EPA Regulations

Anyone who maintains, services, or repairs motor vehicle air conditioners (MVACs) for compensation (of any kind) must be appropriately certified as Section 609 MVAC technicians; moreover, that individual must use approved refrigerant-handling equipment. Mainstream Engineering offers the MVAC Section 609 training and certification exam. The MVAC certification is a 25-question, open-book exam.

Section 609 Certification allows the purchase of any refrigerant in any size container from an auto supply house for use in cooling the passenger compartment of vehicles.

MVAC is defined as mechanical vapor compression refrigeration equipment used to cool driver or passenger compartments of any motor vehicle. This definition is NOT intended to encompass the hermetically sealed refrigeration system used on motor vehicles for refrigerated cargo or the air conditioning systems on passenger buses that use HCFC-22 refrigerant. Therefore, Section 609 certification is required to work on MVAC systems, while Section 608 certification is required to work on non-motor vehicle air conditioning systems. Section 608 certification is required for working on hermetically sealed refrigeration systems used on motor vehicles for refrigerated cargo or the air conditioning systems on passenger buses that use HCFC-22 refrigerant.

The EPA approves Mainstream Engineering as a certifying agency for 609 MVAC Technician Certification and 608 Type I, II, III, and Universal HVAC Technician Certification Exams.