The Refrigerant Compliance Glossary

The charge size at which AIM Act Subpart C obligations attach. Appliances holding 15 pounds or more of an HFC — or of a substitute with a GWP above 53 — became subject to leak repair, leak inspection, recordkeeping, and reporting on January 1, 2026. Residential and light commercial AC and heat pumps are exempt. Section 608’s comparable threshold, for

The specific body of federal regulation that implements Section 608, titled “Recycling and Emissions Reduction.” Contains the definitions, leak repair steps, certification rules, and recordkeeping duties.

A refrigerant classified as lower toxicity and mildly flammable under ASHRAE Standard 34. R-32 and R-454B are the common commercial examples, both replacing R-410A in new equipment.

A vessel on the suction line that traps liquid refrigerant and returns it to the compressor as vapor, protecting against liquid floodback.

The industry purity specification for fluorocarbon refrigerants, defining allowable moisture, acid, non-condensables, and other contaminants. EPA requires reclaimed refrigerant to meet it.

A 2020 federal law directing EPA to phase down HFC production and consumption, restrict high-GWP refrigerants in new equipment, and manage refrigerant in existing equipment. Its management rules apply to appliances holding 15 pounds or more of an HFC or a substitute with a GWP above 53.

The concentrations or loss quantities at which an ALD must alert — 100 ppm for direct detection, and 50 pounds or 10% of full charge for indirect.

Under AIM Act Subpart C, either calculate the leak rate within 30 days (120 for industrial process) and follow the full repair provisions if it is above threshold, or repair preemptively before adding refrigerant and then calculate.

A tradable federal authorization to produce or import one exchange-value-weighted metric ton of HFCs. Producers and importers must hold allowances covering everything they put into the market.

A yearly submission covering the prior calendar year’s refrigerant activity. Dates differ by jurisdiction — March 1 for California and federal chronic-leak reports, March 15 for Washington, March 31 for New York, April 1 for New Jersey.

A leak-rate calculation that projects a single refrigerant addition across a full year, dividing the amount added by full charge and scaling by the days elapsed since the previous addition, capped at 365. It answers “if this loss rate continued for a year, how much would we lose?”

Any device containing and using a refrigerant for cooling, heating, or dehumidifying. Each independent refrigerant circuit in a multi-circuit system counts as a separate appliance.

An exemption allowing an uncertified apprentice to work under the supervision of a certified technician for up to two years.

The standard that assigns each refrigerant a designation number and a safety class combining toxicity (A = lower, B = higher) and flammability (1 = none, 2L = mild, 2 = flammable, 3 = higher flammability). R-410A is A1; R-454B is A2L; ammonia is B2L.

The parent-child structure organizing assets — portfolio to site to building to system to component — so that work and cost roll up meaningfully.

The authoritative list of equipment at a site, with location, make and model, serial number, refrigerant type, full charge, install date, and service history.

A durable physical label — barcode, QR code, or NFC — that identifies a specific asset so a technician can pull up the right record in the field.

A defensible chain of records showing who did what to which appliance, when, with how much refrigerant, and what the resulting leak rate was — with the calculation method identified and unchanged across the facility.

A permanently installed system that continuously monitors for refrigerant loss and alerts on it, either by sensing refrigerant in air (direct) or by inferring loss from system behavior (indirect). Direct systems must detect at 10 ppm and alert at 100 ppm; indirect systems must alert at a loss of 50 pounds or 10% of full charge, whichever is less.

A blend that evaporates and condenses at essentially a single temperature, behaving like a pure refrigerant. Identified by 500-series numbers such as R-500 and R-507A.

Applying a soap solution to a suspected joint and watching for bubbles under pressure. Simple, cheap, and effective on accessible fittings.

CARB’s program for facilities with refrigeration or AC systems over 50 pounds, requiring registration, tiered leak inspections, 14-day standard repair, annual March 1 reporting, and 5-year recordkeeping. California layers additional HFC sales restrictions and corporate emissions disclosure on top of it.

Forecasting and budgeting equipment replacement across a portfolio using age, condition, criticality, and regulatory exposure.

The California Air Resources Board, the state agency that writes and enforces California’s refrigerant management, HFC restriction, and emissions disclosure rules.

