EPA 608 Universal SkillCat Exam | Complete Study Guide |300+ Verified Questions & Answers with Detailed Rationales | Latest 2026–2027 Edition

EPA 608 Universal SkillCat Exam | Complete Study Guide |300+ Verified Questions & Answers with Detailed Rationales | Latest 2026–2027 Edition Q: As technicians we must stay up to date on Answer Federal state and local law Q: For universal certification you will receive how many questions Answer 100 Q: What is passing grade for all epa certifications Answer 70% Q: True or false you must memorize all regulations because they will stay the same forever Answer False Q: Can chlorine from the environment come from natural resources such as volcanoes Answer Yes but they are not the primary source Q: True or false Ground level ozone is is what reflects and absorbs harmful uv rays from the sun Answer False Q: In which way does ozone depletion affect humans Answer Increased risk of skin cancer and cataracts Q: Is there evidence that refrigerants are in the stratosphere Answer Yes Q: One molecule of chlorine can destroy how many molecules of ozone Answer 100,000 Q: Ozone has ____ oxygen atoms. Answer 3 Q: True or false the majority of the ozone is located in the troposphere Answer False Q: How many molecules of ozone can three molecules of chlorine destroy Answer 300,000 Q: What is the major function of ozone in the stratosphere Answer Absorb and reflect uv rays from the sun Q: What is the primary source of Chlorine in the stratosphere Answer Emissions of refrigerants by human like cfc and hcfc Q: What molecule destroys the ozone layer Answer Chlorine Q: Which of the following are effects of the ozone layer depletion Answer Decreasing crop yields and threat to wild and marine life Q: Who does ozone depletion affect Answer People all over the world Q: After refrigerant is phased out can equipment still contain refrigerant Answer Yes Q: After refrigerant is phased out can technicians service equipment containing that refrigerant Answer Yes Q: After being phased out, where can technicians obtain refrigerant to service equipment that contains that refrigerant? Answer From recovered or reclaimed refrigerant Q: Can refrigerant be resold Answer Yes, but only if it has been reclaimed to AHRI Standard 700 specifications Q: Equipment has to be certified to epa standards in order to recover which refrigerants Answer Cfc hcfc hfc Q: If you are selling r 22 refrigerant who can you sell to Answer A technician or business with an epa 608 Q: If you recover r 22 can you use the recovered refrigerant in another device owned by a different person Answer Yes but only if it is reclaimed and meets ahri 700 standards Q: In the United States when we're all CFCs phased out Answer 1995 Q: In the United States when we're r22 r124b phased out Answer 2020 Q: In the United States when will all HCFCS be phased out Answer 2030 Q: What records should be kept for r22 Answer Type of refrigerant, dates and quantity of refrigerant Q: Section 608 of EPA Clean Air Act is Answer Federal law Q: State and local regulations Answer Have to be followed with federal law and may be stricter Q: The venting prohibition requires that you recover affected refrigerant before Answer Opening, servicing, disposing equipment Q: Under section 608 regulations who is responsible for ensuring that all refrigerant is removed before disposing of equipment that contains refrigerant Answer final person in the disposal chain Q: What appliances do section 608 regulations apply to Answer Freezers Q: What does snap stand for Answer Significant New Alternatives Policy Q: What is the fine for violating the clean air act Answer 44539 per day per violation Q: What is the Montreal Protocol? Answer An international agreement between 197 countries Q: What is the purpose of section 608 Answer To protect the ozone and regulate chemicals that deplete ozone Q: What is the purpose of SNAP Answer To provide alternative refrigerants, to further the goals of the CAA, consider effects of substitute refrigerant on humans and the environment Q: What must you do if you discover that you have a refrigerant B to a system that contained refrigerant A, consider that refrigerant A is ozone depleting Answer Recover the mixture in a separate recovery cylinder Q: What needs to be done before disposing of equipment that contains CFCs and HCFCs or their substitute Answer Recover the refrigerant Q: What penalties can technicians face if they violate the clean air act Answer They may be fined, face federal charges, lose their epa 608 certification Q: What is considered de minimis releases of refrigerant Answer Catastrophic failure of equipment , refrigerant released when disconnecting hoses equipped with low loss fitting Q: Example of refrigerant excluded from section 608 refrigerant management requirements Answer Water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide Examples of violation of the CAA venting prohibition Answer Release of refrigerants because appliances were not recovered and refrigerants release when disconnecting non low loss fittings What does section 608 regulations apply to Answer CFC,HCFC,HFC Example of refrigerant that you don't need section 608 to purchase Answer Nitrogen Examples of CFC Answer R11,r12 Refrigerant Example of HCFC Answer R22 Refrigerant examples the venting prohibition cover Answer CFC,HCFC,HFC Which organization can test your recovery equipment used to service a system with r12 Answer UL, AHRI Who does not need to maintain proper records of refrigerant Answer The epa You must have a section 608 certification in order to purchase Answer CFC, HCFC, HFC true of false Equipment that uses nitrogen as a refrigerant is not subject to section 608 Answer True After the evaporator which component does the refrigerant go to next Answer Compressor As the temperature of a liquid increases what phase does it turn into