How soon must a retirement plan be created?

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

Leak-rate thresholds, repair deadlines, extensions and records.

The question

The owner of a leaking 180-pound R-22 chiller decides to retire it rather than repair it. How soon must a retirement plan be created?

• AWithin 10 days of the first refrigerant addition after the leak
• BWithin 30 days of the appliance exceeding the leak rateCorrect answer
• CWithin 6 months of the leak
• DWithin one year of the leak

Why “Within 30 days of the appliance exceeding the leak rate” is correct

A retrofit or retirement plan must be created within 30 days of the appliance leaking above its trigger rate when the owner chooses to retrofit or retire instead of repair. The work under the plan then has to be finished within one year of the plan's date.

Source: 40 CFR 82.157(h)(1); EPA: Leak Repair Requirements

Why the other answers are wrong

• Within 10 days of the first refrigerant addition after the leak — 10 days is the follow-up verification window.
• Within 6 months of the leak — Six months is not a plan deadline under 82.157.
• Within one year of the leak — One year is the time to complete the plan, not to write it.

Practice more of this

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