Two refrigeration circuits in series, where the high-stage circuit rejects heat for the low-stage circuit. Common in low-temperature applications, often CO2 on the low side with an HFC or ammonia high side.

A large chiller using a centrifugal compressor, typically 200 tons and up, common in campuses, hospitals, and high-rises. Often runs low-pressure refrigerants such as R-123 or R-514A, or R-134a.

A person holding a valid EPA Section 608 certification of the type appropriate to the equipment. Only certified technicians may open appliances, recover refrigerant, or purchase restricted refrigerant.

Chlorine-containing refrigerants such as R-11 and R-12, the most ozone-damaging class. US production ended in 1996.

The documented trail of a quantity of refrigerant from purchase through charging, recovery, transport, and reclaim or destruction, with each handoff recorded.

A refrigeration machine that cools water or glycol for distribution through a building’s air handlers or process equipment. Configurations include air-cooled and water-cooled, with centrifugal, screw, or scroll compressors.

An appliance that loses 125% or more of its full charge within a single calendar year, which must be reported to EPA by March 1 of the following year. The figure is based on total calendar-year loss, not on the calculated leak rate.

A closed refrigerant loop that can be isolated and charged independently of others in the same physical unit. Each independent circuit is treated as its own appliance for compliance purposes.

Monetary penalties EPA may assess under the Clean Air Act, currently up to $59,114 per day per violation and adjusted for inflation annually. Knowing violations can also carry criminal exposure.

EPA’s category for the most ozone-damaging compounds, including CFC refrigerants like R-11 and R-12. Production ended in the United States in 1996.

EPA’s category for HCFC refrigerants, most notably R-22. Production and import of R-22 ended January 1, 2020.

The federal law that gives EPA authority to regulate air pollutants, including the ozone-depleting and high-warming gases used as refrigerants. Section 608 and the AIM Act both draw their enforcement power from it.

Software for managing maintenance work — asset records, work orders, PM schedules, parts, and history. Built around maintaining assets rather than around regulatory reporting.

A common unit for greenhouse gas quantities: pounds or kilograms leaked multiplied by the refrigerant’s GWP — AR4 100-year values in this glossary, though a corporate inventory or a state program may specify a different basis.

A refrigerated facility for bulk storage of food or other temperature-sensitive product, typically running ammonia or CO2 at large charge. Under AIM Act Subpart B, new installations face a 150-GWP limit at 200 pounds or more, and 300 below that.

Colorado’s ODS registration rule (Regulation 15) and HFC prohibition rule (Regulation 22, Part B). Colorado has no state leak-rate program and defers to federal requirements for refrigerant management.

Air conditioning for occupied spaces — chillers, split systems, and packaged rooftop units serving human comfort rather than a product or process. Carries the strictest federal leak-rate threshold at 10%.

Retail food and cold storage refrigeration — supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, and warehouses. Federal leak-rate threshold is 20%.

The division of regulatory duties across equipment owner, service contractor, certified technician, refrigerant seller, and reclaimer. Each has distinct obligations tied to specific regulatory sections.

The component that raises refrigerant pressure and moves it through the circuit — reciprocating, scroll, screw, or centrifugal depending on capacity and application.

Precision cooling equipment for data centers and equipment rooms. A CRAC uses direct expansion refrigerant; a CRAH uses chilled water.

The heat exchanger where high-pressure refrigerant vapor rejects heat and condenses to liquid, cooled by air, water, or evaporative means.

The refrigerant remaining in a cylinder after it appears empty, typically a few percent of capacity. It is refrigerant, and discarding the cylinder releases it.

The narrow allowance for minimal releases that occur during a good-faith attempt to recover or recycle refrigerant — for example the small loss when disconnecting a properly used recovery hose.

An ALD that senses refrigerant concentration in air using sensors near the compressor, evaporator, and condenser. Applies to indoor components, with detection at 10 ppm and alert at 100 ppm.

Assigning and scheduling technicians to jobs based on skill, certification, location, parts availability, and priority.

A single-use refrigerant container not designed for refilling. As of January 1, 2028, used ones must be sent to a reclaimer, fire suppressant recycler, or final processor able to remove the heel, or evacuated by a certified technician first.