Vapor Does the refrigerant change state in the compressor No If we increase pressure acting on a liquid what state can the substance change to Solid Refrigerant absorbs hear from your indoor air in order to Make your house cooler and change state from liquid to vapor The condenser is doing the opposite job of which component Evaporator What is the compressors job To increase pressure What is the condensers job To cool the high pressure vapor What is the function of the metering device To decrease pressure When refrigerant enters the condenser what state is the refrigerant in High pressure vapor When refrigerant enters the metering device what state is the refrigerant in High pressure liquid When refrigerant exits the metering device what state is the refrigerant in Low pressure liquid When the refrigerant enters the compressor what state is it in Super heated vapor When refrigerant enters the evaporator what state is it in Liquid When refrigerant exits the evaporator what state is it in Low pressure Vapor Which components are on the high pressure side Compressor, condenser What components change the refrigerants pressure Compressor, metering device What state has the highest temperature solid liquid water vapor Vapor True or false molecules in a vapor state is faster than a liquid state True If we decrease the pressure of a substance it's boiling point decreases True In the condenser the refrigerant changes state True True or false The boiling point for most refrigerants is 212fheight False True or false The vapor leaving the compressor is lower in pressure than vapor entering the compressor False Your air conditioning works by adding cold air into your house False What is fractionation When refrigerant settles into layers happens in vapor phase Temperature glide is The difference between the bubble and dew point The bubble point is The temperature that the first refrigerant in a blend turns into vapor The dew point is The temperature that the first refrigerant in a blend turns to liquid What is ternary blend Three refrigerants blended together Which of the following is considered retrofitting Modifying components of the system to use a new refrigerant Why should you never mix your own refrigerants It's illegal, it can cause equipment failure, mix has unpredictable temperature True or false If a refrigerant has a drop in replacement then no retrofit is needed True true or false In a zeotropic blend all refrigerants have the same boiling point False True or false R407c is an azeotropic blend False True or false refrigerant blends need to be charged as a liquid True True or false Refrigerant blends take on the ashrae number of the main refrigerant blend False true or false Technicians can make their own epa approved refrigerant blends False True or False there are no drop in replacements for r22 True True or False there are no replacements for r22 refrigerant False Alkylbenzene (AB) oil is used for systems with which of the following refrigerants HCFC, HCFC blends Hygroscopic oils Absorb moisture readily If we are retrofitting a system to use r134a which oil do you need to use Polyester POE True or false R1234yf is not miscible in any refrigerant oils False True or false Alkylbenzene (AB oil) is miscible in HCFC refrigerant True True or false An ideal oil is best at handling high temperatures and high pressures False True or false an Ideal oil is readily miscible with the refrigerant in the system True True or false As long as an oil is not flammable at the starting and ending temperature it can be used because the system is contained False True or false Hydrolysis is when refrigerant oil breaks in the presence of water True True or false Polyester oils are great because they can mix with a lot of other oils False What are the most common ways leaks can occur Wear and tear, poor initial construction Common leak locations are Coils, valve connections, pipe connections What information needs to be on the label of a container sent for reclamation Refrigerant type What position must you ship cylinders of refrigerant Upright When shipping refrigerant that has been used you should Attach dot classification tags, use recovery cylinders, properly label contents When shipping refrigerants in hazard class 2.2 what information needs to be on the shipping paper Number of cylinders of each gas Where can you find any safety related information on refrigerants you're handling Safety data sheets true or false When sending used refrigerants to be reclaimed you must dispose refrigerant cycles False Contaminated refrigerants can cause the appliance to Cool less efficient If a household freezer contains r22 we can retrofit it to operate on R410a If we find refrigerant that is mixed what must we do Send it to a certified reclaiming facility to try to reclaim it If we use nitrogen to pressurize a system or blow debris out we can Vent the nitrogen Isobutane is An acceptable substitute for all new household refrigerators and freezers New household refrigerators and freezers can be factory charged with R600a,r290 Small appliances include Window ac units How many pounds of refrigerant can type 1 appliances contain 5 Which of the following refrigerant is not covered by the sale restriction of section 608 R717 Which refrigerants can be vented R717 ammonia r744 carbon dioxide r28 nitrogen True or false Do you expect to see r22 listed as an acceptance substitute under the snap program False the purpose of snap is to replace harmful refrigerants True or false for r22 there are no drop in substitutes True How many ounces are in a pound? 