EPA 608
EPA 608 is a trademark of its owner, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse Test Treasure Publication or TTP Prep.
EPA 608 is a trademark of its owner, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse Test Treasure Publication or TTP Prep.
10 sample questions for the EPA 608, with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.
Sections covered on the exam: Ozonedepletion,Climateandrefrigerantclasses, Core: Ozone Protection, the Clean Air Act, and Section 608 Rules, Core: Refrigerants, Recovery, and Safe Service Practices, Recovery,Recycling,Reclaimandcylinders, Servicepracticesandsafety, Smallappliancescopeandcertification, Recoveryrequirementsandtechniques, Systemaccess,Identification,Andservice, Safety,Shipping,Anddisposal, Typeiiscopeandrefrigerants, Requiredevacuationlevelsandrepairs, Recoverytechniques, Leakdetectionandleakrepair, Type I: Small Appliances, Low-Pressurerefrigerantsandsystemoperation, Recoveryandrepairrequirements, Type III: Low-Pressure Appliances, Type II: High-Pressure Appliances, Safetyandequipmentroomrequirements.
Question 1 · Ozonedepletion,Climateandrefrigerantclasses
A building owner argues that volcanoes and sea spray, not refrigerants, put most of the chlorine into the stratosphere. Which fact best answers this claim?
Answer: B. Natural chlorine compounds dissolve in water and rain out
Chlorine from oceans and volcanoes is mostly in water-soluble forms that wash out in rain long before reaching the stratosphere, while stable CFC and HCFC molecules rise intact and release chlorine there. Measurements show stratospheric chlorine and ClO rising as ozone falls. The idea that natural chlorine is destroyed by UV-B before it reaches ozone has no basis; UV actually frees chlorine from CFCs.
Question 2 · Servicepracticesandsafety
A technician is preparing to pressure-test a repaired R- 410A system for leaks. Which setup is correct?
Answer: A. Dry nitrogen via a regulator, plus a trace of R-22 if needed
Leak testing uses dry nitrogen fed through a pressure regulator and relief valve, and a trace of HCFC-22 may be added so an electronic detector responds. Compressed shop air adds moisture and can form an explosive mixture with oil, and oxygen with oil can explode. Pure refrigerant may not be used as a leak-test gas.
Question 3 · Systemaccess,Identification,Andservice
A technician is asked to service an RV refrigerator that has no compressor and uses an ammonia-water-hydrogen absorption system. How should the technician approach recovery?
Answer: D. Do not connect standard refrigerant recovery equipment to it
Ammonia absorption units use a non-standard refrigerant, and standard recovery equipment is not designed to handle ammonia. Recovering to 4 in Hg vacuum like any other small appliance assumes a fluorocarbon refrigerant. A system-dependent device also depends on the appliance compressor or pressure and is not a solution for an absorption system.
Question 4 · Recoverytechniques
A technician reaches the required vacuum on an R-410A system and isolates the recovery machine. Ten minutes later the system gauge reads 20 psig. What does this indicate?
Answer: C. Refrigerant is still in the system and recovery must continue
A pressure rise after recovery means refrigerant remained in the system, often as liquid pockets or dissolved in oil, so recovery must be repeated. Air leaking in through a loose hose fitting could never push the pressure above atmospheric, and moisture boiling off cannot account for a rise to 20 psig either.
Question 5 · Leakdetectionandleakrepair
A technician must leak-check an idle R-123 chiller that is sitting in a slight vacuum. Which is the preferred way to raise the pressure for the test?
Answer: D. Circulate controlled hot water through the tubes
Low-pressure systems are brought above atmospheric for leak testing by warming the refrigerant, either with controlled hot water circulated through the tubes or with heating blankets. Compressed air must never be used because it adds moisture and can create an explosive mixture with oil, and running the compressor does not raise the pressure of the whole machine.
Question 6 · Ozonedepletion,Climateandrefrigerantclasses
Which of these is a recognized effect of increased UV-B radiation reaching the Earth's surface due to ozone depletion?
Answer: D. Weakened human immune systems
Increased UV-B raises rates of skin cancer and cataracts, weakens immune systems, and harms crops and marine plankton. It also tends to increase ground-level smog, so lower ground-level smog in cities is the opposite of what happens. Acid rain comes from sulfur and nitrogen emissions, not ozone depletion.
Question 7 · Servicepracticesandsafety
Why is a micron gauge used to confirm evacuation instead of the low-side compound gauge on the manifold?
Answer: A. A compound gauge cannot accurately read a deep vacuum
A compound gauge reads vacuum only in inches of mercury and cannot resolve the few hundred microns that show a system is dry and tight. A micron gauge measures absolute pressure, not moisture directly. Compound gauges are designed to read both vacuum and pressure, so they are not damaged by a vacuum.
Question 8 · Systemaccess,Identification,Andservice
A household refrigerator that uses R-134a with POE oil is opened for a repair. Why should the time the system stays open be kept as short as possible?
Answer: D. POE oil readily absorbs moisture from the air
POE (polyolester) oil is very hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air quickly, so open time should be minimized and the filter-drier replaced. POE oil does not evaporate quickly at room temperature, and exposure to air does not make it flammable.
Question 9 · Recoverytechniques
A technician is recovering R-22 vapor from a system with a water-cooled condenser. As system pressure drops, what should be done to protect the condenser tubes?
Answer: C. Circulate water through the tubes or drain them
As pressure drops during vapor recovery, the refrigerant's saturation temperature can fall below 32°F and freeze water in the tubes, so water should be circulated or the tubes drained. Adding nitrogen to hold the pressure above 0 psig would prevent the required evacuation, and shutting off the water leaves standing water that can freeze and rupture the tubes.
Question 10 · Leakdetectionandleakrepair
Before leak-checking an idle R-11 chiller, the technician raises its internal pressure above atmospheric. Why?
Answer: B. So refrigerant escapes outward where a detector can sense it
A low-pressure chiller normally sits in a vacuum, so a leak draws air in and a detector outside finds nothing. Raising the pressure above atmospheric pushes refrigerant out through the leak, where an electronic detector or bubble solution can find it. The rupture disc is never proof-tested this way, and the test pressure is kept well below its setting.
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