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Refrigerant Leak Repair Requirements

Written by an EPA 608 certified technician · Reviewed July 21, 2026 · About the author

Leak repair is one of the most heavily tested Type II topics, and it is easy to get wrong because two federal rules now operate side by side. Section 608 still governs larger appliances containing ozone-depleting refrigerants. A separate AIM Act rule began covering many HFC appliances in 2026. This guide keeps those two legal tracks separate.

Which Appliances Are Covered

The 2026 rule did not simply lower one universal threshold from 50 pounds to 15 pounds. The refrigerant and the appliance category determine which rule applies.

Section 608: ozone-depleting refrigerants

Under 40 CFR 82.157, the leak-repair requirements apply to appliances with a full charge of 50 pounds or more of an ozone-depleting refrigerant, such as a CFC or HCFC. That 50-pound Section 608 threshold remains in place.

AIM Act: HFCs and certain substitutes

Beginning January 1, 2026, 40 CFR 84.106 added a parallel program for appliances with 15 pounds or more of a refrigerant that contains an HFC, or certain HFC substitutes, with a GWP above 53. Important exceptions apply: appliances in the residential and light-commercial air-conditioning and heat-pump subsector are excluded. EPA also proposed an exemption for road and intermodal transport refrigeration units in May 2026, so technicians should check the current rule before applying it in the field.

How Leak Rate Is Measured

A leak rate is not just "is it leaking." It is expressed as an annualized percentage: how much of the appliance's full charge would be lost over a year at the current rate of loss. That is why a technician who adds refrigerant to a system has to record how much was added and when — those records are what the leak rate calculation is built from.

The Leak Rate Thresholds

Both programs use annualized leak-rate thresholds based on the equipment category. The familiar three categories are:

Comfort cooling — 10 percent. Air conditioning and similar appliances have the strictest limit.
Commercial refrigeration — 20 percent. Equipment used to store or display food and other goods.
Industrial process refrigeration — 30 percent. Refrigeration tied to industrial processes has the most lenient limit.

Other covered appliances use a 10 percent threshold. An easy way to remember the main ranking is 10-20-30: comfort cooling, commercial refrigeration, then industrial process refrigeration. The charge size, refrigerant, and exclusions still must be checked first.

Repair Timelines

Once an appliance exceeds its allowable leak rate, the leaks generally must be repaired within 30 days. There is a longer allowance — up to 120 days — when an industrial process shutdown is required to make the repair, because you cannot always stop a major industrial process on short notice.

Verifying the Repair

Repairing the leak is not the end of the job. After a repair, verification tests are required to confirm the work actually held. Typically this means an initial verification test once the repair is made and a follow-up verification test after the system is back to normal operating conditions. If the verification fails, the appliance is still considered to be leaking and the repair obligation continues.

Retrofit or Retire as an Alternative

Sometimes repeated repairs are not practical. The rules allow an alternative: instead of chasing leaks, the owner can develop and follow a plan to retrofit the appliance to a different refrigerant or to retire the equipment entirely within a defined time frame. This is a legitimate compliance path, not a loophole — it has its own deadlines and documentation.

Chronic Leakers and EPA Reporting

Under both programs, a covered appliance that leaks 125 percent or more of its full charge in a calendar year triggers a report to EPA by March 1 of the following year. For Section 608 that means a 50-pound-or-larger ODS appliance; for the AIM Act program it means a covered 15-pound-or-larger HFC appliance. Accurate service and refrigerant-addition records are what make that calculation possible.

Why This Matters Beyond the Exam

Leak rules exist because leaked refrigerant is both an environmental problem and a wasted, increasingly expensive resource. With R-22 supply gone and HFCs being phased down under the AIM Act, every pound of refrigerant is worth more than it used to be. Finding and fixing leaks promptly is good compliance and good business.

Study Takeaways

Section 608 still uses a 50-pound threshold for appliances containing ozone-depleting refrigerants.
The AIM Act added a separate 15-pound threshold for covered HFC appliances in 2026; residential and light-commercial AC and heat pumps are excluded.
Leak rate is an annualized percentage of the full charge.
Thresholds: comfort cooling 10%, commercial refrigeration 20%, industrial process refrigeration 30%.
Repairs are generally due within 30 days (up to 120 for an industrial shutdown).
Verification testing follows every repair; retrofit or retire is an allowed alternative.
A covered appliance that leaks 125% or more of its full charge in a calendar year must be reported to EPA by March 1 of the following year.

Official Sources Used for This Review

For more on this topic in exam context, see the Type II study guide and practice Type II questions in the app.

Not affiliated with the EPA. For study practice only. The AIM Act program is evolving; always verify current coverage, exceptions, thresholds, and deadlines in the official rule.