Title 40

Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 82 - SAE J2810 Standard for Recovery Only Equipment for HFC-134a Refrigerant

40:21.0.1.1.1.2.1.8.16 : Appendix D

Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 82 - SAE J2810 Standard for Recovery Only Equipment for HFC-134a Refrigerant Foreword

This Appendix establishes the specific minimum equipment requirements for the recovery of HFC-134a that has been directly removed from, motor vehicle air-conditioning systems.

1. Scope

The purpose of this SAE Standard is to provide minimum performance and operating feature requirements for the recovery of HFC-134a (R-134a) refrigerant to be returned to a refrigerant reclamation facility that will process it to the appropriate ARI 700 Standard or allow for recycling of the recovered refrigerant to SAE J2788 specifications by using SAE J2788-certified equipment. It is not acceptable that the refrigerant removed from a mobile air-conditioning (A/C) system with this equipment be directly returned to a mobile A/C system.

This information applies to equipment used to service automobiles, light trucks, and other vehicles with similar HFC-134a (R-134a) A/C systems.

1.1 Improved refrigerant recovery equipment is required to ensure adequate refrigerant recovery to reduce emissions and provide for accurate recharging of mobile air conditioning systems. Therefore, 12 months following the publication date of this standard, it supersedes SAE J1732.

2. References 2.1 Applicable Publications

The following publications form a part of the specification to the extent specified herein. Unless otherwise indicated, the latest revision of SAE publications shall apply.

2.1.1 SAE Publications

Available from SAE, 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001, Tel: 877-606-7323 (inside USA and Canada) or 724-776-4970 (outside USA), http://www.sae.org.

SAE J639 Safety Standards for Motor Vehicle Refrigerant Vapor Compressions Systems.

SAE J1739 Potential Failure Mode and Effects Analysis in Design (Design FMEA) and Potential Failure Mode and Effects Analysis in Manufacturing and Assembly Processes (Process FMEA) and Effects Analysis for Machinery (Machinery FMEA).

SAE J1771 Criteria for Refrigerant Identification Equipment for Use with Mobile Air-Conditioning Systems.

SAE J2196 Service Hose for Automotive Air Conditioning.

SAE J2296 Retest of Refrigerant Container.

SAE J2788 HFC-134a (R-134a) Recovery/Recycling Equipment and Recovery/Recycling/Recharging for Mobile Air-Conditioning Systems.

2.1.2 ARI Publication

Available from Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, 4100 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22203, Tel: 703-524-8800, http://www.ari.org.

ARI 700 Specifications for Fluorocarbon Refrigerants.

2.1.3 CGA Publication

Available from Compressed Gas Association, 4221 Walney Road, 5th Floor, Chantilly, VA 20151-2923, Tel: 703-788-2700, http://www.cganet.com.

CGA S-1.1 Pressure Relief Device Standard Part 1 - Cylinders for Compressed Gases.

2.1.4 DOT Specification

Available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9320.

CFR 49, Section 173.304 Shippers - General Requirements for Shipments and Packagings.

2.1.5 UL Publication

Available from Underwriters Laboratories Inc., 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2096, Tel: 847-272-8800, http://www.ul.com.

UL 1769 Cylinder Valves.

3. Specifications and General Description

3.1 The equipment must be able to recover (extract) HFC-134a (R-134a) refrigerant from a mobile A/C system per the test procedure of sections 7 and 8.

3.2 The equipment shall be suitable for use in an automotive service garage environment as defined in 6.8.

3.3 Equipment Certification

The equipment shall be certified by an EPA-listed laboratory to meet this standard. SAE J2810.

3.4 Label Requirements

The equipment shall have a label with bold type, minimum 3 mm high, saying “Design Certified by (certifying agent, EPA listed laboratory) to meet SAE J2810 for use only with HFC-134a (R-134a). If it is to be re-used in an A/C system, the refrigerant recovered with this equipment must be processed to the appropriate ARI 700 specifications or to specifications by using equipment certified to perform to SAE J2788.”