16 ounces True or false if we have two HFC refrigerants we can use the same recovery cylinder because they are the same type of refrigerant False True of false Nitrogen can be used to pressurize or blow debris out of a system containing a half charge of refrigerant False True or False only refrigerant blends without HFCs are accepted under the snap program False True or False section 608 is a part of the clean air act True True or false the snap program could label refrigerant A as an acceptable substitute for a freezer but an unacceptable substitute for vending machines True True of false Type 1 appliances can have 3lbs of refrigerant True Near azeotropic blend fractionation will contain Two saturation pressure valves that are close A zeotropic blend will contain Two saturation valves that are far apart Access fittings Are used to gain access to type 1 appliances Defrost heaters Can be used to increase recovery speed and temperature If the compressor is not working and we are performing passive recovery we need to Release trapped refrigerant from the compressor oil If the pressure of a system is found at 0psi can we recover refrigerant from the system No True or false if pressure reading are far apart are there contaminants in the refrigerant True Solderless piercing valves tend to Leak over time and should not be left on an appliance after service System dependent recovery Is passive uses the compressor and can be used for appliances with under 15 lbs of refrigerant We can use a known refrigerants PT chart to see if there's non condensables in the refrigerant Only true if we can measure both pressure and temperature When performing active recovery and the compressor is working we must recover what levels 90% or 4 inch vacuum What method of monitoring fill levels is most effective Gross cylinder weight A recovery machine is required for appliances with _ lbs or more of refrigerant 15 lbs If the oil is contaminated what do we do Flush the system Non-condensables would _ the pressure on the high side of an active recovery device Increase Recovery devices are tested and certified by AHRI UL Vacuum pumps can be used to Remove air and non condensables What are signs of contamination Discolored oil acidic smell What does the process stud look like in small appliances A straight piece of tubing What piece of equipment should be checked for leaks Recovery device What is a sign of a compressor burnout A pungent smell True or false the epa does not require to fix small leaks on small appliances True What can remove non condensables from a system Filter dryers, flushing the system True or false a recovery device has to achieve 4 inch vacuum under all circumstances False true or false All recovery devices need to be tested at a place called ahri standard 700 False At high temperatures what do CFCs and HCFCs decompose to Hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids If refrigerant has been released what is the first thing you should do Locate a self contained breathing apparatus If we can't find a scba what should we do Locate exit ventilate the area What price of equipment is needed on nitrogen tanks when using them to service an appliance Pressure regulator When do we need to wear butyl lined gloves When connecting and disconnecting hoses Hygroscopic oils Absorb moisture When retro fitting a system to r134a which oil do you use Polyester True or false R1234yf is not miscible in any refrigerant oils False A customer has an industrial process refrigeration system that has 1000lbs of R-22 that has exceeded the applicable leak rate threshold. How often is the customer required to perform a leak inspection? Every 3 months For what period should an hvac servicing company keep records for a disposed appliance with a charge between 5 to 50 pounds 3 years When first inspecting a hermetic system known to be leaking you should look for Traces of oil Which of the following is an indicator of a leak in a high pressure system with a capillary tube Excessive superheat Which part of a belt-driven non-hermetic compressor is most likely to leak if the compressor has not been used for several months? Rotating shaft seal Which of the following refrigerant additions to an appliance that contain 50 or more pounds of an ozone depleting refrigerant triggers the requirement to calculate the leak rate When topping off the system A hermetic recovery machine when drawing deep vacuums will Over heat due to reduced flow of refrigerant through the compressor A technique to speed up the recovery process is Cool the recovery cylinder After refrigerant liquid has been recovered from a appliance any remaining vapor is removed by the recovery system During refrigerant recovery local municipal water supply is used to cool the Water cooled recovery unit Recovering refrigerant from a system in the liquid phase will cause the loss of Oil Refrigerant cannot be recovered without isolating a parallel compressor system because of An open equalization connection Self-sealing connectors or hand valves are used because they Minimize refrigerant release when hoses are connected and disconnected What should be done before transferring refrigerant to an empty cylinder The cylinder should be evacuated What steps should be taken before using a recovery unit to remove a charge Check service valve positions, Check recovery unit oil level, Evacuate recovery unit When servicing an appliance having a receiver / storage tank Refrigerant should be pumped down to and isolate the receiver When should refrigerant be removed from the condenser outlet? When the condenser is below the receiver A technician has to make a major repair in an appliance having 1000 pounds of r407c he must evacuate the system to which of the following levels 10 inches of hg vacuum What units are used to measure deep vacuum Microns Which gas is used to counteract freezing while evacuating a system with a large amounts of moisture Nitrogen Water present in the system can freeze if A large vacuum pump is used for evacuation The refrigerant has been recovered to replace the evaporator coil in the appliance after the repairs the refrigerant Can be filled back