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Are you fully prepared for the EPA Exams?  Don't waste more money and time than you have to taking the EPA Certification Test more than once.  Increase your salary! and take your own share of the the very lucrative HVAC industry with the EPA 608 Certification Practice Test and Study Guide today!

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EPA Type II Practice Exam Preparation

11/27/2015

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​Type II certification is primarily for equipment using a high-pressure refrigerant such as
HCFC-22. The equipment includes residential air conditioners and heat pumps, supermarket refrigeration and process refrigeration.  All residential HVAC technicians will need to be familiar with EPA Type II materials and the EPA Core exam material.  Many HVAC techs choose to take their exams one by one as a way to study and concentrate on one exam at a time.  Some techs, handymen and repair contractors know that all their business will be from EPA Type 1 kind of work, so they aren’t worried about EPA Type 2 or Type 3.

EPA Type II Certification Exam 

The EPA 608 Type II Certification exam is 25 questions covering leak detection and repair, refrigeration, recovery requirements and recovery techniques.  A passing grade is 18 out of 25 questions correct. There are many overlap questions on the exam between the EPA Core exam and the EPA Type II exam and you will have to take both exams at the same time.  Some of the EPA Core test questions you will see on the exam cover topics on substitute refrigerants and oils, general safety, refrigerant cylinders and refrigerant cylinder shipping.  When you pass one EPA exam, you do not have to retake it and can start studying for the next exam.  The other good thing is that once you are EPA certified, you have the certification for life and do not need to retake the exams or have continuing education classes to maintain the certification.

Refrigerant Leak Detection and Repair

After installation of any type of refrigeration system and before charging it with refrigerant, the unit should first be pressurized with nitrogen (classified as an inert gas) and leak checked.  Using an electronic or ultrasonic leak detector will locate the general area of the leak.  A refrigeration system with an open compressor that has not been used in several months is likely to leak from the rotating shaft seal. Visual inspection of leaks can be done by looking for traces of oil. Excessive superheat, caused by low refrigerant charge, is also an indication of a leak in a high-pressure system.  If a system has more than 50 pounds of refrigerant, any leaks must be repaired if the leak rate exceeds 15% in comfort cooling appliances or the leak rate exceeds 35% in all commercial and industrial process refrigeration.

Refrigeration

The most common refrigerant used before 1995 was R-22, but with the variety of refrigerants in the market, the technician should always read the nameplate to determine the type of refrigerant used in the system.   Filter-driers are designed to remove moisture from the refrigerant in a system; however, in order to remain effective, these must be replaced on a routine basis or any time a system is opened.  If your filter drier gets dirty before you install it, it is a good idea to replace it for it to work properly.  Any dirty or mud can severely impact the filter drier’s use.  During evacuation of systems with large amounts of water, it may be necessary to increase pressure by introducing nitrogen to counteract freezing. Where there is a risk of freezing, liquid charging of an R-12 refrigeration system should begin with vapor from a vacuum level to a pressure of approximately 33 psig followed by a liquid charge through the liquid-line service valve.
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Vacuum can be measured in either microns or inches of mercury (inches Hg). The more accurate and preferred method of measuring a deep vacuum is in microns. When evacuating a vapor compression system, the vacuum pump should be capable of pulling 500 microns (or 29.90" Hg) of vacuum. Never start a hermetic compressor when under a deep vacuum as the motor winding could be damaged if energized.

Systems using thermal expansion valves will have a receiver/tank on the outlet side of the condenser, designed to hold liquid refrigerant. When leaving the condenser directly or the receiver, the refrigerant remains a high pressure/high temperature liquid until it goes to the metering device. The line between the condenser and the metering device is also referred to as the liquid line.  

