FAQ

EPA Section 608 HVAC Type I certification certifies you to work on unitary small appliances containing five pounds or less of refrigerant. 608 HVAC Type II certification certifies you to work on the high-pressure and very high-pressure appliance which includes split systems and all other non-automotive systems not covered under the category of the unitary small appliance or low-pressure appliance. 608 HVAC Type III certification certifies you to work on low-pressure appliances, such as chillers. 609 MVAC certification is required to work on Motor Vehicle A/C units.

No, it is not. The EPA is an U.S. agency and therefore is only valid in the U.S.

If you get a 608 certification (Type I, Type II, Type II, or Universal), you can buy any refrigerant sold in an HVAC/R store in containers of 20 pounds or more. If you get 609 certification you can buy any refrigerant sold in an automotive supply house in any size container, however, these stores typically only sell R-12, R-134a and replacement blends for R-12.

Those certifications require you to show proof of EPA 608 Certification. Your exam status is “PASSED” because our system could not find record of your 608 certification. You may either fax a legible photocopy of your certification to Mainstream at (321) 631-3552 or if you are not yet 608 certified, successfully pass our Section 608 Type I, II, or III certification exam and your status will automatically show “CERTIFIED”.

When you connect to the EPA Test site, you will notice that your browser will indicate that it’s talking with a secure server (note the locked key or lock on your browser). Our Web Server uses the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, a security protocol that provides privacy over the Internet. The protocol allows client/server applications to communicate in a way that cannot be eavesdropped. Our server site is registered with a Certificate Authority (CA), in this case VeriSign, so that you know who you are connecting to. Once we get your credit card information, it is validated through VeriSign. VeriSign encrypts your card information using highly secure 128-bit public key encryption technology. Mainstream Engineering Corporation is utilizing these widely available technologies to guarantee the privacy of your information. If you still have questions or concerns, please e-mail us at info@epatest.com.

Yes. If you would like to pay with a personal check or money order, proceed as though you are going to take a test online now but when you get to the payment options screen select pay by check or money order and follow the directions you are given.

Yes, you can find Mainstream Engineering as an approved organization on the EPA’s website for Section 608 Technician Certification Programs.

The EPA Ozone Protection Hotline toll-free number is (800) 296-1996

608 HVAC Type I certification certifies you to work on unitary small appliances containing five pounds or less of refrigerant. 608 HVAC Type II certification certifies you to work on high-pressure and very high-pressure appliance which includes split systems and all other non-automotive systems not covered under the category of unitary small appliance or low-pressure appliance. 608 HVAC Type III certification certifies you to work on low-pressure appliances, such as chillers. 609 MVAC certification is required to work on Motor Vehicle A/C units.

Technicians receiving a passing grade on the Type I (small appliance) examination are certified to recover refrigerant during the maintenance, service or repair of packaged terminal air conditioners with 5 pounds or less or refrigerant. Only Type I or Universal certified technicians can recover refrigerant from these units. The Type I certification is available in an open-book exam, as well as the closed book format. To become Type I Certified you must pass the Core and Type I sections of the 608 exam.

Technicians receiving a passing grade on the Type II (medium-, high-, and very high-pressure) examination are certified to recover refrigerant during the maintenance, service or repair of high-pressure equipment (Medium-Pressure R-12, R-114, R-134a, R-401A and R-500; High-Pressure R-22, R-502, R-402A, R-402B, R-404A, R-407A, R-407B, R-407C, and R-410A; and Very-High-Pressure R-13, R-23, and R-503). Only Type II or Universal certified technicians can recover refrigerant from these units. To become Type II Certified you must pass the Core and Type II sections of the 608 exam.

Technicians receiving a passing grade on the Type III (low-pressure appliance) examination are certified to recover refrigerant during the maintenance, service or repair of low-pressure equipment (CFC-11, HCFC-123). Only Type III or Universal certified technicians can recover refrigerant from these units. To become Type III Certified you must pass the Core and Type III sections of the 608 exam.

Yes, you can find Mainstream Engineering as an approved organization on the EPA’s website for Section 609 Technician Training and Certification Programs.

Since January 1, 1993, any person, repairing or servicing motor vehicle air conditioners shall certify, to the EPA that such person has acquired, and is properly using, approved equipment, and that each individual authorized to use the equipment is properly trained and certified under Section 609 of the Clean Air Act.

Only Section 609 Certified Motor Vehicle A/C technicians can purchase refrigerants in any size container from an auto supply house for use in cooling the passenger compartment of vehicles.

Section 609 certification is required for working on MVAC systems while Section 608 certification is required for working on non-motor vehicle air conditioning systems. Note that 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 which use HCFC-22 refrigerant.

No. The EPA does not require that automotive A/C system leaks be fixed. However, states or municipalities can pass such laws requiring leaks to be fixed. For example, the state of Wisconsin, the cities of Austin, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico, and parts of southern California have and may still require that A/C system leaks be fixed.