into the system A major repair under EPAs regulations would be Replacing a condenser coil An equipment has an appliance that uses r717 under ashrae standard 15 which piece of equipment is not compulsory in the room Refrigerant detector Oil foaming usually occurs in the compressor Pressure Relief Valves should never be installed in Series The purpose of isopropyl alcohol is To remove ice off the sight glass When a compressor burnout happens you take a sample of Oil When the _ is closed the reciprocating compressor might be damaged if it is energized Discharge service valve Which of the following should be replaced if a system is opened for service Filter drier After the refrigerant leaves the purge unit where does it go Evaporator Under what code group of Standard 34 does R-123 fall? B1 What is ashrae safety rating of r1233zd A1 What can only be found in type 3 appliances Purge unit What is the safety relief pressure of the rupture disc 15 psi A hydrostatic tube test kit will determine if a tube leaks Leak detector probe used to check for refrigerant leaks in the water box should be placed______ once the water is removed Through an open drain valve Continuous excessive moisture collection in which component of a low pressure refrigerant system could indicate a leak Purge unit According to ASHRAE Guideline 3 the system should be checked for leaks if during a standard vacuum test the pressure in a system rises from 1 mm hg to a level above 2.5 hg Leak testing a low-pressure refrigeration system with nitrogen in excess of 10 psig could cause which of the following to fail ruptured disc On low pressure chillers water is most likely to leak into the refrigerant system through Leaks from areas with gaskets or fittings Which part of a belt-driven non-hermetic compressor is most likely to leak if the compressor has not been used for several months? Rotating shaft seal Who is responsible for keeping records of all leak inspections and any completed leak repair verification tests? The owner and/or operator of the equipment The typical setting for the high-pressure cut out control on recovery unit used for evacuating the refrigerant from a low-pressure chiller is 10 psig Refrigerant removal from a low-pressure system starts with; Liquid removal What is a typical advantage of a water cooled recovery unit Faster recovery of large quantities of refrigerant What precaution should be taken prior to recovering refrigerant from a chiller suspected of having tube leaks Drain the water sides of the evaporator and condenser What should be on and what should be off during vapor removal from a low pressure refrigeration system The system water pumps the recovery compressor and the recovery condenser water should all be on Why must water be circulated through a chiller during refrigerant evacuation? To prevent freezing of water in the appliance Charging liquid R-245fa into a low-pressure refrigeration system under a vacuum greater than 18 inches Hg vacuum can cause the; system water to freeze How do you know when enough vapor has entered the appliance before you charge refrigerant liquid Refrigerant saturation temperature increases above 32fheight Water present in the system can freeze if A large vacuum pump is used for evacuation Where is the lowest access point on a low-pressure centrifugal air-conditioning appliance Evaporator charging valve Which gas is used to counteract freezing while evacuating a system with large amounts of moisture Nitrogen A "major repair" under EPA's regulations would be Replacing Condenser /compressor/ auxiliary heat exchanger/ evaporator ASHRAE standard 15 - 2013 requires the use of room sensors and alarms to detect refrigerant leaks of All safety groups ASHRAE Standard 15-2013 requires which equipment to detect refrigerant leaks? Room sensors Pressure Relief Valve should never be installed in Series What is located at the end of the liquid line Expansion device What type of refrigerant is used in high pressure appliances R503 How much money does the EPA offer to individuals who report information about others who vent refrigerants into the atmosphere 10,000 Refrigerants in the suction line are in what phase and state? Cold vapor Refrigerant recovery equipment should be checked for which of the following on a daily basis Oil levels and refrigerant leaks Air will cause _____ discharge pressures in a refrigeration system. higher What only requires one service connection? Self contained recovery units A strong odor is around during the recovery process. Which of the following could be the culprit Compressor burnout You can only accurately read refrigerant pressure with a stable __ temperature Explosion can occur if which of the following is vented in an enclosed environment? Hydrogen The state of a refrigerant leaving the liquid receiver of a refrigeration system is High pressure liquid The minimum microns a vacuum pump must pull when evacuating a system 500 microns When the annual leak rate exceeds _____, all comfort cooling systems with more than 50lb of refrigerant must be repaired. 10% In a low-pressure system, a rupture disk will open at which of the following psig? 15 psig The absorption chiller uses which of the following to provide cooling? heat The agency that approves all refrigeration recovery cylinders: DOT Open-drive compressors are typically which of the following type of compressor Reciprocating Substantial leaks should be repaired in what period of time? 30 days Leak detection uses which of the following gasses HCFC-22 All hvac systems must be protected by a Pressure relief valve A crankcase heater is often used to prevent refrigerant from mixing with compressor oil during periods of: Low ambient temperature Non-condensables will cause; High discharge pressure What is a very high pressure refrigerant R744 Hydrolysis is when Oil breaks down in the presence of water (poe)