The leak repair requirements, promulgated under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, require that an owner/operator of an appliance that normally contains a refrigerant charge of more than 50 pounds must take corrective action when a leak is discovered that exceeds the applicable trigger rate during a 12-month period. Trigger rates range from 35 percent for commercial refrigeration to 15 percent for comfort cooling appliances.
Since July 1992, it has been unlawful to knowingly vent refrigerants to the atmosphere. In keeping with the intent of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it makes sense to completely understand the causes of leaks in refrigerant systems.