SECTION 609 MOTOR VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONING CERTIFICATION TEST & PREPARATORY MANUAL

WHOMUSTBECERTIFIED?
Any person that services Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning(MVAC)mustbecertified.Servicingof motorvehicleairconditioningincludesrepairs,leak testing, and "topping off" of air conditioning systems low on refrigerant, as well as any other repair to the vehicle which requires dismantling any part of the air conditioner. NOTE: Service performed on HCFC22 air conditioner systems typically found on busses, is NOT covered under section 609, but rather section 608 of the Clean AirAct.TechniciancertificationISrequiredunder section608.FormoreinformationonSection608 certification, contact The ESCO Institute at 1 (800)7269696.

TRAININGandCERTIFICATION
Technician training and certification are not intended to test skills necessary to diagnose problems with, or to repair, motor vehicle air conditioners. Rather, training and certification teach and test technicians on how to properly recover and recycle refrigerant, appropriate handlingofrefrigerants,thelaw,andwhyitmust bedonetoprotectthestratosphericozonelayer.

TESTADMINISTRATION&GRADING
Alltestsareelectronicallygradedandrecordsare maintained at the ESCO Institutes Program Development and Grading Center, located in MountProspectIL.Allinquiriesandcorrespondence shouldbedirectedtoTheESCOInstituteP.O.Box 521MountProspect,IL.60056.

TESTFORMAT
Thecertificationtestcontains50multiplechoice questions. All of the information necessary for the technician to achieve a passing score on the certificationtestiscontainedwithinthismanual. The certification test will contain a variety of questionsfromeachofthetopicscovered.

A technician who successfully completes the exam,byachievingascoreof84%orhigher,will receive a certification ID card bearing the technicians name and certificate number. A technician's certification number will be the sameastheirsocialsecuritynumber.Technicians whofailtoachieveapassingscorewillreceivea failure notice. Technicians should allow 2 to 3 weeksfortheresultsoftheircertificationexam.

STRATOSPHERIC OZONE DEPLETION

Duringthelasthalfcentury,CFCrefrigerants(chlorinefluorinecarbon)havedramaticallychangedourlifestyles. Little did we know that the use and release of these compounds into the atmosphere would have devastating effectsontheEarth'senvironment.ThegreatesteffectisfarremovedfromtheEarth'ssurface,intheStratosphere. Locatedbetween10and30milesabovetheEarth'ssurface,theStratospherecontainstheOzonelayer.TheOzone layer is the earth's security blanket. The Ozone layer serves two important functions. Ozone protects us from harmful Ultra Violet Radiation and helps to maintain stable Earth temperatures. Depletion of Ozone in the Stratospherecauses;

Increasedeyedisease Skincancer Croploss Deforestation Reducedmarinelife Increasedgroundlevelozone

AnOzonemoleculeconsistsofthreeoxygenatoms(O3).WhenCFC'sarereleasedintotheatmosphere,theOzone moleculeisbrokendown.TheChlorineintheCFCistheculprit.AsingleChlorineatomattackstheozonemolecule, taking one of its oxygen atoms, creating Chlorine Monoxide (CIO) and Oxygen (O2). The Chlorine Monoxide moleculethengoesontoattackanotherozonemolecule,takinganotheroxygenatom,formingmoreO2andthen releasingthesingleChlorineatom.TheChlorineatomcontinuesthischainreactiondestroyingasmanyas100,000 ozonemolecules.ItisnowclearwhytheproductionofCFCrefrigerantsmustbephasedoutandCFC'scurrentlyin usemustbecapturedandrecycled.Techniciansmustneverintentionallyventrefrigerantstotheatmosphere.

Section609oftheFederalCleanAirAct,asregulatedbytheUSEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),requires facilities that repair or service motor vehicle air conditioning systems, or dismantle a motor vehicle air conditioner to service other parts of an automobile, must certify to the EPA that they are using approved recovery equipment, and that no person may service a motor vehicle air conditioner unless they have been properly trained and certified in how to properly recover and recycle refrigerants. The final regulations for section609becameeffectiveasofAugust13,1992.

MONTREAL PROTOCOL
The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement (treaty) regulating the production and use of CFC's, HCFCs, halons, methyl chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride entered into force in mid 1989. This landmark agreement initially called for a production and consumption freeze. It currently calls for a stepwise reduction and eventual productionphaseoutofvariousozonedepletingsubstances.TheproductionphaseoutofCFC'swascompletedon December31,1995.

Atpresent,HFC134aisusedbymostnewcarmanufacturersasareplacementforCFC12andoldervehiclesmaybe converted to use HFC134a by following proper retrofit procedures. Although HFC134a is considered ozone friendly,itisnotwithoutenvironmentalimpact.Ithasbeenfoundtobeagreenhousegasandcontributestothe problemsofglobalwarming.EffectiveNovember15,1995,HFC134amustberecovered.