The EPA does require the repair of certain large commercial and Industrial refrigeration systems that have major leaks.

Automakers are producing new vehicles with R-134a, which does not deplete the ozone layer. EPA evaluates all substitutes for CFC-12 under its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program in order to determine if they pose any risk to human health or to the environment. Currently, among the alternatives listed as acceptable subject to use conditions, R-134a is the only one which also has been fully tested and specified by automakers in their guidelines.

Although EPA’s SNAP program ONLY determines what risks an alternative poses to human health and the environment and not whether the refrigerant will operate properly in your car! The EPA does not determine whether the alternative refrigerant will provide adequate performance or will be compatible with the components of your a/c system.

R-410A Certification is a certification offered by Mainstream to allow you to demonstrate that you have received additional training in the handling, servicing, and recovery of R-410A equipment.

You are required to have an EPA Section 608 Type II or Universal certification license to handle R-410A but no license is legally necessary for purchase. A refrigeration supply house may have its own rules regarding who they are willing to sell R-410A to (they will typically require Section 608 Type II even though the EPA doesn’t require it for safety and liability reasons).

No. R-410A Certification is not required by the EPA however some equipment manufacturers require certification when handling their R-410A equipment to avoid injury or accidental damage.

Yes. If you have used Mainstream’s Section 608 self-study course, R-410A training is included. However, our FREE R-410A Certification goes into greater detail and better prepares technicians to safely work with R-410A and R-410A appliances.

The color for the R-410A cylinder should be pink, not light gray as previously noted.

Both Puron and Suva 410A are marketing brands for ASHRAE R-410A refrigerant. Puron is Carrier Corporation’s brand name and Suva 410A is the DuPont brand for R-410A. Both have the same chemical composition and can be used interchangeably.

NO! Because of the much higher discharge pressure and cooling capacity, R-410A should ONLY be used in equipment designed specifically for R-410A.

Yes. Because of the higher pressure, you should use manifold gauge sets designed for R-410A. In addition, you should use a recovery machine and recovery tanks designed for the higher pressure of R-410A. Recovery tanks should be specified as DOT 4BA400 or 4BW400.

PM Tech Certification is a certification offered by Mainstream to allow you to demonstrate that you have received additional training which covers all aspects of acid and moisture detection, acid removal, water removal, compressor maintenance, coil maintenance, proper refrigeration charging techniques, advanced diagnosis, and leak testing procedures.

Preventive Maintenance Technician.

No. PM Tech Certification is an optional certification that was created by Mainstream to increase industry awareness of best-practice service techniques.

Below are the three levels of PM Tech certification along with the requirements for each. Every technician is Apprentice by default (unless you have a higher IAQ certification level you have already provided proof for):

• Apprentice PM Tech Certification
  • EPA Section 608 certification from Mainstream or any other EPA-approved testing organization and must be faxed or mailed in to Mainstream of not Mainstream certified.
  • Successfully completing the PM Tech exam with a score of 84% or better.
• Journeyman PM Tech Certification
  • All the requirements of the Apprentice PM Tech (above)
  • At least 5 years verifiable experience in the HVAC/R trades, documentation to substantiate this experience is required and may be faxed or mailed in to Mainstream.
• Master PM Tech Certification
  • All the requirements of the Apprentice PM Tech (above)
  • At least 10 years verifiable experience in the HVAC/R trades, documentation to substantiate this experience is required and may be faxed or mailed in to Mainstream.

In the last several years, a growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air. It is also clear that HVAC systems are the primary mechanism to condition and clean the air in buildings. Clearly, the HVAC Technician, after being trained in IAQ matters, is the individual best suited to service, adjust, inspect, and clean the HVAC’s network of ducting, heat exchangers, condensate pans, humidifiers and blowers. With this in mind, this training program was developed.

No. IAQ Certification is an optional certification that was created by Mainstream to train HVAC technicians to address and treat indoor air pollution problems.

Below are the three levels of IAQ certification along with the requirements for each. Every technician is Apprentice by default (unless you have a higher PM Tech certification level you have already provided proof for):

• Apprentice IAQ Certification
  • EPA Section 608 certification from Mainstream or any other EPA-approved testing organization and must be faxed or mailed in to Mainstream of not Mainstream certified
  • Successfully completing the IAQ Tech exam with a score of 84% or better.
• Journeyman IAQ Certification
  • All the requirements of the Apprentice IAQ Tech (above)
  • At least 5 years verifiable experience in the HVAC/R trades, documentation to substantiate this experience is required and may be faxed or mailed in to Mainstream.
• Master IAQ Certification
  • All the requirements of the Apprentice IAQ Tech (above)
  • At least 10 years verifiable experience in the HVAC/R trades, documentation to substantiate this experience is required and may be faxed or mailed in to Mainstream.