CAR CAR Refrigerant Recovery & Handling 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under EPA Section 608 regulations, technicians who recover refrigerants from appliances must use equipment that is certified by which organization?
- EPA-approved testing organization (Correct answer)
- OSHA
- ANSI
- UL
Correct answer: EPA-approved testing organization
EPA Section 608 requires that recovery equipment be certified by an EPA-approved testing organization to ensure proper refrigerant capture.
Question 2: What is the primary environmental concern associated with releasing CFC-12 refrigerant into the atmosphere during appliance recycling?
- Ozone layer depletion (Correct answer)
- Groundwater contamination
- Acid rain formation
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
Correct answer: Ozone layer depletion
CFC-12 is an ozone-depleting substance (ODS) that breaks down stratospheric ozone when vented to the atmosphere.
Question 3: Which refrigerant type replaced CFCs in most household refrigerators manufactured after 1995 in the US and is classified as an HFC?
- R-134a (Correct answer)
- R-12
- R-22
- R-410A
Correct answer: R-134a
R-134a (HFC-134a) became the dominant domestic refrigerator refrigerant after CFCs were phased out under the Clean Air Act.
Question 4: Before opening a refrigerant circuit on an appliance being recycled, the CAR technician should first verify the system is depressurized by:
- Checking the service valve with a manifold gauge set (Correct answer)
- Removing the compressor plug
- Cutting the suction line immediately
- Running the compressor briefly
Correct answer: Checking the service valve with a manifold gauge set
Connecting a manifold gauge set to the service port confirms system pressure before any circuit is opened, preventing uncontrolled refrigerant release.
Question 5: What is the correct disposal requirement for a recovery cylinder that has reached its rated test date and can no longer be refilled?
- Render it unserviceable and send it to a certified cylinder reconditioner or scrap (Correct answer)
- Vent remaining refrigerant and send to landfill
- Refill it one final time and use until empty
- Store it indefinitely in a ventilated area
Correct answer: Render it unserviceable and send it to a certified cylinder reconditioner or scrap
Out-of-date DOT cylinders must be rendered unserviceable (valve removed or holes drilled) and returned to a reconditioner or scrapped; they cannot legally be refilled.
Question 6: A recycling technician discovers an appliance contains an unknown refrigerant. The safest immediate action is to:
- Use an identifier device to determine the refrigerant type before recovery (Correct answer)
- Recover it into any available cylinder and label it 'unknown'
- Vent it slowly outdoors away from people
- Leave the appliance for a more experienced technician
Correct answer: Use an identifier device to determine the refrigerant type before recovery
A refrigerant identifier determines the type and purity so the correct recovery equipment, cylinder, and disposal pathway can be used safely.
CAR CAR Refrigerant Recovery & Handling 1
Under EPA Section 608 regulations, technicians who recover refrigerants from appliances must use equipment that is certified by which organization?