An architecture placing smaller compressor units near the cases they serve instead of on one central rack, cutting piping length and total charge.

A refrigerant marketed as requiring no component or lubricant changes. In practice nearly every substitution requires at least oil compatibility checks and metering device adjustment.

The continuously updated online version of the Code of Federal Regulations, and the authoritative public source for Section 608 and AIM Act text. Sections can be linked directly, and historical versions retrieved by date.

EPA’s public database of inspections, violations, and enforcement actions by facility. Refrigerant cases appear here alongside other Clean Air Act matters.

A handheld instrument that detects refrigerant vapor at a joint or component, using heated diode, infrared, or ultrasonic sensing. The primary tool for pinpointing a leak once loss is known.

The discipline and software for managing physical assets across their full lifecycle — acquisition, operation, maintenance, and disposal — usually at portfolio scale.

The separate certification for servicing motor vehicle air conditioning. Distinct from Section 608 and not interchangeable with it.

Section 608 notifications go by email to EPA’s refrigerant reporting address; AIM Act Subpart C submissions go through EPA’s electronic reporting platform.

The federal refrigerant management rule covering recovery, technician certification, leak repair, and recordkeeping for ozone-depleting refrigerants. Leak repair provisions apply to appliances holding 50 pounds or more of a Class I or Class II refrigerant.

The role accountable for a defined set of assets — their performance, maintenance, compliance, and replacement — often across multiple sites.

The party that owns or operates the appliance and holds the legal duty for leak rate calculation, repair timelines, recordkeeping, registration, and reporting. Service contractors carry technician certification, recovery, and service-documentation duties.

The financial and operational system of record — purchasing, inventory, and general ledger, sometimes work orders. Refrigerant purchases usually land here as a cost line.

Removing refrigerant and then non-condensables and moisture from a system down to a required vacuum level, which varies by appliance type, charge size, and recovery equipment age.

The heat exchanger where low-pressure liquid refrigerant absorbs heat and boils to vapor, producing the cooling effect.

The event of an appliance’s calculated leak rate crossing its regulatory threshold. It starts every downstream clock — repair, verification, follow-up verification, and, if repair fails, a retrofit or retirement plan.

The metering device that drops refrigerant pressure entering the evaporator and controls flow — thermostatic (TXV), electronic (EEV), or a fixed orifice.

The site whose appliances are grouped for compliance — the unit at which a leak-rate calculation method must be applied consistently and at which registration and reporting are typically assessed.

The person responsible for building operations, maintenance, and vendor management at one or more sites — usually the one who has to produce records when a request arrives.

Software for the dispatch-to-invoice cycle — scheduling, routing, mobile technician workflow, parts, and billing.

The record of a dispatched service visit — the asset worked on, the work performed, parts and refrigerant used, technician, and time on site. It is the primary capture point for compliance data.

A system built and charged on site from components rather than shipped as a sealed assembly — supermarket racks, built-up chiller plants, most large refrigeration.

An inline component that removes moisture, acid, and particulate from circulating refrigerant. Replaced on any service that opens the system.

A facility that destroys refrigerant or processes containers to remove residual refrigerant, at the end of the lifecycle. From January 1, 2028, used disposable cylinders must be routed to a reclaimer, fire suppressant recycler, or final processor unless evacuated by a certified technician.

The share of service calls resolved on the first visit without a return trip. A core field service performance measure.

The numeric half of an ASHRAE 34 safety designation: 1 for no flame propagation, 2L for mild flammability with low burning velocity, 2 for flammable, 3 for higher flammability such as hydrocarbons.

An additive circulated with the refrigerant and oil that glows under ultraviolet light at the leak site. Effective for slow or intermittent leaks.

A second test confirming the repair held under operating conditions, due within 10 days of a successful initial verification or of the system reaching normal operating conditions. State windows differ — Washington allows 14 days after return to normal, California 30.

The change in a zeotropic blend’s composition when one component leaks or boils off preferentially, leaving a mixture that no longer matches its specification. Capacity and pressure behavior shift with it.

The amount of refrigerant an appliance holds when it is operating normally with all components at their designed capacity. EPA accepts four ways to establish it: the manufacturer’s determination, calculation from component and piping volumes, actual measurement of refrigerant added and evacuated, or a documented range using its midpoint.

