Refrigerant Recovery and Recycling Online Review and Quiz
Online Review Materials (Introduction)
The Future Is Now
 We’re making progress. Responsible air conditioning service practices, along with the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances like R-12, should help return the earth’s ozone layer to normal levels around 2050. While that’s certainly good news, there’s more work to be done. R-134a may be more ozone-friendly than R-12, but R-134a also has a downside—it’s a greenhouse gas and con-tributes to the threat of global warming. Although a replacement for R-134a is yet to be chosen, your role as a service technician will continue to play a key part in environmental stewardship.
Auto makers began their transition from R-12 to R-134a with 1992 models. This transition was completed with the 1994 model year. For you, however, the future isn’t as cut-and-dried. EPA acceptance of alternative refrigerants other than R-134a, the ban on some refrigerants because of flammability concerns, illegal smuggling of R-12 into the U.S. from foreign countries, and the possibility of cross-contamination with other refrigerants—all require almost constant attention. (On that note, here are a few important historical benchmarks: The deadline for mandatory recovery of R-134a was November 15, 1995. After that date, venting of R-134a became illegal. Recycling of R-134a, using EPA-approved equipment, became mandatory on January 29, 1998.) As always, be sure to check state and local regulations as they may differ from federal requirements.
On December 31, 2007, EPA formally adopted a new standard for refrigerant han-dling equipment. Known as J2788 from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), it supersedes standard J2210. The new standard includes upgraded performance requirements for refrigerant handling equipment. This doesn’t make older equipment obsolete, so you needn’t worry about already existing refrigerant handling equipment.
Make a commitment to yourself and your customers to stay informed on any news affecting the world of air conditioning service. You should also be aware that the EPA has a Stratospheric Ozone Protection Hotline that can be used to get answers to your questions and to request printed information. Best of all, it’s free. Just call 1-800-296-1996, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Information is also available at www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/609 on the EPA website.
Timothy A. Zilke
President, ASE
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