How Getting Your EPA 608 Certification
Can Benefit Your Career

For many in the HVAC community, an EPA 608 certification is a near necessity. The equipment being worked on and materials being handled are well regulated and governed by the Environmental Protection Agency. But it’s not merely for HVAC technicians. Obtaining your EPA 608 certification can be a valuable asset for your career for any technician which might work with refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

The Federal government has kept a tight lock on the use and release of refrigerants into the atmosphere since the Clean Air Act. This oversight is headed up by the Environmental Protection Agency in an effort to limit the Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and Global Warming Potential (GWP) caused by various different refrigerants. These guidelines are, for lack of a better word, hazy to those who aren’t within the industry. A knowledge based overview of the concepts and the related environmental impacts is a clear demonstration of professionalism both inside and outside the refrigeration industry.

As most HVAC professionals know, these refrigerants can be incredibly hazardous to personnel as well as the environment. Protecting coworkers, other industry professionals, and business assets makes anyone a valuable employee. Looking at the bottom line, loss of refrigerants or even loss of time from injury can result in the base minimum of thousands of dollars worth of loss.

Taking a look at a minor r-410 refrigerant leak, which can happen on various types of equipment, the HVAC industry standard at the time of this writing is can be as high as $35 lb for someone licensed to purchase. Hiring an outside contractor to refill refrigerant can be as high as $150 lb and labor. Not to mention, the EPA regulations have harsh penalties for excessive refrigerant loss through negligence or intentional laziness. Being able to provide a company with safe and relatively inexpensive refrigerant replacement and recovery is literally worth its weight in gold. 

Anyone who works on refrigeration, chiller, air conditioner systems will need to be certified. Obtaining an EPA 608 certification type I (small appliance), type II (high-pressure appliances), Type III (low-pressure appliances), or universal certification will allow you to legally perform this type of work — in accordance with your license type — and ensure compliance with the law and Clean Air Act. It is nothing to undervalue, since the EPA can dish out some hefty fines. The Environmental Protection Agency is authorized to assess fines of up to $37,500 per day for any violation of these environmental regulations. This federal agency is notorious for hunting down non-compliance through tips, random inspections, and related cases. A simple protection from this regulatory nightmare is having someone on staff who has passed an EPA 608 certification exam.

So, how can an EPA 608 certification benefit your career? Well, through several different ways. The most obvious is the value to a current employer. Having someone in house who can perform basic tasks on AC and refrigeration systems will save costs on contractor services. In addition, negligence from a company is not an excuse accepted by the EPA. Being knowledgeable in the laws and limits will continue to save them money in potential loss and fines. Moreover, these are qualifications many companies look for in their candidates. 

EPA 608 is an economic solution to becoming competitive in the job market or current employer. The Training Center’s EPA 608 course provides the basic knowledge and understanding of refrigerants and recovery requirements as well as EPA requirements. While this isn’t necessarily a hand-on oriented program, it can be used to secure a position or bargain for growth within a company. Cost savings, employee safety, and potential fine reductions can pay for a salary many times over. 

Proving to yourself and to employers the value you can bring to the table can start with The Training Center and the EPA 608 certification test. Live sessions with clearly answered questions and open communication format as well as practice tests provide one of the best learning - and earning - potentials. Book your place in the program this year. The Training Center has been an educational institution with a focus on plant operations since 1982. It has been an EPA approved organization for national certifications since 2011.

Find out more about both programs by visiting our website: www.thetrainingcenter.com or by visiting our EPA 608 and EPA 609 pages.