PENALTY

Section609oftheFederalCleanAirAct,isregulatedbytheUnitedStatesEnvironmentalAgency(EPA).Failureto complycouldcostyouandyourcompanyasmuchas$27,500perday,perviolation;andthereisabounty of up to $10,000tolureyourcompetitors,customersandfellowworkerstoturnyouinforanyviolation.Servicetechnicians whoviolatetheprovisions of the Clean Air Act may be fined, lose their certification, and may be required to appearinFederalcourt.

THE THREE "R's" RECOVER - RECYCLE - RECLAIM

Theprocessesofrecovery,recycling,andreclaimingsoundsimilar,buttheyarequitedifferent.

To RECOVER is to remove refrigerant in any condition from a system and store it in an approved external container.Recoveredrefrigerantmaynotbereturnedtoamotorvehicleairconditioningsystem(MVAC)without firstbeingrecycledorreclaimed.

ToRECYCLE istocleanrefrigerantforreusebyseparatingtheoilandremovingmoisturebypassingitthroughone or more filter driers. Recycled refrigerant may be returned to a MVAC. Contaminants in recycled refrigerant are limited to moisture, refrigerant oil, and noncondensable gases to the levels set by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

To RECLAIM is to process refrigerant to a level equal to new product specifications as determined by chemical analysis.RECLAIMEDrefrigerantmustmeetstandardssetforthbytheAirConditioningandRefrigerationInstitutein ARIstandard70093.Reclaimedrefrigerantisintendedforsaleandmaybeusedinanyapplication.

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
TheEPAhasapprovedtheuseoftwotypesofequipment,recover/recycleandrecoveronly.Therecover/recycle equipmentextractstherefrigerantfromthevehicleandcleanstherefrigerantonsite.Therecoveronlyequipment extracts the refrigerant into an approved container to be sent offsite for reclamation. Either recover only, or recover/recycleequipmentmayonlybeusedfortherefrigerantforwhichitwasdesigned.NOTE:ULfirstcertified recovery/ recycling equipment in September 1989. Approved equipment must bear a label that states "design certified to meet SAE standards". Do not confuse this with other UL labels that indicate equipment safety performance.

Facilities that service or dismantle motor vehicle air conditioners must certify to the EPA that they are using approvedequipment.Servicingofmotorvehicleairconditionersincludesrepairs,leaktesting,and"toppingoff" systemslowonrefrigerant.Certificationthatafacilityisusingapprovedequipmentbycertifiedtechniciansisnot transferable.Ifafacilitychangesownership,thenewownermustsubmitanewcertificationstatementtotheEPA within30daysofthechangeofownership.

Recover/recycle equipment mustbecertifiedbyanEPAapprovedindependentstandardstestingorganization,

i.e.ULorETL,toextractandrecyclerefrigerantfromamotorvehicleairconditionertoastandardsetforthbythe Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The equipment standards were SAE J1990 for CFC12 and SAE J2210 for HFC134a.Amotorvehicleairconditioningindustrysponsoredresearchprojectindicatedthatequipmentdesigned tomeetSAEstandardsJ2210didnotrecoverrefrigerantfromMVACsystemsaswellaswaspreviouslyassumed. As much as 30% of refrigerant remained in an MVAC system when J2210 recovery equipment indicated all refrigerant had been recovered. MVACservice techniciansrely oncomplete refrigerantrecoverytorefill MVAC systemsaccordingtothemotorvehiclemanufacturerspecification.Inlightofsubstandardrecoveryperformance, SAE revised their standards to include performance standards that ensure an improved standard of refrigerant recoveryandrecharge.SAEreplacedstandardJ2210withstandardJ2788inOctober2006.J2788encompassesall ofJ2210,addsstandardsonrechargingofMVACsystems,andaddsperformancestandardstoimproveequipment refrigerant recovery performance. Specifically, J2788 sets a recharge accuracy standard of 0.5 ounces and requires95%recoveryofrefrigerantfromanMVACsystem.

Effective January 29, 1998, the EPA adopted rulings for recover/recycle equipment where CFC12 and HFC134a shares a common refrigerant circuit. These single circuit machines contain special features to prevent cross contamination in the refrigerant circuit and must meet SAE standard J1770. Other dual refrigerant units are essentiallytworecyclingmachinesinonecabinetthatdonotshareacommonrefrigerantcircuit.Theseunitsmust meetSAEJ1990andSAEJ2788standards.