3.5 SAE J1739

Potential Failure Mode and Effects Analysis in Design (Design FMEA), Potential Failure Mode and Effects Analysis in Manufacturing and Assembly Processes (Process FMEA), and Potential Failure Mode and Effects Analysis for Machinery (Machinery FMEA) shall be applied to the design and development of service equipment.

4. Safety Requirements

4.1 The equipment must comply with applicable federal, state, and local requirements on equipment related to the handling of HFC-134a (R-134a) material. Safety precautions or notices, labels, related to the safe operation of the equipment shall also be prominently displayed on the equipment and should state “CAUTION - SHOULD BE OPERATED ONLY BY CERTIFIED PERSONNEL.” The safety identification shall be located on the front near the controls.

4.2 The equipment must comply with applicable safety standards for the electrical and mechanical systems.

5. Operating Instructions

5.1 The equipment manufacturer must provide operating instructions that include information required by SAE J639, necessary maintenance procedures, and source information for replacement parts and repair.

5.1.1 The instruction manual shall include the following information on the lubricant removed. Only new lubricant, as identified by the system manufacturer, should be replaced in the mobile A/C system. Removed lubricant from the system and/or the equipment shall be disposed of in accordance with the applicable federal, state, and local procedures and regulations.

5.2 The equipment must prominently display the manufacturer's name, address, the type of refrigerant it is designed to extract (R-134a), a service telephone number, and any items that require maintenance or replacement that affect the proper operation of the equipment. Operation manuals must cover information for complete maintenance of the equipment to assure proper operation.

5.3 The equipment manufacturer shall provide a warning in the instruction manual regarding the possibility of refrigerant contamination from hydrocarbons, leak sealants and refrigerants other than R-134a in the mobile A/C system being serviced.

5.4 Recovery equipment having refrigerant identification equipment shall meet the requirements of SAE J1771.

5.5 Recovery equipment not having refrigerant identification capability shall have instructions warning the technician that failure to verify that the system contains only R-134a potentially exposes him or her to danger from flammable refrigerants and health hazards from toxic refrigerants. The instructions also shall alert to possible contamination problems to the recovery equipment from sealants and refrigerants other than R-134a, and to the fact that a refrigerant other than R-134a would require special handling by someone with specific expertise and equipment.

6. Function Description

6.1 The equipment must be capable of continuous operation in ambient temperatures of 10 °C (50 °F) to 49 °C (120 °F). Continuous is defined as completing recovery operation with no more than a brief reset between servicing vehicles, and shall not include time delays for allowing a system to outgas (which shall be part of the recovery period provided by this standard).

6.1.1 The equipment shall demonstrate ability to recovery a minimum of 95.0% of the refrigerant from the test vehicle in 30.0 minutes or less, without prior engine operation (for previous eight hours minimum), external heating or use of any device (such as shields, reflectors, special lights, etc.), which could heat components of the system. The recovery procedure shall be based on a test at 21 °C to 24 °C (70 °F to 75 °F) ambient temperature. The test system for qualifying shall be a 1.4 kg (3.0 lbs) capacity orifice tube/accumulator system in a 2005-07 Chevrolet Suburban with front and rear A/C or the test option described in section 9.

6.1.2 The equipment shall demonstrate ability to recover a minimum of 85% of the refrigerant from the test vehicle or system of 6.1.1. in 30.0 minutes or less, at an ambient temperature of 10 °C to 13 °C (50 °F to 55 °F), subject to the same restrictions regarding engine operation and external heating.

6.1.3 During recovery operation, the equipment shall provide overfill protection so that the liquid fill of the storage container does not exceed 80% of the tank's rated volume at 21 °C (70 °F). This will ensure that the container meets Department of Transportation (DOT) Standard, CFR Title 49, section 173.304 and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

6.1.4 Portable refillable tanks or containers used in conjunction with this equipment must be labeled “HFC-134a (R-134a) and meet applicable Department of Transportation (DOT) or Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Standards, and incorporate fittings per SAE J2197.

6.1.5 The cylinder valves shall comply with the standard for cylinder valves UL 1769.

6.1.6 The pressure relief device shall comply with the Pressure Relief Device Standard Part 1 - Cylinders for Compressed Gasses CGA Pamphlet S-1.1.

