§82.36. Approved refrigerant handling equipment. — Inbound Citations

(c) Persons may only open MVAC-like appliances while properly using, as defined at § 82.32(e), recovery and/or recycling equipment certified pursuant to § 82.158(f) or § 82.36, as applicable. All persons recovering refrigerant from MVAC-like appliances for purposes of disposal of these appliances must evacuate the appliance in accordance with 40 CFR part 82, subpart B or reduce the system pressure to or below 102 mm of mercury vacuum.

(b) Approved refrigerant recycling equipment means equipment certified by the Administrator or an organization approved under § 82.38 as meeting either one of the standards in § 82.36. Such equipment extracts and recycles refrigerant or extracts refrigerant for recycling on-site or reclamation off-site.

(1) Without properly using equipment approved pursuant to § 82.36;

(1) Recover and/or recycle for reuse the ignitable spent refrigerant using equipment that is certified for that type of refrigerant and appliance under §§ 82.36 and/or 82.158 of this chapter; and

Appliance means any device which contains and uses a class I or class II substance or substitute as a refrigerant and which is used for household or commercial purposes, including any air conditioner, motor vehicle air conditioner, refrigerator, chiller, or freezer. For a system with multiple circuits, each independent circuit is considered a separate appliance.

(1) R-1234yf (HFO-1234yf) Recovery/Recycling/Recharging Equipment for Flammable Refrigerants for Mobile Air-Conditioning Systems. Revised July 2019; IBR approved for § 82.36(a).

(1) Properly using means using equipment in conformity with the regulations set forth in this subpart, including but not limited to the prohibitions and required practices set forth in § 82.34, and the recommended service procedures and practices for the containment of refrigerant set forth in § 82.36(a) and appendices A, B, C, D, E, and F to this subpart, as applicable. In addition, this term includes operating the equipment in accordance with the manufacturer's guide to operation and maintenance and using the equipment only for the controlled substance for which the machine is designed. For equipment that extracts and recycles refrigerant, properly using also means to recycle refrigerant before it is returned to a motor vehicle air conditioner or MVAC-like appliance, including to the motor vehicle air conditioner or MVAC-like appliance from which the refrigerant was extracted. For equipment that only recovers refrigerant, properly using includes the requirement to recycle the refrigerant on-site or send the refrigerant off-site for reclamation.

(a) Any independent standards testing organization may apply for approval by the Administrator to certify equipment as meeting the standards in § 82.36(a) and appendices A, B, C, D, E, and F to this subpart, as applicable. The application shall be sent to: MVACs Recycling Program Manager, Stratospheric Protection Division (6205T), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460.

(i) The standards established for the service and repair of MVACs and MVAC-like appliances as set forth in § 82.36(a) and appendices A, B, C, D, E, and F to this subpart. These standards relate to the recommended service procedures for the containment of refrigerant, extraction equipment, extraction and recycle equipment, and the standard of purity for refrigerant in motor vehicle air conditioners.

(1) Any person who owns approved refrigerant recycling equipment certified under § 82.36(a)(2) must maintain records of the name and address of any facility to which refrigerant is sent.