EquipmentmanufacturedtoSAEstandardsiscapableofcleaningrecyclablerefrigerants,suchasCFC12andHFC 134a,toanacceptablelevelonlyifitwasremovedfromaMVAC.Refrigerantsfromothertypesofsystemsmay containimpuritiesthattheequipmentcannotremove,suchasacidsfromahermeticallysealedcompressorthat has experienced a "burnout". Do not attempt to recover or recycle refrigerants from any system other than a MVAC.

Recoveronly equipment extractsrefrigerant,butdoesnotcleanit.Thestandardsforrecoveronlyequipment

were SAE J2209 for CFC12 and SAE J1732 for HFC134a until September 16, 2008, when the EPA replaced standardJ1732withJ2810.Thisactionwasadirectresultofaresearchproject,whichindicatedthatasmuchas 30%ofrefrigerantremainedinanMVACsystemwhenJ1732recoveryequipmentindicatedallrefrigeranthad been recovered. Recovered refrigerant cannot be used to charge a MVAC without first being recycled or reclaimed. Recovered refrigerant may be recycled using approved recycling equipment. Otherwise, recovered refrigerant must be sent to an offsite reclamation facility. The service establishment must maintain records identifyingthereclamationfacilitywhererecoveredrefrigerantissent.

Alternative Refrigerant Recovery: Thenewrulingsalsoadoptastandardforequipmentthatrecoversasingle, specificrefrigerantotherthanCFC12orHFC134a.ThisisnotaspecificSAEstandard,butisoneformulatedbythe EPAallowingULandETLtoapproverecoveryonlyequipmentdesignedtoextractasinglealternativerefrigerant. MostofthealternativerefrigerantsthatareapprovedundertheEPA'sSNAP(SignificantNewAlternativesPolicy) program for use in motor vehicle air conditioners are blended compounds that may contain ozone depleting substancessuchasHCFC22.Recoveryoftheseblendedrefrigerantsrequiresadedicatedpieceofequipment.They maynotberecoveredusingthesameequipmentusedforCFC12orHFC134a.ItisaviolationofEPAregulations torecycletheserefrigerants.TheEPArequiresthattheseblendedrefrigerantsbesenttoacertifiedreclaimfacility.

Contaminated refrigerants must be handled with some extra precautions. If you are unsure about a refrigerant, EPAstrongly recommends(butdoes notrequire)that techniciansobtainarefrigerantidentifierasa useful tool. Whenatechnicianencountersa"mystery"refrigerant,itmustberecoveredusingapieceofequipmentdedicated tothispurpose.Unapprovedrefrigerantsmaycontainahighpercentageofflammablesubstances,suchaspropane orbutane,andafirehazardmayresult.Checkwithyourequipmentmanufacturertobesuretheequipmenthas protection against risks of ignition. Once the refrigerant has been recovered, it must be properly stored and/or senttoareclamationfacilitytobereclaimedordestroyed.

EPAmaintainsalistofcertifiedreclaimerswhichisavailablethroughtheStratosphericOzoneProtectionHotline (18002961996)orattheEPA'swebsite(http//www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/608/reclist.html)

REFRIGERANTS FROM NON-MOBILE SOURCES

Refrigerantrecoveredfromnonmobilesources,suchasresidentialorcommercialairconditionersorrefrigeration systemsmaynotbeusedinMVACsystemsorrecoveredusingMVACrecoveryequipment.ItisrequiredthatMVAC equipmentbeonlyusedonMVACsystems.

LOW GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL (GWP) REFRIGERANT SYSTEMS

TheimpactthatrefrigerantssuchasHFC134Ahasonglobalwarmingis1,300timesthatofcarbondioxide.The Global Warming Potential of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is used as the baseline against which all other gases are measured.(CO2=1.0GWP HFC134A=1,300.0GWP).Inotherwords,releasing1poundofR134Aisequalto emittingintoouratmosphere1,300poundsofCO2.

R744(CO2)
CO2canbeusedasarefrigerant.Itsrefrigerantnomenclature(name)isR744.R744systemsareindevelopment andareexpectedtoentertheoriginalequipmentmarketinthenearfuture.CO2systemsaremorefuelefficient andcanincreasecoolingperformanceascomparedtoR134Asystems.CO2systemsoperateat7to10timesthe pressureofsystemscontainingR134A.DuetotheveryhighpressuresassociatedwithR744EPAhasestablished conditionsofuse.

Conditional Use of R-744 (CO2)

Engineering strategies or devices shall be incorporated into the system such that foreseeable leaks into the passengercompartmentdonotresultinconcentrationsgreaterthantheCO2shorttermexposurelimit(STEL)of3% for 15 minutes. Manufacturers must adhere to all the safety requirements listed in the Society of Automotive Engineers(SAE)StandardJ639,includinguniquefittingsandahighpressuresystemwarninglabel.