6.1.7 The tank assembly shall be marked to indicate the first retest date, which shall be five years from the date of manufacture. The marking shall indicate that retest must be performed every subsequent five years. SAE J2296 provides an inspection procedure. The marking shall be in letters at least 6 mm (0.25 in) high. If ASME tanks, as defined in UL-1963, are used, they are exempt from the retest requirements.

6.2 If the marketer permits use of a refillable refrigerant tank, a method must be provided (including any necessary fittings) for transfer to a system that ensures proper handling (recycling or other, environmentally-legal disposal).

Restricting the equipment to use of non-refillable tanks eliminates compliance with this provision.

6.3 Prior to testing under this standard, the equipment must be preconditioned with a minimum of 13.6 kg of the standard contaminated HFC-134a (R-134a) at an ambient of 21 °C before starting the test cycle. Sample amounts are not to exceed 1.13 kg with sample amounts to be repeated every 5 min. The test fixture shown in Figure 1 shall be operated at 21 °C. Contaminated HFC-134a (R-134a) samples shall be processed at ambient temperatures of 10 °C and 49 °C (50 °F to 120 °F), without the equipment shutting down due to any safety devices employed in this equipment.

6.3.1 Contaminated HFC-134a (R-134a) sample shall be standard contaminated HFC-134a (R-134a) refrigerant, 13.6 kg sample size, consisting of liquid HFC-134a (R-134a) with 1300 ppm (by weight) moisture at 21 °C (70 °F) and 45 000 ppm (by weight) of oil (polyalkylene glycol oil with 46-160 cst viscosity at 40 °C) and 1000 ppm by weight of noncondensable gases (air).

6.3.2 Portable refillable containers used in conjunction with this equipment must meet applicable DOT Standards. The color of the container must be blue with a yellow top to indicate the container holds used HFC-134a (R-134a) refrigerant. The container must be permanently marked on the outside surface in black print at least 20 mm high, “CONTAMINATED HFC-134a (R-134a) - DO NOT USE, MUST BE REPROCESSED.”

Figure 1 - Test Fixture

6.3.3 The portable refillable container shall have a 1/2 in ACME thread.

6.4 Additional Storage Tank Requirements.

6.4.1 The cylinder valve shall comply with UL 1769.

6.4.2 The pressure relief device shall comply with CGA Pamphlet S-1.1.

6.5 All flexible hoses must meet SAE J2196 for service hoses.

6.6 Service hoses must have shutoff devices located at the connection points to the system being serviced to minimize introduction of noncondensable gases into the recovery equipment during connection and the release of the refrigerant during disconnection.

6.7 The equipment must be able to separate the lubricant from recovered refrigerant and accurately indicate the amount removed from the simulated automotive system during processing in 20 mL (0.7 fl oz) units.

6.7.1 The purpose of indicating the amount of lubricant removed is to ensure that a proper amount of new lubricant is returned to the mobile A/C system for compressor lubrication, if the system is to be charged with equipment meeting SAE J2788.

6.7.2 Refrigerant dissolved in this lubricant must be accounted for to prevent lubricant overcharge of the mobile A/C system.

6.8 The equipment must be capable of continuous operation in ambient temperatures of 10 °C to 49 °C (50 °F to120 °F) and comply with 6.1 to 6.4 of this standard.

6.9 For test validation, the equipment is to be operated according to the manufacturer's instructions.

7. Test Procedure A at 21 °C to 24 °C (70 °F to 75 °F).

The test vehicle (2005-2007 Chevrolet Suburban with rear A/C system - 1.4 kg/ 3.0 lb) or laboratory fixture per section 10.5 of SAE J2788, shall be prepared as for SAE J2788, section 10.3, following Steps 1, 2, 3, 4, and then the following:

7.1 Using a machine certified to SAE J2788 and with the machine on a platform scale with accuracy to within plus/minus 3.0 grams at the weight of the machine, charge the system to the vehicle manufacturer's recommended amount of refrigerant (1.4 kg-3.0 lb). The actual charge amount per the reading on the platform scale shall be used as the basis for the recovery efficiency of the recovery-only machine being tested to this standard. Run the engine (or operate test fixture with electric motor) for up to 15 minutes at up to 2000 rpm to circulate oil and refrigerant. The system then must rest for eight hours.

