 82.154(a) .
The deadlines in order
This applies the same way to a cold storage warehouse, an office chiller or a process system, as long as it holds 50 pounds or more of an ozone-depleting refrigerant such as R-22.
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Create the plan | Within 30 days of the appliance exceeding its leak rate, if the owner intends to retrofit or retire |
| Finish the work | Within one year of the plan date, and within 13 months of when the plan was required |
| Retire with a replacement using an exempt substitute | 18 months, allowed automatically |
| Ask EPA for relief from retrofitting or retiring | Show within 180 days of the plan date that the appliance no longer exceeds the rate |
What the plan is
It is a written plan, signed by an authorized company official, dated, accessible at the site of the appliance and available for EPA inspection (40 CFR 82.157(h)(3)). Requests for more than a year go to EPA under 40 CFR 82.157(i). The leak repair rules guide covers those cases.
Keep practicing
- EPA leak repair rules
- The leak rate that applies to cold storage
- How often leak inspections are required at 500 pounds or more
- EPA 608 Type 2 practice test
- EPA 608 Type 2 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.