R152a
R152aanHFCcompoundoperateswithsimilarcharacteristicstothatofR134abutpossessesamuchlowerGWP(120 to 140)versus1300GWPforR134a.R152asystemsutilizefrom7%to22%lessenergytoproducethesamecooling. Duetoflammabilityconcerns,EPAhasestablishedconditionsofuseforR152a.

Conditional Use of HFC-152a

Engineering strategies or devices shall be incorporated into the system such that foreseeable leaks into the passengercompartmentdonotresultinHFC152aconcentrationsof3.7%oraboveinanypartofthefreespace inside the passenger compartment for more than 15 seconds. Manufacturers must adhere to all the safety requirements listed in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Standard J639, including unique fittings and a flammablerefrigerantwarninglabel.

HFO1234yf
The Hydro Fluoro Olefin Refrigerant HFO1234yf was developed through a joint project between DuPont and Honeywell. HFO1234yf is expected to become the preferred global alternative refrigerant candidate for automotiveOEMapplicationsandtheaftermarket.HFO1234yfhasaGWPof4andanODPofzero.

HFO1234yfhasacoolingcapacitythatiscomparabletoHFC134aandiscompatiblewithHFC134acomponents. Furthermore,thisrefrigerantdoeshaveaflammabilityfactor,whichwillneedtobeaddressedpriortoitsadoption asasubstituteforHFC134a.

RECOVERY CYLINDERS
Recoverycylindersdifferinmanywaysfromdisposablecylinders.Disposablecylinderssuchasthoseusedfornew product,arenotrefillableandMUSTNEVERbeusedforrecovery.

Recoverycylindersarespecificallydesignedtoberefilled.Recoverycylindershaveatleasttwoports,onevaporand one liquid. The EPA is concerned about over pressurization or heating of these cylinders, resulting in a possible explosion.TheEPArequiresthatarefillablerefrigerantcylinderMUSTNOTBEFILLEDABOVE80%ofitscapacityby weight,andthatthesafefillinglevelbecontrolledbyeithermechanicalfloatdevices,electronicshutoff,orweight.

Before you begin transferring recycled refrigerant into an empty storage cylinder, in order to remove non condensablegases,thecylindermustbeevacuatedtoatleast27in.HGofvacuum.RefillablecylindersmustbeUL orDOTapprovedandmustbehydrostaticallytestedanddatestampedeveryfiveyears.

DISPOSAL OF EMPTY / NEAR EMPTY CYLINDERS

Before disposing of an empty or near empty disposable cylinder, the remaining refrigerant MUST be recovered. Attachthecylindertotherecoveryunitandremoveanyremainingrefrigerant.Oncethecylinderhasbeenreduced fromapressuretoavacuum,itshouldbemarked"empty"andisreadyfordisposal.

SHIPPING & TRANSPORTING

Whentransportingcylinderscontainingusedrefrigerant,theDepartmentofTransportationrequiresthatyouattachDOT classification tags and place a refrigerant label on each cylinder. Refillable cylinders used for transporting recovered pressurized refrigerant must be DOT approved. All refrigerant recovery cylinders should be inspected for rust. If they showsignsofrust,theyshouldbereducedto0psiganddiscarded.Somestatesmayrequirespecialshippingprocedures tobefollowedbasedontheirclassificationofusedrefrigerants.CheckwiththeDOTandEPAinthestateoforigin.

RECOVERY REQUIREMENTS
During service or dismantling of motor vehicle air conditioning systems, containment of the refrigerant is mandatory.NeveropenasystemwithoutfirstfollowingproperrecoveryproceduresassetforthbySAEJ1989for CFC12 and SAE J2011 for HFC134a. The following procedure will serve as a guideline to refrigerant recovery; alwaysoperatetherecoveryequipmentaccordingtothemanufacturers'recommendations.

Connecttherecoveryequipmenttothevehiclesserviceports.Operatetherecoveryunittoremovetherefrigerant untilthesystemhasbeenreducedfromapressuretoavacuum.Withtherecoveryunitshutoff,wait at least 5 minutes todetermineifallrefrigerant hasbeenremoved.If thesystemreturnstoapositivepressure,indicating thatthereisstillrefrigerantleftinthesystem,additionalrecoveryisrequired.Repeattherecoveryoperationuntil thevehicleA/Csystemvacuumremainsstablefor2minutes.

MANIFOLD GAUGE SET

Whenservicingasystemwithamanifoldgaugeset,thehigh,low,andcenterhosesmusthaveshutoffvalveswithin 12inches (30cm)oftheserviceends. Shutoffvalvescanbe manuallyoperatedorcloseautomatically whenthe hoseisremoved.Duringallserviceoperations,theshutoffvalvesshouldbecloseduntilconnectedtothesystemor the charging sourceto prevent theintroductionof airand tocontainrather thanventanyrefrigerant.Whenthe gauge set is removed from the vehicle or charging source, it must be connected to the recovery equipment to recovertherefrigerantfromthehoses.

