Since November 1994, the EPA has required the certification of all technicians who service air conditioning and refrigeration equipment. This includes anyone who performs installation, maintenance, or repair, including owners of equipment who perform service on their own equipment.
Technicians must be certified in all equipment categories that they intend to service or install. Certification is achieved by passing the test for each category, as given by an EPA approved certifying agency. The technician receives a Certificate of Completion (Figure 3-4) that records the successful completion of the test(s). The EPA has established four categories or types of certification. They are:
• Type I — Technicians can work on any small appliance. Small appliances are defined as those that have five pounds or less of refrigerant, such as residential refrigerators and window type air conditioners.
• Type II — Technicians can work on any appliance that uses a high-pressure refrigerant like HCFC-22, CFC-500, or CFC-502). These are typically used in residential and commercial air conditioners and heat pumps and commercial refrigeration. This category does not include small appliances.
• Type III — Technicians can work on any appliance that uses a low-pressure refrigerant like C FC-11, C FC-113, or HCFC-123). These are typically used in centrifugal or absorption chillers.
• Type IV (Universal) — Technicians can work on all equipment covered by category types I, II, and III.