A measure of how much heat a gas traps in the atmosphere relative to carbon dioxide over a set time horizon. R-410A is roughly 2,088 on the 100-year scale; CO2 itself is 1. Every GWP figure in this glossary is IPCC AR4, 100-year, unless labeled otherwise.

Disclosure of an organization’s greenhouse gas emissions, in which leaked refrigerant is converted to CO2 equivalent and reported as a direct (Scope 1) emission. Some jurisdictions require it independently of refrigerant management — New Jersey’s program is reporting-only.

Global warming potential measured over a 100-year horizon, the default metric for federal rules and for California, Colorado, New Jersey, and Washington. Values differ by IPCC assessment report, so the basis has to be stated — this glossary uses IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) values throughout, which is the basis most federal and state limits are written against.

Global warming potential measured over a 20-year horizon, used by New York’s Part 494 on an IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) basis. Short-lived gases score far higher on GWP20 than on the AR4 100-year figures used everywhere else in this glossary.

Transitional refrigerants with lower ozone impact than CFCs, R-22 being the dominant example. Production and import ended January 1, 2020.

A refrigeration system that can reverse its cycle to provide heating as well as cooling. Increasingly the default for new construction as electrification advances.

A refrigerant circuit closed by welding or brazing with no field-serviceable connections, factory-charged and factory-sealed.

Fluorinated refrigerants with no ozone impact but often high global warming potential — R-410A, R-134a, R-404A, R-407C. They are the target of the AIM Act phasedown.

The AIM Act’s stepped reduction of HFC production and import against a historical baseline — 90% in 2022–2023, 60% in 2024–2028, 30% in 2029–2033, 20% in 2034–2035, and 15% from 2036 onward. EPA administers it by issuing tradable allowances.

Unsaturated fluorinated refrigerants with very low global warming potential, such as R-1234yf and R-1234ze. Often blended with HFCs to hit a target GWP while managing flammability and capacity.

A refrigerant above a jurisdiction’s GWP limit. California, New Jersey, and Washington use 150, and AIM Act Subpart C management rules apply above 53 — all on a 100-year basis. New York uses GWP20 above 10, on an AR6 20-year basis.

The refrigeration plant maintaining an ice sheet, classified as industrial process refrigeration and subject to a 700-GWP limit for new chillers.

An ALD that infers refrigerant loss from operating data — pressures, temperatures, liquid level, run time — rather than sensing refrigerant in air. Must alert at a loss of 50 pounds or 10% of full charge, whichever is less.

Complex, customized refrigeration serving an industrial process — chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, ice rinks, and power generation. If 50% or more of an appliance’s capacity serves an industrial process, it is classified as IPR, with a 30% federal threshold and a 120-day repair window when shutdown is required.

A test performed after a leak repair, within the 30- or 120-day repair window, confirming the repair held. It must be documented as part of the service record.

The model code governing HVAC and refrigeration installation, including refrigerant charge limits by occupancy, machinery room requirements, and refrigerant detection. Adopted with amendments by state and local jurisdictions.

The 2016 amendment to the Montreal Protocol committing parties to phase down HFC production and consumption. The United States ratified it in 2022.

A scheduled search for leaks across an appliance, at a frequency set by charge size and jurisdiction. Federal inspections are required only after an exceedance; state programs in California, New York, and Washington require them proactively — typically monthly for 1,500+ pound systems, quarterly for 200–1,499, and annually for 50–199.

Detection establishes that refrigerant is being lost; location identifies the specific joint or component losing it. Continuous monitoring and annual inspections answer different questions.

The percentage of an appliance’s full charge lost over a year, calculated from the refrigerant added to it. EPA permits two methods — annualizing and rolling average — and requires the same method for every appliance at a facility.

The leak-rate percentage that triggers mandatory repair, set by regulatory class: 10% for comfort cooling and most other equipment, 20% for commercial refrigeration, and 30% for industrial process refrigeration under federal rules. Washington uses stricter figures of 8%, 16%, and 24%.

The documented demonstration that a repair holds, through the initial verification test within the repair window and the follow-up verification test after the system returns to normal operating conditions.