7.2 Place the recovery machine on the platform scale and record the weight with the hoses draped over the machine. Ambient temperature shall be within the range of 21 °C to 24 °C (70 °F to 75 °F) for this test, which shall be performed without the immediately prior engine operation permitted by SAE J2788, Section 10.3, Step No.1. The only permitted engine operation is as specified in 7.1.

7.3 Start the timer. Connect the service hoses to the system of the test vehicle and perform the recovery per the equipment manufacturer's instructions. The vehicle system's service valve cores must remain in the fittings for this procedure.

7.4 When recovery is completed, including from the service hoses if that is part of the recommended procedure, disconnect the hoses and drape over the machine. Stop the timer. The elapsed time shall be no more than 30 minutes.

7.5 Remove the oil reservoir, empty and reinstall. The platform scale shall indicate that a minimum of 95.0% of the refrigerant has been recovered, based on the charge amount indicated by the platform scale. If the machine has recovered the minimum of 95.0% within the 30.0 minutes, the next test shall be performed. If it fails this test, the marketer of the equipment must document changes to the equipment to upgrade performance before a retest is allowed. If it passes, the laboratory can proceed to Test Procedure B-10 °C to 13 °C (50 °F to 55 °F).

8. Test Procedure B at 10 °C to 13 °C (50 °F to 55 °F).

The test vehicle (2005-2007 Chevrolet Suburban front/rear A/C system (1.4 kg/3.0 lb) or test fixture per section 10.5 of SAE J2788, shall be prepared as per 7.0 and 7.1 of this standard, and then the following:

8.1 Place the recovery machine on the platform scale and record the weight with the hoses draped over the machine.

Ambient temperature at this time shall be no higher than 10 °C to13 °C (50 °F to 55 °F).

8.2 Start the timer. Connect the service hoses to the system of the test vehicle and perform the recovery per the equipment manufacturer's instructions. This also shall be performed without the immediately prior engine operation permitted by SAE J2788, section 10.4, Step No. 1. The vehicle system's service valve cores must remain in the fittings for this procedure.

8.3 When recovery is completed, including from the service hoses if that is part of the recommended procedure, disconnect the hoses and drape over the machine. Stop the timer. The elapsed time shall be no more than 30 minutes.

8.4 Remove the oil reservoir, empty and reinstall. The platform scale shall indicate that a minimum of 85.0% of the refrigerant has been recovered, based on the charge amount indicated by the platform scale. If the machine has recovered the minimum of 85.0% within the 30 minutes, it has passed the test procedure and if it meets all other requirements of this standard, it is certified.

9. Test Option

As in SAE J2788, Section 10.5, as an alternative to a 2005-2007 Chevrolet Suburban with rear A/C (1.4 kg-3.0 lb) system, a laboratory test fixture may be used to certify to SAE J2810 the fixture must be composed entirely of all the original equipment parts of a single model year for the 1.4 kg (3.0 lb) capacity system. All parts must be those OE-specified for one model year system and no parts may be eliminated or bypassed from the chosen system or reproduced from a non-OE source. No parts may be added and/or relocated from the OE position in the 2005-07 Suburban. No parts may be modified in any way that could affect system performance for testing under this standard, except adding refrigerant line bends and/or loops to make the system more compact. Reducing the total length of the lines, however, is not permitted.

The fixture systems for this standard shall not be powered by an electric motor during recovery, although a motor can be used, run at a speed not to exceed 2000 rpm, as part of the preparatory process, including installation of the charge.

[73 FR 34647, June 18, 2008]

Appendix D to Subpart F of Part 82 - Standards for Becoming a Certifying Program for Technicians

40:21.0.1.1.1.6.1.15.26 : Appendix D

Appendix D to Subpart F of Part 82 - Standards for Becoming a Certifying Program for Technicians

a. Test Preparation. Technicians must pass an EPA-approved test, provided by an EPA-approved certifying program to be certified as a Type I technician. Organizations providing Type I certification only may choose either an on-site format or a mail-in format similar to what is permitted under the MVACs program.

