What is the highest pressure the leaking component may be at when it is opened?

Recovery requirements · EPA 608 Type II. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

Evacuation levels by charge size and equipment date, major repairs, and system-dependent limits.

The question

Leaks in an R-22 appliance make it impossible to reach the Table 1 level. What is the highest pressure the leaking component may be at when it is opened?

• A5 psig
• B0 psigCorrect answer
• C10 inches of Hg vacuum
• D15 psig

Why “0 psig” is correct

When leaks make Table 1 levels unattainable, the leaking component must be evacuated to the lowest level that can be reached without substantially contaminating the refrigerant. That level may not exceed 0 psig.

Source: 40 CFR 82.156(a)(2); EPA: Service Practice Requirements

Why the other answers are wrong

• 5 psig — 5 psig is the limit for oil changes, not for leaking components.
• 10 inches of Hg vacuum — 10 inches is a Table 1 level, which the leaking component cannot reach in this case.
• 15 psig — No rule lets a leaking component be opened above 0 psig.

Practice more of this

More EPA 608 Type II practice questions, or see every EPA 608 practice test.