An appliance using a refrigerant with a saturation pressure below 45 psia at 104°F — R-11, R-123, R-113, R-245fa. Typically large centrifugal chillers.

The average operating time between failures of an asset or asset class, used to judge reliability and plan replacement.

A unit of absolute pressure used to measure deep vacuum, read with a micron gauge. Service practice commonly targets 500 microns or below before charging.

The 1987 international treaty that phased out production of ozone-depleting substances, including CFC and HCFC refrigerants. Widely regarded as the most successful environmental treaty in force.

Evacuating and taking an appliance out of operation, which suspends repair, retrofit, and retirement clocks. Those clocks resume when refrigerant is added back.

The manufacturer’s data plate listing model and serial number, refrigerant type, factory charge, and electrical data.

The refrigerant quantity printed on the equipment data plate by the manufacturer. It is a common starting point for establishing full charge but is not automatically the same number.

A voluntary industry certification from North American Technician Excellence testing HVAC/R knowledge and skill by specialty. Separate from the mandatory EPA certification.

New Jersey’s greenhouse gas monitoring and reporting rule, which requires registration and annual reporting for facilities with 50 pounds or more but sets no state leak-rate thresholds, repair timelines, or prohibitions.

New York’s refrigerant rule, covering prohibitions, registration phased in by charge size, a full management program with 14-day repair, and a dedicated supermarket chain program. It defines high-GWP using a 20-year global warming potential rather than the 100-year figure everyone else uses.

Pressurizing an evacuated system with dry nitrogen and holding it to see whether pressure drops, isolating a leak without releasing refrigerant.

A formal EPA finding that a facility has violated a Clean Air Act requirement, typically opening a negotiation over corrective action and penalty. Often follows an inspection or a records request.

The company that built the equipment, and the authority for its nameplate data, design charge, approved refrigerants, and service procedures. Also the party bound by AIM Act manufacture and import restrictions.

A measure of how much a substance damages stratospheric ozone relative to R-11, which is defined as 1.0. R-22 is roughly 0.055; HFCs are zero.

A compound that destroys stratospheric ozone, including the CFC and HCFC refrigerants. EPA sorts them into Class I (the most damaging, now phased out) and Class II.

A unit with all refrigeration components factory-assembled and charged in a single enclosure, needing no field refrigerant connections.

The calendar assigning maintenance tasks to assets at defined intervals, driven by manufacturer guidance, criticality, runtime, and regulatory frequency.

Federal follow-on inspections triggered by an exceedance — quarterly for commercial or industrial systems of 500 pounds or more, annually for smaller ones. Exit requires four consecutive quarters, or one year, below threshold.

EPA’s grouping of appliances by refrigerant saturation pressure at 104°F: very high above 355 psia, high 170–355, medium 45–170, and low below 45.

Scheduled inspection and service intended to prevent failure — coil cleaning, filter changes, belt and bearing checks, refrigerant and electrical readings taken on a calendar or runtime interval.

The party managing a property on the owner’s behalf — leasing, tenants, vendors, and building services. Frequently has no in-house technical staff and no equipment records.

Sellers retain the purchaser’s name, the date, the quantity sold, and proof of technician certification for three years. Buyers should be able to reconcile purchases against what was charged into which appliance.

A device on low-pressure chillers that removes air and moisture drawn in through sub-atmospheric leaks, logging its run time.

A single-component HFC with a GWP near 1,430 (AR4, 100-year), used in medium-temperature refrigeration, centrifugal chillers, and vehicle air conditioning.

An HCFC refrigerant with an ODP of roughly 0.055 and a GWP near 1,810 (AR4, 100-year), long dominant in commercial AC and refrigeration. Production and import ended January 1, 2020; existing equipment may still be serviced with recovered or reclaimed stock.

Propane used as a refrigerant, with a GWP of about 3 (AR4, 100-year) and ASHRAE class A3 (higher flammability). Common in self-contained retail refrigeration cases, with an EPA venting exemption added in 2024 for retail food refrigeration.

A single-component A2L refrigerant with a GWP near 675 (AR4, 100-year), used in new AC and heat pump equipment as an R-410A replacement.