Technicians must pass a closed-book, proctored test, administered in a secure environment, by an EPA-approved certifying program to be certified as a Type II or Type III technician.

Technicians must pass a closed-book, proctored test (or series of tests), administered in a secure environment, by an EPA-approved certifying program to be certified as a Universal technician. Mail-in format Type I tests cannot be used toward a Universal certification.

Each certifying program must assemble tests by choosing a prescribed subset from the EPA test bank. EPA will have a test bank with more questions than are needed for an individual test, which will enable the certifying program to generate multiple tests in order to discourage cheating. Each test must include 25 questions drawn from Group 1 and 25 questions drawn from each relevant technical Group. Tests for Universal technicians will include 100 questions (25 from Group 1 and 25 from each relevant technical Group). Universal tests may be taken all at once, or by combining passing scores on separate Type I, Type II, and Type III tests. Questions should be divided in order to sufficiently cover each topic within the Group.

Certifying programs must provide a paper hand-out or electronic form of communication to technicians after they have completed their certification test that contains the following information:

- Which certifying program is providing the testing; - Contact information for the certifying program; - The name and contact information of the proctor; and - When they should expect to receive their score and, if they passed, their certification card.

Each certifying program must show a method of randomly choosing which questions will be on the tests. Multiple versions of the test must be used during each testing event. Test answer sheets must include the name and address of the applicant, the name and address of the certifying program, and the date and location at which the test was administered.

Training material accompanying mail-in Type I tests must not include sample test questions mimicking the language of the certification test. All mail-in material will be subject to review by EPA.

Certifying programs may charge individuals reasonable fees for the administration of the tests. EPA will publish a list of all approved certifying programs.

b. Proctoring. A certifying program for Type I (if in-person), Type II, Type III, and Universal technicians must designate at least one proctor registered for every 50 people taking tests at the same time at a given site.

The certification test for Type I (if taken as part of a Universal certification), Type II, Type III, and Universal technicians is a closed-book exam. The proctors must ensure that the applicants for certification do not use any notes or training materials during testing. Desks or work space must be placed in a way that discourages cheating. The space and physical facilities are to be conducive to continuous surveillance by the proctors and monitors during testing.

The proctor may not receive any benefit from the outcome of the testing other than a fee for proctoring. Proctors cannot know in advance which questions are on the tests they are proctoring.

Proctors are required to verify the identity of individuals taking the test by examining photo identification. Acceptable forms of identification include but are not limited to drivers' licenses, government identification cards, passports, and military identification.

Certifying programs for Type I technicians using the mail-in format, must take sufficient measures at the test site to ensure that tests are completed honestly by each technician. Each test for Type I certification must provide a means of verifying the identification of the individual taking the test. Acceptable forms of identification include but are not limited to drivers' licenses and passports.

c. Test Security. A certifying program must demonstrate the ability to ensure the confidentiality and security of the test questions and answer keys through strict accountability procedures. An organization interested in developing a technician certification program will be required to describe these test security procedures to EPA.

After the completion of a test, proctors must collect all test forms, answer sheets, scratch paper and notes. These items are to be placed in a sealed envelope.

d. Test Content. All Type I, Type II and Type III, certification tests will include 25 questions from Group I and 25 questions from Group II. Universal certification tests will include 25 questions from Group I and 75 questions from Group II (with 25 from each of the three sector-specific areas).

Group I will ask questions in the following areas:

1. Environmental impact of CFCs, HCFCs, and substitute refrigerants 2. Laws and regulations 3. Changing industry outlook

Group II will ask questions covering sector-specific (i.e., Type I, Type II, Type III) issues in the following areas:

4. Leak detection 5. Recovery Techniques 6. Safety 7. Shipping 8. Disposal

e. Grading. Tests must be graded objectively. Certifying programs must inform the applicant of their test results no later than 30 days from the date of the test. Type I certifying programs using the mail-in format must notify the applicants of their test results no later than 30 days from the date the certifying programs received the completed test and any required documentation.