RECYCLING REQUIREMENTS
Approvedrecyclingequipmentmustmeetallofthecriteriathatrecoveryonlyequipmentmustmeet.Inaddition, recyclingequipmentmustcleantheusedrefrigeranttotheminimumpuritylevelasdefinedinSAEstandardsbefore itcanbeusedinamotorvehicleairconditioningsystem.

CFC12=SAEJ1991 Moisture: 15PPMbyweight Refrigerantoil: 4000PPMbyweight Noncondensablegas:330PPMbyweight

HFC134a=SAEJ2099 50PPMbyweight 500PPMbyweight 150PPMbyweight

Theequipmentincorporatesaninlinefilter/desiccantpackageandamoistureindicatorthatwillalerttheoperator whenthemoistureintherefrigerantexceedstheallowablelevel.

Theequipmentmustalsobecapableofseparatingtheoilfromtherefrigerantandaccuratelyindicatetheamount removedduringprocessing.Sincerefrigerantdissolvesintheoil,themeasuringsystemmusttakeintoaccountthe dissolved refrigerant to prevent overcharging the vehicle with new lubricant. The equipment should also be compatiblewithleakdetectiondyethatmaybefoundinsomesystems.

CHECKING FOR NON-CONDENSABLE GASES

Before charging a vehicle air conditioning system with recycled refrigerant, the refrigerant container should be testedforthepresenceofnoncondensablegases(air).Somerefrigerantrecyclingunitsareequippedwithadevice that automatically purges noncondensables during the recycling process. Check your equipment manufacturers operating instructions. If the equipment does not have such a device, the refrigerant can be tested for non condensablesasfollows:

Thecontainermustbestoredatatemperature65F(18.3C)oraboveforaperiodoftwelvehours,outof

directsunlight.
Installacalibratedpressuregaugewith1psigdivisionstothecontaineranddeterminethecontainerpressure. Withanaccuratethermometer,measuretheairtemperaturewithin4inchesofthecontainersurface. Comparethecontainerpressureandtemperaturetodetermineifthecontainerexceedsthepressure

limitsfoundonTable1(locatedonpage10).

LEAK TESTING
AlthoughtheEPAhasnotmandatedleakrepairatthistime,whenservicinganautomotiveairconditioningsystem, youshouldrepairleakswheneverpossible.Addingrefrigeranttoaleakingsystemisharmfultotheenvironment,a wasteofvaluablerefrigerantanditisunlawfulinsomestates.Beforebeginningaservicejob,thetechnicianshould performathoroughvisualinspectionandleakcheckofthesystem.

Whenusinganelectronicleakdetector,alwaysfollowthemanufacturer'soperatinginstructions.Inadditiontothe manufacturer'sinstructions,thefollowingshouldbeobserved; 1.Alwaysleaktestwiththeengineoff. 2. Only, a small amount of refrigerant is required to perform a leak test. A gauge reading of 50 psi is all that is needed.Attemperaturesbelow50F.,leaksmaynotbemeasurable,since50psimaynotbeattainable. 3. Toavoidcontaminatingthetipofyourleakdetector,removeexcessivedirtfromsuspectedleakareas.Donot usecleanersorsolvents,yourdetectormaybesensitivetotheiringredients. 4.Visuallyinspectthesystem,andlookforsignsofairconditioningoilleakage,damage,andcorrosiononalllines, hoses,andcomponents.Eachsuspectedareashouldbecarefullychecked. 5.Followthesystemaroundinacontinuouspathtoensurethatnoareasaremissed.Ifaleakisfound,continueto checktheremainderofthesystemforadditionalleaks. 6.Ateachareachecked,movetheprobetiparoundthelocationatabout1"persecondwhileholdingtheprobe nomorethan1/4"abovethesurfaceoftheareabeingleakchecked. 7. Toverifyanapparentleak,blowshopairintotheareaofthesuspectedleaktoclearanyrefrigerantthatmay lingerandrepeattheleakcheck. 8. To leak test an evaporator core, operate the air conditioner with the blower motor on high for a minimum of 20 seconds.Shuttheairconditionerandblowermotoroffandwaitfortherefrigeranttoaccumulate.Inserttheleak detectorprobeintotheblowerresistorblockorthecondensatedrainhole(ifnowaterispresent).Ifthedetector indicatesaleak,theevaporatororthelineconnectionstotheevaporatorareleaking.

After a system has been opened for repair, the system should be properly leak tested before charging with refrigerant.Thesystemshouldholdadeepvacuum(27inHG.ormore)foratleastoneminutebeforecharging.If thesystemwillnotholdadeepvacuum,aminimumamountofrefrigerant(enoughtoproduceapositivepressure) canbeaddedforleaktesting.