An HFC blend with a GWP near 2,088 (AR4, 100-year), the standard for commercial and residential AC for two decades. It exceeds the 700-GWP limit for most new AC and chiller subsectors, so new equipment has moved to lower-GWP alternatives.

HFO-containing blends with GWPs near 1,390 (AR4, 100-year), widely used as R-404A replacements in supermarket and commercial refrigeration.

An A2L blend of R-32 and R-1234yf with a GWP near 466 (AR4, 100-year), adopted widely as the R-410A replacement in new AC and heat pump equipment.

Ammonia used as a refrigerant, with zero GWP (AR4, 100-year) and zero ODP, standard in industrial refrigeration and large cold storage. It is ASHRAE class B2L — higher toxicity and mildly flammable.

Carbon dioxide used as a refrigerant, with a GWP of 1 (AR4, 100-year) and no ozone impact. Commonly deployed in transcritical systems for supermarkets and cold storage.

Self-contained refrigerated display cases and cabinets, typically with small factory charges. Increasingly built around propane or CO2.

Service performed after something has already failed or a complaint has been raised. Usually more expensive per event than planned work and harder to staff.

A vessel storing liquid refrigerant between condenser and metering device, buffering charge across varying load.

Used refrigerant reprocessed to virgin purity specification (AHRI 700) by an EPA-certified reclaimer, with every batch verified analytically. Reclaimed refrigerant sold for servicing may contain no more than 15% virgin regulated substance as of January 1, 2026.

A facility certified by EPA to reprocess used refrigerant to AHRI 700 purity, verifying each batch analytically, releasing no more than 1.5% during reclamation, and reporting annually to EPA by February 1.

Reprocessing used refrigerant back to virgin purity specification (AHRI 700) at a certified facility, with each batch verified analytically and no more than 1.5% released during the process. Distinct from field recycling, which cleans refrigerant without certifying it to specification.

Per-appliance records (owner, address, full charge and the method used, and any charge revisions) and per-service records (date, work performed, technician, refrigerant type and amount added or removed, leak rate and method). Federal retention is three years; California, New Jersey, New York, and Washington all require five.

Removing refrigerant from an appliance in any condition and storing it in an external container, using certified recovery equipment to specified evacuation levels. Required before opening a system for service and before disposal.

A refillable, DOT-rated cylinder used to hold refrigerant removed from a system, distinguished by its gray-and-yellow marking. It must never be filled beyond 80% of capacity by weight.

EPA-certified equipment that removes refrigerant from a system to required evacuation levels. Certification requirements differ for equipment manufactured before and after November 15, 1993.

Refrigerant cleaned in the field with oil separation and filter-drier passes, reducing contaminants but not verified to virgin purity. Reclaimed refrigerant, by contrast, is processed off site to AHRI 700 and batch-tested.

A DOT-specification cylinder built to be emptied, requalified, and refilled — used both for virgin refrigerant supply and for recovery. Requalification is required on a set interval and the cylinder carries a stamped test date.

The working fluid in a cooling system, absorbing heat as it evaporates at low pressure and rejecting it as it condenses at high pressure. Choice of refrigerant sets a system’s efficiency, safety class, and regulatory status.

A mixture of two or more refrigerants formulated to hit target properties — capacity, GWP, flammability, oil compatibility. Most modern commercial refrigerants are blends, identified by 400- or 500-series numbers.

Accounting for refrigerant across the whole chain — purchased, held on trucks and in storage, charged into appliances, recovered, and sent to reclaim — so that quantities reconcile.

Containers must display the refrigerant’s common name, chemical name, or ASHRAE designation, with blend component percentages where applicable, on a durable, visible, weather-resistant label.

The refrigerant that escapes a system over a period, measured in practice by how much has to be added back. It is simultaneously an equipment problem, a compliance trigger, and a direct operating cost.

The full set of obligations a jurisdiction places on refrigerant equipment owners — registration, leak inspection, leak repair, verification testing, recordkeeping, and annual reporting. Both EPA and several states run one, and they differ in thresholds and deadlines.

Payment or credit offered by reclaimers and distributors for recovered refrigerant returned for reclaim, priced by refrigerant type, quantity, and purity.