The passing score for the closed-book Type I, Type II, Type III and Universal certification test is 70 percent. The passing score for Type I certification tests using the mail-in format is 84 percent.

f. Proof of Certification. Certifying programs must issue a standard wallet-sized identification card no later than 30 days from the date of the test. Type I certifying programs using mail-in formats must issue cards to certified technicians no later than 30 days from the date the certifying program receives the completed test and any required documentation.

Each wallet-sized identification card must include, at a minimum, the name of the certifying program including the date the certifying program received EPA approval, the name of the person certified, the type of certification, a unique number for the certified person that does not include a technician's social security number, and the following text:

[name of person] has successfully passed a [Type I, Type II, Type III and/or Universal - as appropriate] exam on how to responsibly handle refrigerants as required by EPA's National Recycling and Emissions Reduction Program.

g. Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements. Certifying programs must maintain records of the names and addresses of all individuals taking the tests, the scores of all certification tests administered, and the dates and locations of all tests administered. These records must be maintained indefinitely, unless transferred to another certifying program or EPA.

EPA must receive an activity report from all approved certifying programs by every January 30 and July 30, which covers the previous six months of certifications. The first report must be submitted following the first full six-month period for which the program has been approved by EPA. This report includes the pass/fail rate. If the certifying program believes a test bank question needs to be modified, information about that question should also be included.

Approved certifying programs will receive a letter of approval from EPA. Each testing center must display a copy of that letter at their place of business.

Approved technician certification programs that voluntarily plan to stop providing the certification test must forward all records required by this appendix and § 82.161 to another program currently approved by EPA in accordance with this appendix and with § 82.161. Approved technician certification programs that receive records of certified technicians from a program that no longer offers the certification test, and the program that is voluntarily withdrawing from being a technician certification program must inform EPA at the address listed in § 82.160 within 30 days of receiving or transferring these records. The notification must include the name and address of the program to which the records have been transferred. If another currently approved program willing to accept the records cannot be located, these records must be submitted to EPA at the address listed at § 82.160.

Technician certification programs that have had their certification revoked in accordance with § 82.169 must forward all records required by this appendix and § 82.161 to EPA at the address listed in § 82.160. Failure to do so is a violation of 40 CFR part 82, subpart F.

h. Additional Requirements. EPA may periodically inspect testing sites to ensure compliance with EPA regulations. If testing center discrepancies are found, they must be corrected within a specified time period. If discrepancies are not corrected, EPA may suspend or revoke the certifying program's approval. The inspections will include but are not limited to a review of the certifying program's provisions for test security, the availability of space and facilities to conduct the administrative requirements and ensure the security of the tests, the availability of adequate testing facilities and spacing of the applicants during testing, a review of the proper procedures regarding accountability, and that there is no evidence of misconduct on the part of the certifying programs, their representatives and proctors, or the applicants for certification.

If the certifying programs offer training or provide review materials to the applicants, these endeavors are to be considered completely separate from the administration of the certification test.

[81 FR 82390, Nov. 18, 2016]

Appendix D to Subpart G of Part 82 - Substitutes Subject to Use Restrictions and Unacceptable Substitutes

40:21.0.1.1.1.7.1.9.31 : Appendix D

Appendix D to Subpart G of Part 82 - Substitutes Subject to Use Restrictions and Unacceptable Substitutes Summary of Decisions Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector Acceptable Subject to Use Conditions

R-406A/“GHG”/“McCool”, “GHG-HP”, “GHG-X4”/“Autofrost”/“Chill-It”, and “Hot Shot”/“Kar Kool” are acceptable substitutes for CFC-12 in retrofitted motor vehicle air conditioning systems (MVACs) subject to the use condition that a retrofit to these refrigerants must include replacing non-barrier hoses with barrier hoses.