AnalternatemethodofleaktestingistouseNitrogen(aninertgas)topressurizethesystem,andthenpinpointleaks withasoapandwatersolution.Wheneverdrynitrogenfromacylinderisusedinaserviceprocedure,youshouldalways chargethroughapressureregulator,andhaveapressurereliefvalveinstalleddownstreamfromtheregulator.

NEVER pressurize the system with oxygen or compressed air. When mixed with refrigerants and their lubricants, oxygenorcompressedaircancauseanexplosion.

Leak Repair
TheEPAencourages,butdoesnotrequireleakdetectionandrepair. Refrigerantleaksdetectedatcompressorcrankseals,fittings,valves/connectors,hosesandlinesshouldbe repaired.Repairsandreplacementsshouldbemadethroughthefollowingsteps: 1. RecoverandrecycleanyrefrigerantremainingintheA/Csystemintoanapprovedrefrigerantcylinder. 2. Removeandreplaceleakingcompressorshaftseals,fittings,valves/connectors,hosesandlinesto manufacturersspecifications. 3. Tightenfittingstoappropriateft/lbswhereapplicable. 4. Followingtheleaktestingproceduresabove,leaktestthesystem. 5. Evacuate,dehydratebypullingadeepvacuumandtestMVACsystemtomanufacturersspecifications. NOTE:Somestatesandlocalgovernmentsmayhavelawsstricterthanthefederallawconcerningtheissueofleak repairs.
6

PROPER CHARGING AND RECHARGING OF MVAC SYSTEMS:

Aftersystemevacuation,anddehydrationthesystemcanbechargedwithneworrecycledrefrigerant.Inorderto operate efficiently, the system must be critically charged (exact pounds and ounces). The refrigerant type and criticalchargelevelisnormallyfoundonthespecificationdecalfastenedonorclosetotheACsystemunderthe hood,inthevehicleservicemanual,bythevehiclemanufactureroraftermarketACequipmentsupplier.

An incorrect system charge reduces efficiency and comfort. An undercharged system will result in insufficient cooling, possible icing of the evaporator, and lower pressures that can cause the system to shut down. An overchargedsystemcanresultinexcessivelyhighpressures,leadingtosystemfailure,andpossibleventing.

The only accurate method to charge a system that requires a critical charge is to weigh the refrigerant into the system. It is important to verify the accuracy of charging scales and recalibrate them as per the manufacturers instructions.Youshouldplaceastaticknownvalueweightontothescaletoverifythescalesaccuracy.

Note:Mostchargingscaleshaveazeroingfeaturethatcalibratesthescaletozero.Themostcommonprocedure isto;1)placetherefrigerantcylinderonthescale,2)depressthezeroingswitchorbuttonuntilthereadoutis zero,3)beginchargingandnotethereadoutasitchanges,4)stopchargingwhenthereadoutisequaltothetotal requiredcharge.

Somechargingequipmentaswellasmanifoldgaugesmayhavemetricdisplays.Akilogramisequalto2.2pounds. Oneounceisequalto28.3495grams.Onegramisequalto0.035273ounces

POUNDS TO KILOGRAMS 1 lb 0.454kg 2 lb 0.907kg 3 lb 1.361kg POUNDS TO GRAMS 1 lb 453.592g 2 lb 907.185g 3 lb 1360.777g POUNDS TO OUNCES 1 lb 16oz 2 lb 32oz 3 lb 48oz 4 lb 64oz 5 lb 80oz 4 lb 1814.269g 5 lb 2267.961g 4 lb 1.814kg 5 lb 2.268kg

KIOLOGRAMS TO GRAMS 0.454 kg (1 LB) 454g 0.907 kg (2 LB) 907g 1.361 kg (3 LB) 1361g OUNCES TO GRAMS 1 oz 28.350g 6 oz 170.097g 11 oz 311.845g 16 oz 453.592g 2 oz 56.699g 7 oz 198.447g 12 oz 340.194g 3 oz 85.0486g 8 oz 226.796g 13 oz 368.544g 7 4 oz 113.398g 9 oz 255.146g 14 oz 396.893g 5 oz 141.748 10 oz 283.495g 15 oz 425.243g 1.814 kg (4 LB) 1814g 2.268 kg (5 LB) 2268g

SAFETY
TheEPAisnotonlyconcernedwiththepreventionofrefrigerantventing,butisalsoconcernedwiththetechnicians overallsafety.Whenhandlingrefrigerantsoroperatingrecover/recycleequipment,youshouldwearsafetyglasses, protectivegloves,andfollowallequipmentmanufacturerssafetyprocedures.

Alwaysreviewthematerialsafetydatasheetswhenworkingwithanysolvents,chemicals,orrefrigerants.