Converting an appliance to a different refrigerant, which typically involves recovering the original charge, changing lubricant, replacing elastomers and the metering device, and re-establishing full charge.

Refrigerant may be sold only to certified technicians, to employers of certified technicians with proof of certification, for eventual resale to certified persons, or already charged into equipment. Sellers keep invoices and certification proof for three years.

Refrigeration units on trailers, containers, and rail cars. Called out explicitly under AIM Act Subpart C with a 10% leak-rate threshold.

The first sort on any asset inventory — equipment that contains refrigerant and can therefore carry refrigerant obligations, versus equipment that cannot: boilers, air handlers without a DX coil, pumps, cooling towers, controls.

The firm providing installation and service. It carries certification, recovery, and service-documentation obligations, and must deliver service records to the equipment owner.

A state-level requirement to enroll facilities or appliances with the environmental agency, usually above a charge threshold and often with an annual fee. There is no federal refrigerant registration.

The specific HFCs listed for phasedown under the AIM Act. Subpart C obligations extend beyond them to any substitute with a GWP above 53.

The application category that sets an appliance’s leak-rate threshold — comfort cooling, commercial refrigeration, industrial process refrigeration, or other. Classification follows what the equipment does, not what it looks like.

A report assembled from service history that documents an appliance’s or facility’s compliance position — charges, additions, leak rates, repairs, verifications, and inspections.

An extension to the repair deadline, available for radiological contamination, conflicting regulatory constraints, or unavailable components — the last capped at 180 days from exceedance, or 270 for an industrial process shutdown. Federal requests go to EPA within the original repair window.

30 days from the refrigerant addition that caused the exceedance under federal rules, extended to 120 days when an industrial process must be shut down to make the repair. California, New York, and Washington all use a stricter 14-day standard with a 45-day extended window.

The individual authorized to certify a regulatory submission on behalf of a facility or company, typically with personal attestation to its accuracy.

A documented plan to permanently remove an appliance from service rather than repair or retrofit it, on the same deadlines as a retrofit plan. Refrigerant must be recovered by a certified technician at removal.

A documented plan to convert an appliance to a different refrigerant instead of continuing to repair it, due within 30 days of exceedance federally and completed within one year. State deadlines are shorter — typically six months from initial detection.

EPA’s accident-prevention program for facilities holding a threshold quantity of a regulated hazardous substance, requiring a hazard assessment, a prevention program, an emergency response program, and a Risk Management Plan filed with EPA. In refrigeration it is triggered by ammonia at 10,000 pounds or more.

A leak-rate calculation that sums all refrigerant added over the prior 365 days — or since the last successful follow-up verification test — and divides by full charge. It is the method most equipment owners choose.

A self-contained packaged HVAC unit mounted on a roof, containing compressor, condenser, evaporator, and air handling in one cabinet. The workhorse of retail, restaurant, and light commercial cooling.

California legislation restricting the sale and distribution of high-GWP refrigerants on a declining schedule, tightening supply beyond the federal phasedown.

Direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources a company owns or controls — which includes refrigerant leaked from its own equipment. California requires large companies doing business in the state to disclose Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.

A chiller using a rotary screw compressor, common in mid-to-large commercial and industrial applications and well suited to part-load operation.

A design where refrigerant cools a secondary fluid — glycol or brine — that is pumped to the cases, confining refrigerant to a compact machinery space.

The three-year window after a manufacture-or-import ban takes effect, at the end of which no one may sell, distribute, or purchase the restricted product. It lets existing inventory clear the channel.

Annually. ALD systems require an annual audit and calibration to remain compliant, and the records must be retained.

The contracted commitment between facility and service provider on response time, resolution time, coverage hours, and reporting.

The appliance and its location, the date, parts serviced, the type of work performed, who performed it, refrigerant type and amount added or removed, full charge, and the resulting leak rate with the method used.

EPA’s program for reviewing substitutes for ozone-depleting substances and listing them acceptable or unacceptable by end use. It predates the AIM Act and still governs acceptability for many applications.

A physical location containing assets, and typically the unit at which service is dispatched, compliance is registered, and cost is reported.

A factory-charged, hermetically sealed unit containing 5 pounds or less of refrigerant — household refrigerators, window units, water coolers. Not subject to leak repair requirements.

