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7.10 - Practice Questions Set 1

Module: Type I Small Appliances
Format: 25-question closed-book EPA 608-style Type I practice set
Regulatory verification date: August 11, 2026
Purpose: Provide one complete Type I practice attempt covering the major small-appliance classification, recovery, access, recovery-technique, safety, service, and disposal concepts developed in Sections 7.1-7.8.

Instructions

Select the one best answer for each question.

Read every choice before answering. Pay particular attention to words such as not, most, best, before, after, minimum, and required.

Complete this set without notes or the answer file if you are using it as a readiness check.

These are original EPA 608-style practice questions. They are not actual, leaked, or official EPA or certifying-provider examination questions.

Question 1

Which appliance MOST clearly meets the Section 608 definition of a small appliance?

A. A 4-pound residential split-system air conditioner whose indoor and outdoor refrigerant lines are connected in the field

B. A factory-manufactured, factory-charged, hermetically sealed drinking-water cooler containing 5 pounds of refrigerant

C. A factory-sealed freezer designed for a 6-pound full charge

D. A passenger-car air-conditioning system containing 2 pounds of refrigerant

Question 2

A compact air-conditioning system contains only 3 pounds of refrigerant, but its refrigerant piping is assembled and connected at the installation site. Which statement is MOST accurate?

A. The 3-pound charge automatically makes it a Type I small appliance.

B. Any appliance below 5 pounds is Type I if it uses a high-pressure refrigerant.

C. The appliance must be Type III because it was field connected.

D. The charge alone is not enough; the complete small-appliance definition also requires factory manufacture, factory charging, and factory hermetic sealing.

Question 3

Under the Type I percentage-recovery pathway, which condition calls for 80 percent recovery regardless of whether the appliance compressor is functioning?

A. Recovery equipment manufactured before November 15, 1993

B. Recovery equipment manufactured on or after November 15, 1993

C. Any self-contained recovery machine with a working compressor

D. Any appliance containing exactly 5 pounds of refrigerant

Question 4

A small appliance has an inoperative compressor. Recovery equipment manufactured in 2024 is being used. The technician recovers 80 percent of the refrigerant. Which statement is correct?

A. At least 90 percent must be recovered because the recovery machine is newer than 1993.

B. Only 50 percent is required when the appliance compressor has failed.

C. The percentage requirement has been met for this compressor condition.

D. No recovery is required when the appliance compressor cannot run.

Question 5

Instead of using a percentage-recovery endpoint, a technician may satisfy the small-appliance recovery requirement by evacuating the appliance to:

A. 0 psig

B. 10 inches of Hg vacuum in every case

C. 4 inches of Hg vacuum

D. 500 microns

Question 6

A system-dependent recovery device is connected to a small appliance whose compressor is operative. What should the technician do with the appliance compressor during recovery?

A. Keep it off because any compressor operation is prohibited during recovery.

B. Operate it so it can assist refrigerant movement.

C. Remove it before beginning recovery.

D. Run it only after the recovery container is disconnected.

Question 7

When the appliance compressor is operating during a conventional system-dependent recovery procedure, refrigerant is commonly removed from which side because the compressor helps move refrigerant in that direction?

A. The low side only

B. The capillary tube outlet only

C. The compressor electrical terminal compartment

D. The high side

Question 8

A small-appliance compressor is inoperative and a system-dependent recovery method is being used. Which access arrangement is required for effective recovery of refrigerant trapped on both sides of the system?

A. Both high-side and low-side access

B. High-side access only

C. Low-side access only

D. No access fittings are needed

Question 9

During failed-compressor recovery, controlled heating and sharply tapping the compressor are used primarily to:

A. Break the compressor shell so refrigerant escapes faster

B. Help release refrigerant trapped in the compressor and oil so it can move toward the recovery path

C. Increase the refrigerant charge before recovery

D. Convert a system-dependent device into a self-contained recovery machine

Question 10

Which arrangement is specifically associated with a Type I system-dependent recovery method for a small appliance with an inoperative compressor?

A. A vacuum pump exhausting refrigerant directly outdoors

B. A disposable refrigerant cylinder connected as a reusable recovery cylinder

C. An oxygen cylinder used to force refrigerant from the appliance

D. A vacuum pump used with a nonpressurized recovery container as part of the appropriate recovery arrangement

Question 11

At the conclusion of service, which statement BEST describes a process stub and a temporary solderless piercing fitting?

A. The temporary fitting should normally be removed, while the process stub is tubing that can be properly resealed after service.

B. The piercing fitting becomes the permanent process stub and should always remain installed.

C. Both items should be left open so the appliance cannot become pressurized.

D. The process stub is an electrical connection and is unaffected by refrigerant service.

Question 12

A technician has several possible locations for a temporary piercing access fitting. Which location should be avoided?

A. A sound, straight section of compatible service tubing

B. A manufacturer-provided process stub suitable for service access

C. A capillary tube or damaged, sharply bent section of tubing

D. A sound tubing section that matches the fitting’s specified diameter and material

Question 13

A recovery cylinder containing a known refrigerant has stabilized at a known temperature. Its measured pressure is substantially higher than the saturation pressure expected from the pressure-temperature relationship. After confirming the refrigerant identity and instrument accuracy, what should be suspected?