Intheeventofalargereleaseofrefrigerantinaconfinedarea,IMMEDIATELY VACATE AND VENTILATE thearea. Inhalingrefrigerantvaporscancauseheartirregularities,unconsciousness,andoxygendeprivationleadingtodeath.

NEVERexposeCFC12 to openflames orhot glowingsurfaces. Athightemperatures,R12willformHydrochloric acid,Hydrofluoricacid,andPhosgenegas.

HFC-134a
HFC134asystemsandequipmenthaveuniqueserviceports.TheseuniqueportsaredesignedtopreventHFC134a and other refrigerants from being mixed together either in an air conditioning system or within the service equipment. In order to avoid cross contamination of refrigerants, as well as the different lubricants, separate equipmentshallbeusedwhenservicingHFC134asystems.

Therequiredseparateequipmentincludesbutisnotlimitedto;

Hoses GaugesRecoveryandrecyclingequipmentRecoverycylindersOilcontainers

HFC134awillnotmixwiththemineraloil.ThelubricantsusedwithHFC134aarePolyAlkyleneGlycol(PAG)orPoly OilEster(POE)syntheticoils.Most,butnotall,automakersequiptheirvehicleswithPAGoils.PAGandPOEoilsare morehygroscopicthanmineraloils.Hygroscopicoilhasanaffinityformoistureabsorption.Therefore,theuseofan XH7orXH9desiccant(drier)isnecessary.ReasonablecautionshouldbeusedwhenhandlingPAGoil.AvoidPAG oil contact with skin and painted surfaces. Make certain that when servicing a motor vehicle air conditioning system,youinstallthecorrectoil,astherearethereareseveraldifferentPAGoils.Usingthewrongoilcancause serious damage to the system. When retrofitting a CFC12 system to HFC134a, follow all manufacturers recommendedprocedures. It should also be noted that replacement hoses must meet the standard for permeability, SAE J2064. This SAE standard covers hose and hose assemblies intended for R134a refrigerant systems. The hose must minimize permeationofR134a,contaminationofthesystem,andbefunctionalwithinthetemperaturerangeof22F.to 257F.(30C.to125C.).

RETROFITTING TO HFC-134a
TheprocessofretrofittingaCFC12vehicletoHFC134amayvaryfromvehicletovehicle.Muchofwhatyoudowill dependontheintegrityofthesystem.Althoughtherearecertaingeneralproceduresthatmustbefollowedwhen retrofitting,youshouldconsultthevehiclemanufacturerandfollowtheirrecommendations.

GENERALPROCEDURES; 1.Performaleaktestandreplaceanyleakingcomponents.SinceHFC134ahasamoleculethatisabout80%the
sizeandweightofaCFC12moleculeitwillleakfromrubberhosesandOrings.ReplacementhosesandO ringsmustbemadeofnonpermeablematerial. NOTE:RubberhosesandOringsusedinCFC12systemsbecomepermeatedwithrefrigerantoil.Therefrigerant oilfillsthepores&createsareasonableseal.Althoughitisidealtoreplaceallrubberhoses&Oringswith thenonpermeabletype,theseoilsoakedrubbercomponentswillprovideanacceptablesealforHFC134a. 2.RecoveranyremainingCFC12. 3.Connectanefficientvacuumpumptoboththelowandhighsides.Operatethevacuumpumpfor45minutes afterachievingadeepvacuum.(Avacuumofabout500micronsor29.92"hggaugepressure)Thisstepis extremelyimportanttoinsurethatlessthan1%CFC12remainsinthesystemsoil.OnepercentormoreCFC 12cancauseasmuchasa50%riseinheadpressure. 4.ReplacetheolddrieroraccumulatorwithanewonethatcontainsanXH7orXH9desiccant. 5.Removethecompressoranddraintherefrigerantoil.ReplaceanyexternalcompressorOringswiththenon permeabletype.ReinstallthecompressorandaddthePAGoil. 6.Installnewhighsideandlowside134afittings. 7.Attachvacuumpumpandachieveadeepvacuum. NOTE: Remember that HFC134a has about 80% the molecular weight of CFC12 and the new drier or accumulator desiccant displaces approximately 15% more area than the old XH5 desiccant. Where exact chargingweightisnotavailable,followthesesteps; 8.Startthevehicleandruntooperatingtemperature. 9.Placealargefaninfrontofthecondensertosimulate30mphramair. 10. Using an accurate thermometer, hold the thermometer 1" from the condenser and note the temperature. Add40F.toyourreading(thiswillallowyoutoapproximatethecondensercoretemperature). 11. UsingatemperaturepressurechartforHFC134a,chargethesystem(withtheengineandsystemon)until the high side gauge reading is equal to the approximate condenser core temperature. The system should nowbefullycharged. 12. Itisimportanttoverifythatyouhavenotoverchargedorunderchargedthesystem.Verificationbeginswith checkingthecompressionratio.Tocheckcompressionratio,noteonpaperthelowandhighsidegaugereadings and add atmospheric pressure to bothreadings. Divide the high side reading (with the atmospheric pressure added)bythelowsidereading(withtheatmosphericpressureadded).Theresultshouldbebetween6.5:1and 7.5: 1. A compression ratio of 8: 1 or higher may cause compressor failure. A high compression ratio can be causedbyanovercharge,insufficientairfloworaninefficientcondenser. 13.AFFIXHFC134aLABELTOTHESYSTEM:Thisfinalstepisimperativetoavoidfuturecrosscontamination.