Recovery Requirements

Recovery equipment manufactured after November 15, 1993 must be certified by an EPA laboratory, be equipped with low-loss fittings, and must meet stringent vacuum standards.
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EPA has established limited exceptions to its evacuation requirements for:
  1. Repairs to leaky equipment. Appliances can be evacuated to atmospheric pressure (0 psig) if leaks make evacuation to the prescribed level unattainable.
  2. Non-major repairs. Under EPA regulations, a major repair means any maintenance, service or repair involving the removal of any or all of the following components: the compressor, the condenser, the evaporator or an auxiliary heat exchanger coil. A non-major repair would not fall into any of these categories.
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Repairs that are not major and that are not followed by an evacuation of the equipment to the environment must be evacuated to at least 0 psig before it is opened if it is a high or very high pressure appliance, or must be pressurized to 0 psig before it is opened if it is a low-pressure appliance.  

Recovery Techniques

Before using a recovery unit you should always:
  • Check the service valve positions.
  • Check the oil level of the recovery unit.
  • Evacuate and recover any remaining refrigerant from the unit’s receiver.
  • Evacuate an empty recovery cylinder before transferring refrigerant to the cylinder.

On a routine basis, you should always:
  • Check both the oil and filter on a refrigerant recycling machine as recovered refrigerants may contain acids, moisture, and oil.
  • Use quick couplers, self-sealing hoses, or hand valves should be used to minimize refrigerant release when hoses are connected and disconnected.

Both recycling and recovery equipment using hermetic compressors have the potential to overheat when drawing a deep vacuum because the unit relies on the flow of refrigerant through the compressor for cooling, so be aware of this problem. 

Before charging a new system with refrigerant, technicians working with multiple refrigerants but the same recovery equipment must:
  • Purge the recover/recycle equipment by recovering as much of the first refrigerant as possible.
  • Change the filter.
  • Evacuate.

The only exception to this rule is for technicians working with R-134A, who must provide a special set of hoses, gauges, vacuum pump, recovery/recycling machine, and oil containers to be used with R-134A only.

In order to reduce recovery time and thereby reduce chances for refrigerant emissions, the technician may choose to:
  • Pack the recovery cylinder in ice and/or apply heat to the appliance.
  • Recover as much as possible in the liquid phase. In order to recover liquid refrigerant, you must connect one hose to the system’s liquid line. After recovering liquid refrigerant, any remaining vapor is condensed by the recovery system.

After recovery, refrigerant may be returned to the appliance from which it was removed or to another appliance owned by the same person without being recycled or reclaimed, unless the appliance is an MVAC or MVAC-like appliance.  

You can view practice test questions on the EPA Certification exam here.  

EPA's website link on EPA Certification Type II Exam


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EPA Type I Certification (Small Appliances) Practice Exam Preparation

10/13/2015

1 Comment

 
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The EPA HVAC Type I Certification covers small appliance maintenance and handling such as domestic refrigerators, window air conditioners, PTACs (package terminal air conditioner) and vending machines with five pounds or less of refrigerant.  If you are a HVAC technician planning on working with these appliances you will need the EPA 608 Type 1 Certification.  You can take the EPA Core exam plus any combination of EPA HVAC Type 1, EPA HVAC Type 2, and EPA HVAC Type 3 all independently of one another.  So you can be EPA 608 Type 1 certified only.  Many HVAC techs choose to take their exams one by one as a way to study and concentrate on one exam at a time.  Some techs, handymen and repair contractors know that all their business will be from EPA Type 1 kind of work, so they aren’t worried about EPA Type 2 or Type 3.  

​About the EPA Type 1 Certification Exam

The EPA 608 Type 1 Certification is 25 questions covering recovery requirements and recovery techniques.  A passing grade is 18 out of 25 questions correct. There are many overlap questions on the exam between the EPA Core exam and the EPA Type 1 exam and you will have to take both exams at the same time.  Some of the EPA Core test questions you will see on the exam cover topics on substitute refrigerants and oils, general safety, refrigerant cylinders and refrigerant cylinder shipping.  When you pass one EPA exam, you do not have to retake it and can start studying for the next exam.  The other good thing is that once you are EPA certified, you have the certification for life and do not need to retake the exams or have continuing education classes to maintain the certification.

