Instead of evacuating an entire R-11 chiller, may a technician evacuate only the section being serviced?

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

Evacuation levels for low-pressure appliances, and major versus non-major repairs.

The question

Instead of evacuating an entire R-11 chiller, may a technician evacuate only the section being serviced?

• ANo, the whole chiller must always be evacuated before it is opened
• BOnly if the chiller holds less than 200 pounds
• COnly if the recovery unit was made before 1993
• DYes, if its refrigerant can be isolated in a system receiverCorrect answer

Why “Yes, if its refrigerant can be isolated in a system receiver” is correct

40 CFR 82.156(a) lets technicians evacuate either the whole appliance or only the part to be serviced, provided the refrigerant in that part can be isolated to a system receiver. The isolated part must still reach the required evacuation level before it is opened.

Source: 40 CFR 82.156(a)

Why the other answers are wrong

• No, the whole chiller must always be evacuated before it is opened — The rule expressly allows evacuating just the part being serviced when it can be isolated.
• Only if the chiller holds less than 200 pounds — The isolation option does not depend on charge size.
• Only if the recovery unit was made before 1993 — The age of the recovery equipment has nothing to do with the isolation option.

Practice more of this

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