OTHERALTERNATIVESTOCFC12
Asblendsmaketheirwayintotheretrofitmarket,youwillneedtounderstandhowblendsfunction.Someofthe blendsareternary,whichmeanstheyareathreepartblend.Mostternaryblendsareusedwithanalkylbenzene lubricant.Blendedrefrigerantswillleakfromasysteminunevenamountsduetodifferentvaporpressures.Dueto thesevaryingvaporpressures,chargingintheliquidphaseisrequired.

NOTE:IfablendcontainsHCFC22allhosesmustbereplacedwithbarriertypehoses.

EPA'sSNAPprogramevaluatesthesesubstitutestoassesstheireffectonhumanhealthandtheenvironment.Page 11ofthismanualcontainsapartiallistofalternativerefrigerantsandtheirstatusasofJune3,1997.

Table 1
Presence of Non-Condensables / Maximum Allowable Pressure
TEMP F 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 CFC-12 psig 74 75 76 78 79 80 82 83 84 86 87 88 90 92 94 96 98 99 100 101 102 103 105 107 108 110 111 113 HFC-134a psig 69 70 71 73 74 76 77 79 80 82 83 85 86 88 90 91 93 95 96 98 100 102 103 105 107 109 111 113
10

TEMP F 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120

CFC-12 psig 115 116 118 120 122 124 125 127 129 130 132 134 136 138 140 142 144 146 148 150 152 154

HFC-134a psig 115 117 118 120 122 125 127 129 131 133 135 137 139 142 144 146 149 151 153 156 158 160 163 165 168 171 173 176

EPA

Environmental Protection Agency Air and Radiation Stratospheric Ozone Protection Division 6205J
Unacceptable Substitute Refrigerants Significant New Alternative Policy (SNAP) Program as of June 12, 2008

Substitutes (Name used in Federal Register) All flammable refrigerants, including OZ-12 (Hydrocarbon blend A) and HC12a (Hydrocarbon blend B) Except for HFC-152a in new MVAC equipment CZ-12 (Hydrocarbon blend A) and HC12a (Hydrocarbon blend B) R-141b

Trade Name

ODS Being Replaced CFC-12

End-Uses

Reason

Motor vehicle Air Conditioning retrofit and new

Lack of adequate risk assessment that characterizes incremental flammability risk

OZ-12 HC-12a

CFC-12

All end uses other than Industrial Process Refrigeration, retrofit and new Centrifugal Chillers new

Lack of adequate risk assessment that characterizes incremental flammability risk High ODP, other substitutes with lower overall risks have been identified Contains CFC-12 Contains a perfluorcarbon that exhibits extremely high GWP and very long lifetime Contains a perfluorcarbon that exhibits extremely high GWP and very long lifetime A chemical in this blend presents an unacceptable toxicity risk presents an unacceptable toxicity risk Unacceptably high greenhouse gas emissions from direct release of refrigerant to the atmosphere Contains HCFC-22

CFC-11

R-176* R403B

CFC-12 R-502

All end uses, retrofit and new All end uses other than Industrial Process Refrigeration, retrofit and new All end uses, retrofit and new

R-405A

CFC-12

MT-31

All CFCs and HCFCs CFC-12, HCFC-22, R-502 CFC-12, HCFC-22, R-502

All end uses, retrofit and new

Hexafluoropylene (HFP) and all HFP containing blends Self-Chilling cans using HFC-134a or HFC-152a

All end uses, retrofit and new

Household refrigeration, Transport Refrigeration, Vending Machines, Cold Storage Warehouses and Retain Food Refrigeration; retrofit and new All end uses, retrofit and new

NARM-22

HCFC-22

*R-176 contains: CFC-12, HCFC-22, and HCFC-142b it is a different product from RB-276, generally sold under rhe name of Freezone.

Prohibited Flammable Refrigerants

Refrigerants that have a flammability concern and/ or listed by EPA as unacceptable substitutes can by found by visiting the EPA web-site http://www.epa.gov/EPA-AIR/2008/June/Day-12/a13086.htm.

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