A. The cylinder must be empty.

B. The appliance compressor must be operating.

C. The refrigerant has no vapor pressure.

D. Noncondensable gas may be present.

Question 14

Why should a torch or other uncontrolled high-temperature source NOT be used to heat a charged refrigerant component during recovery?

A. Refrigerant cannot absorb heat above room temperature.

B. High temperature can decompose refrigerant and create hazardous decomposition products, and some refrigerants also present ignition hazards.

C. Heating always converts refrigerant into oxygen.

D. EPA requires every small appliance to remain below freezing during recovery.

Question 15

A portable recovery machine removes refrigerant even though the appliance compressor is electrically disconnected and provides no assistance. Which feature of the recovery machine makes this possible?

A. It depends on the appliance evaporator fan for refrigerant movement.

B. It uses the recovery cylinder color to create pressure difference.

C. It has an independent refrigerant-moving mechanism and therefore operates as self-contained recovery equipment.

D. It turns the appliance process stub into a compressor.

Question 16

When connecting the outlet of a self-contained recovery machine to a reusable recovery cylinder, which rule should control the cylinder-port selection?

A. Use the cylinder port specified by the recovery-machine manufacturer for the selected procedure.

B. Always use the vapor port, regardless of the recovery-machine instructions.

C. Always use the liquid port, regardless of the recovery-machine instructions.

D. Select the port only by matching the hose color.

Question 17

A recovery machine stops on its high-pressure safety control. Which action should NEVER be used as the remedy?

A. Stop and determine why discharge pressure is excessive.

B. Verify the recovery cylinder temperature, fill condition, and flow path.

C. Correct restrictions or other causes before restarting the machine.

D. Defeat or bypass the high-pressure safety control so recovery can continue.

Question 18

Two otherwise similar recovery setups are operating under the same conditions, but one uses a safely cooled recovery cylinder. Why may that setup operate with lower recovery-machine discharge pressure?

A. Cooling increases the refrigerant’s saturation pressure.

B. Cooling lowers the cylinder’s refrigerant pressure and reduces back pressure on the recovery machine.

C. Cooling removes the cylinder’s allowable fill limit.

D. Cooling converts noncondensables into liquid refrigerant.

Question 19

A recovery machine has just been used with one refrigerant and will next be used with a different refrigerant. Which practice BEST reduces cross-contamination?

A. Follow the machine manufacturer’s clearing procedure and use an appropriate identified recovery cylinder for the next refrigerant.

B. Add both refrigerants to the same cylinder so the machine does not need clearing.

C. Vent the refrigerant remaining in the machine to atmosphere.

D. Rely on cylinder paint color alone to identify the next refrigerant.

Question 20

A small appliance has an unreadable nameplate and its refrigerant is unknown. Before connecting it to a clean recovery cylinder containing a known refrigerant, the technician should FIRST:

A. Assume the appliance contains R-134a because it is a small appliance.

B. Smell a released sample of refrigerant.

C. Identify the refrigerant using reliable appliance information, pressure-temperature behavior, or analysis as appropriate.

D. Mix the unknown refrigerant with the known refrigerant and identify the mixture later.

Question 21

A small appliance contains a flammable refrigerant. Before using a recovery machine, the technician should verify that the machine is:

A. Any machine that was previously used for R-22.

B. Approved and suitable for that refrigerant and its applicable safety requirements.

C. Connected to a disposable refrigerant cylinder.

D. Operated near an open flame to keep the refrigerant vaporized.

Question 22

A technician recovers refrigerant from one stationary appliance and plans to use it in another stationary appliance owned by the same customer. Which statement is MOST accurate?

A. The refrigerant must be sold to a different owner before it can be reused.

B. The refrigerant must be intentionally vented and replaced with virgin refrigerant.

C. Same-owner reuse is allowed only for MVACs and MVAC-like appliances.

D. Section 608 allows recovered refrigerant to be returned to another appliance owned by the same person without first requiring recycling or reclamation, subject to the applicable exclusions and service requirements.

Question 23

A final processor receives a refrigerator and relies on a signed statement that prior refrigerant recovery was completed. The statement lists the recoverer’s name and the recovery date but not the recoverer’s address. What is the BEST conclusion?

A. The statement is complete because the address is optional.

B. A sticker on the refrigerator automatically supplies the missing information.

C. The statement is incomplete because the recoverer’s name, address, and recovery date are required.

D. No verification is needed for a refrigerator entering the disposal stream intact.

Question 24

A scrap recycler regularly accepts intact small appliances for final processing. What must the recycler communicate to suppliers of those appliances?

A. Refrigerant must be properly recovered before delivery to the facility.

B. Every supplier must become a Universal technician.

C. Every appliance must arrive with its refrigerant lines deliberately cut.

D. Refrigerant recovery is optional if the appliance is no longer operating.

Question 25

Which refrigerant is identified in EPA Type I test topics as a likely substitute for R-12 in small-appliance applications?

A. R-11

B. R-134a

C. R-123

D. R-717

References

Current Regulatory and EPA Sources

Practice-Style References Reviewed

  • International Training Institute, EPA Section 608 Study Guide, Type I section and practice-quiz style.
  • Rex Miller and Mark R. Miller, HVAC Licensing Study Guide, 3rd ed., multiple-choice examination and test-taking style.