For all refrigerants submitted for use in motor vehicle air conditioning systems, subsequent to the effective date of this FRM, in addition to the information previously required in the March 18, 1994 final SNAP rule (58 FR 13044), SNAP submissions must include specifications for the fittings similar to those found in SAE J639, samples of all fittings, and the detailed label described below at the same time as the initial SNAP submission, or the submission will be considered incomplete. Under section 612 of the Clean Air Act, substitutes for which submissions are incomplete may not be sold or used, regardless of other acceptability determinations, and the prohibition against sale of a new refrigerant will not end until 90 days after EPA determines the submission is complete.

In addition, the use of a) R-406A/“GHG”/“McCool”, “HCFC Blend Lambda”/“GHG-HP”, R-414A/“HCFC Blend Xi”/“GHG-X4/“Autofrost”/“Chill-It”, R-414B/“Hot Shot”/“Kar Kool”, and R-416A/“HCFC Blend Beta”/“FREEZE 12” as CFC-12 substitutes in retrofitted MVACs, and b) all refrigerants submitted for, and listed in, subsequent Notices of Acceptability as substitutes for CFC-12 in MVACs, must meet the following conditions.

1. Each refrigerant may only be used with a set of fittings that is unique to that refrigerant. These fittings (male or female, as appropriate) must be designed by the manufacturer of the refrigerant. The manufacturer is responsible to ensure that the fittings meet all of the requirements listed below, including testing according to SAE standards. These fittings must be designed to mechanically prevent cross-charging with another refrigerant, including CFC-12.

The fittings must be used on all containers of the refrigerant, on can taps, on recovery, recycling, and charging equipment, and on all air conditioning system service ports. A refrigerant may only be used with the fittings and can taps specifically intended for that refrigerant and designed by the manufacturer of the refrigerant. Using a refrigerant with a fitting designed by anyone else, even if it is different from fittings used with other refrigerants, is a violation of this use condition. Using an adapter or deliberately modifying a fitting to use a different refrigerant is a violation of this use condition.

Fittings shall meet the following criteria, derived from Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards and recommended practices:

a. When existing CFC-12 service ports are retrofitted, conversion assemblies shall attach to the CFC-12 fitting with a thread lock adhesive and/or a separate mechanical latching mechanism in a manner that permanently prevents the assembly from being removed.

b. All conversion assemblies and new service ports must satisfy the vibration testing requirements of section 3.2.1 or 3.2.2 of SAE J1660, as applicable, excluding references to SAE J639 and SAE J2064, which are specific to HFC-134a.

c. In order to prevent discharge of refrigerant to the atmosphere, systems shall have a device to limit compressor operation before the pressure relief device will vent refrigerant.

d. All CFC-12 service ports not retrofitted with conversion assemblies shall be rendered permanently incompatible for use with CFC-12 related service equipment by fitting with a device attached with a thread lock adhesive and/or a separate mechanical latching mechanism in a manner that prevents the device from being removed.

2. When a retrofit is performed, a label must be used as follows:

a. The person conducting the retrofit must apply a label to the air conditioning system in the engine compartment that contains the following information:

i. The name and address of the technician and the company performing the retrofit.

ii. The date of the retrofit.

iii. The trade name, charge amount, and, when applicable, the ASHRAE refrigerant numerical designation of the refrigerant.

iv. The type, manufacturer, and amount of lubricant used.

v. If the refrigerant is or contains an ozone-depleting substance, the phrase “ozone depleter”.

vi. If the refrigerant displays flammability limits as measured according to ASTM E681, the statement “This refrigerant is FLAMMABLE. Take appropriate precautions.”

b. The label must be large enough to be easily read and must be permanent.

c. The background color must be unique to the refrigerant.

d. The label must be affixed to the system over information related to the previous refrigerant, in a location not normally replaced during vehicle repair.

e. In accordance with SAE J639, testing of labels must meet ANSI/UL 969-1991.

f. Information on the previous refrigerant that cannot be covered by the new label must be rendered permanently unreadable.

3. No substitute refrigerant may be used to “top-off” a system that uses another refrigerant. The original refrigerant must be recovered in accordance with regulations issued under section 609 of the CAA prior to charging with a substitute.