Why is the Type 1 EPA exam important?

Having your EPA Section 608 Type 1 Certification is important to provide a baseline of knowledge, handling and safety in the US.  The EPA Type 1 and Core exams is challenging enough as it is and not because the exams test you on your field experience, although your experience with refrigerant in the field is helpful, but because the exam require you to be more of a test taker and catch trick questions. 

Another challenge you’ll face when studying for your EPA Type 1 is that there is virtually training for the exam, it is all self study, which can be very boring.  This is 100% book exam with no field test, you all the studying you’ll have to do will be a book setting.  The EPA does not provide training either.  There is no limit on the amount of re-tests you can do for the EPA refrigerant certification but the exams can get pricey because you’ll have to pay the cost to re-take the exam again.

Some important highlights from the EPA Certification Type 1 Exam

A motorized vehicle air conditioning system (MVAC) does not fall under the EPA Type 1 regulations and is not on the exam.  Only EPA Type 1 certified technicians can purchase CFC and HCFC refrigerants.  It’s important to note that if the EPA decides to change their regulations, then it’s the technicians responsibility to stay on top of the new laws but you should see signs plastered all over the wall at your local HVAC supply shop if that happens.   Recovery equipment manufactured before November 15, 1993 must be capable of recovering 80% of the refrigerant whether or not the compressor is operating or achieve a 4 inch vacuum under conditions of ARI 740.  Recovery equipment manufactured after November 15, 1993 must be capable of recovering 80% of the refrigerant without the compressor operating or achieve a 4 inch vacuum under conditions of ARI 740; be capable of recovering 90% of the refrigerant with the compressor operating or achieve a 4 inch vacuum under conditions of ARI 740. 

Recovery equipment fittings must be equipped with low-loss fittings which can be manually or automatically closed when disconnecting hoses in order to prevent refrigerant loss.  All appliances must have a service aperture valve for recovering and charging refrigerants.  Self-contained (active) recovery equipment uses its own power to recover the refrigerant from systems and is capable of reaching the required recovery rates with or without the compressor operating.  A system-dependent (passive) recovery process captures refrigerant into a non-pressurized container. The system-dependent equipment uses the system’s compressor, an external heat source, or a vacuum pump to recover the refrigerant. A vacuum pump can only be used as a recovery device in combination with a non-pressurized container and cannot be used with self-contained recovery equipment (pressurized container).  Small appliances used in campers or other recreational vehicles may use refrigerants not covered in Section 608, such as ammonia, hydrogen or water and therefore, should not be recovered using current EPA-approved recovery devices. Similarly, systems built before 1950 may have methyl formate, methyl chloride, or sulfur dioxide as refrigerants and require special recovery equipment. 
 
You can view practice test questions on the EPA Certification exam here.  

EPA's website link on EPA Certification Type 1 Exam
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How To Use the EPA Certification Refrigerant Temperature Pressure Chart

10/9/2014

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The EPA 608 exam will have several questions where you 'll have to interpret the refrigerant temperature / pressure chart.You are allowed to bring the refrigerant temperature / pressure chart in the exam for reference so it's best to do a few practice runs and become familiar with how to use it before the actual exam.  Here are some practice questions you may see on the EPA exam.  The key to know is that you will always be given two pieces of information and asked to find the third.  Keep in mind that the two pieces of information is all you need to find the correct answer, and all the information you need is on the chart.  The nice thing about the refrigerant chart is that numbers are so different that it's hard to mix them up.  What is tricky though is on the EPA Certification test, the temperatures or pressures the give you will not fall exactly on the numbers given in the chart, so you'll have to pick a number in-between.  Here are some practice questions.

Question:
What refrigerant is used if the ambient temperature is 80 degrees and you measure a pressure of 103 psig?