Refrigerant must be recovered before a small appliance is disposed of, with the final person in the disposal chain responsible for verifying recovery.

An AC or heat pump with the condensing unit outdoors and the evaporator indoors, connected by refrigerant line sets.

The practical principle that when federal and state requirements overlap, the equipment owner must meet whichever is more demanding on each individual element — threshold, timeline, retention period, or reporting date.

The AIM Act subpart that extends leak repair, leak inspection, automatic leak detection, reclamation, and recordkeeping duties to HFC equipment, with obligations beginning January 1, 2026. It closed the gap created when Section 608’s leak repair scope narrowed to ozone-depleting refrigerants in 2020.

An equipment-and-application category EPA uses to assign GWP limits — for example “chillers for comfort cooling,” “supermarket systems,” or “cold storage warehouses.” Limits and effective dates differ by subsector.

A refrigerant used in place of an ozone-depleting substance. Substitutes are reviewed for acceptability by end use under EPA’s SNAP program and may still be regulated under the AIM Act based on GWP.

A New York requirement for grocery chains with 20 or more in-state or 100 or more nationwide facilities to hit a defined refrigerant or emissions target by 2035, with a transition plan due January 1, 2027.

A centralized system with multiple compressors on a common manifold serving display cases and walk-ins throughout a store. Charges commonly run from several hundred to a few thousand pounds.

The federal certification required to maintain, service, repair, or dispose of appliances that could release refrigerant. Four types: Type I for small appliances, Type II for medium-, high-, and very high-pressure equipment, Type III for low-pressure, and Universal for all.

The AIM Act subpart that sets GWP limits by equipment subsector, restricting what refrigerants may be used in newly manufactured or newly installed systems. Examples include a 700-GWP limit for comfort-cooling chillers and a 150-GWP limit for large cold storage.

The temperature spread between the start and end of a zeotropic blend’s phase change at constant pressure. Some blends glide only a degree or two; others glide five to ten.

An independent party engaged to review and attest to reported data, used in some emissions and refrigerant programs.

Adding refrigerant to restore capacity without finding and fixing the underlying leak. Every addition is a recordable event that feeds the leak-rate calculation.

The full lifecycle cost of an asset — purchase, install, energy, maintenance, refrigerant, compliance effort, and disposal.

The letter half of an ASHRAE 34 designation: A for refrigerants with lower chronic toxicity, B for higher. Ammonia is class B; nearly all fluorinated refrigerants are class A.

A CO2 refrigeration system operating above CO2’s critical point on the high side, running at pressures far above conventional systems. Increasingly standard in new supermarket and cold storage builds.

A dispatched technician visit, and the standard unit of field service cost.

Detection of the high-frequency sound a pressurized leak makes, useful in noisy plant rooms and for locating leaks at distance.

Pulling a deep vacuum, isolating the system, and watching whether the vacuum holds. Rising pressure indicates a leak or remaining moisture.

The federal prohibition on knowingly releasing refrigerant to the atmosphere during maintenance, service, repair, or disposal. It covers ozone-depleting refrigerants and non-exempt substitutes, and extends to fire suppression agents under the AIM Act from January 1, 2026.

Newly produced or imported refrigerant that has never been used. Its supply is what the AIM Act phasedown restricts.

A refrigerant-based system that modulates flow to many indoor units from one or more outdoor units, distributing refrigerant through the occupied building rather than water or air.

A refrigerated enclosure large enough to enter, used for food storage in restaurants, grocery, and institutional kitchens. May be self-contained or connected to a remote condensing unit or rack.

Washington’s refrigerant management rule, in effect since January 1, 2024, with leak-rate thresholds of 8% for comfort cooling, 16% for commercial refrigeration, and 24% for industrial process refrigeration — stricter than the federal 10/20/30. Registration and annual reporting run through the state Department of Ecology.

The distributor selling refrigerant, equipment, and parts to contractors. Must verify and retain proof of technician certification and keep sales invoices for three years.

An authorized request for maintenance work, carrying scope, priority, asset, and assignment. It can cover one visit or several.

A blend whose components evaporate and condense across a range of temperatures rather than at one point. Identified by 400-series numbers, including R-410A, R-407C, and R-448A.