A refrigerated display case is assembled and charged on site with 4 pounds of refrigerant. Is it a small appliance?
Recovery requirements · EPA 608 Type I. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
The small-appliance definition and the recovery levels required.
The question
A refrigerated display case is assembled and charged on site with 4 pounds of refrigerant. Is it a small appliance?
- Yes, because it holds less than 5 pounds
- Yes, because it is used to store food
- No, because it was not charged and sealed in a factoryCorrect answer
- No, because display cases always count as low-pressure appliances
Why “No, because it was not charged and sealed in a factory” is correct
A small appliance must be fully manufactured, charged and hermetically sealed in a factory with 5 pounds or less. A case assembled and charged in the field fails the first part of that test even with a 4-pound charge.
Source: 40 CFR 82.152
Why the other answers are wrong
- Yes, because it holds less than 5 pounds — Charge size alone is not enough; the appliance must also be fully manufactured, charged and hermetically sealed in a factory.
- Yes, because it is used to store food — Food storage is not part of the test; how the unit was built and charged is.
- No, because display cases always count as low-pressure appliances — Pressure class depends on the refrigerant, not on whether the equipment is a display case.
Practice more of this
More EPA 608 Type I practice questions, or see every EPA 608 practice test.
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.