Answer:
Looking at the Temperature column along the left side, find 80 degrees and mark it.  Then scroll right along that temperature line until you get to 103 psig.  Wait, there is no 103 psig, there is a 101.9 and 161.2 psig. In this case, 103 is much closer to 101.9, so just use the 101.9 and go up to find the type of refrigerant used. 

Did you get R-500?  That's correct.
Question:
If R-123 is being used and the temperature is 95 degrees, what is pressure?

Answer:
Take the R-123 column, mark it and go straight down. On the temperature side, we see that 95 degrees is not an option so we have to take both 90 degrees and 100 degrees, mark it and go straight across until you cross with the R-123 column. The temperatures intersect at at pressure of 2.6 and 6.3. Since 95 degrees is in the middle of the two know temperatures, we will need to take the middle number between 2.6 and 6.3. To find the middle, take 2.6 + 6.3 = 8.9, then take 8.9 /2 = 4.45.

The correct answer is 4.45. If you didn't know how to do the math, you could estimate from the answers given in the EPA exam that 4.5 is between 2.6 and 6.3.
You can download a blank temperature / pressure chart for the EPA exam as well a EPA Certification Study Guide that has all the answers highlighted at our link below.  Good luck!

http://www.epacertificationprep.com/epa-study-guide.html
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 How To Prepare for the EPA Certification Exam

9/23/2014

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Studying for the EPA Certification exam can be a daunting task, as the 4-part exam can be far-from any field experience you have.  Fortunately, the EPA Certification exam is not set up to trick you that make you second guess yourself.  You do have to read carefully, and you may see one or two questions that are no where to be found in the free EPA Certification Study Guide by Trane.  Here are some help tips so you can make the most of your time and pass the EPA Universal exam on the first try.

1. Block off specific times to study and prepare in as much in-advance as possible.  
Do not take the exam on a whim, thinking your experience will carry you through the exam or that you will get used to the questions.  This is how people fail on their first try and need to fork out another $200 for the exam.  It took me about 1 week of "fake studying", not really retaining the information and about 3 weeks of serious studying and reviewing the EPA Certification Study Guide to get the material down at about 1 hr a day.  I would answer each of the questions after each Type and sub Type and if I could not repeat it in my head, I would go back to study the material to commit it to memory.  I also wrote down all the dates and numbers on cheat sheet to get them straight in my head.  Ask someone to quiz you if it helps.  Also sometimes, writing the answers out by hand or creating flashcards can help commit them to memory.

2. Location
Many EPA Certification testing centers are conveniently at your local HVAC supply store, which do not require prior reservations.  It is always a good idea to call before hand though and let them know when you are planning to take your exam.  If your exam is at an EPA approved testing come prepared with a pencil, non-graphing calculator and personal identification.  Scratch paper will be supplied by the EPA Universal testing center.

3. The day before the exam
Get plenty of sleep before the EPA exam so you are well rested.  Review any notes or cheat sheets you have made yourself.  It's definitely possible to learn new material the night before, but you should have been doing it in some kind of structure and on the last leg of your study material.

4. The day of the exam
Eat a good breakfast and get well hydrated.  The prime times to take exams are mid-to-early morning.  During the EPA exam, take small breaks if you need to.

Getting your EPA certification can open plenty of opportunities for you and definitely work the effort.  It can never be taken away and unlike other certifications you do not need continuing education to keep your EPA Certification card.
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    EPA 608 Type 1
    EPA 608 Type 1 Certification
    Epa Certification Practice Exam
    Epa Certification Practice Test
    EPA HVAC Type I Certification
    EPA Type I Certification (Small Appliances) Practice Exam
    EPA Type II Certification Exam
    EPA Type II Practice Exam Preparation
    How To Prepare For The EPA Certification Exam
    How To Study For The EPA Certification Exam
    How To Use The EPA Certification Refrigerant Temperature Pressure Chart
    HVAC Technician Refrigerant Certification

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