Section 608 (together with Section 609, which covers motor vehicles) of the Clean Air Act serves as the main form of occupational licensure for technicians in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry in the United States.
And technicians who violate the Clean Air Act provisions may be fined, lose their certification, and may be required to appear in Federal court.
[4] In general, along with general enforcement provisions, section 608 manages the following regulatory requirements: For Type I systems the main requirement is to remove 80% of the refrigerant if the appliance's compressor is not running and 90% if running and evacuate to a 4 inch Hg vacuum.
A technician seeking certification must correctly answer 18 out of 25 questions on the CORE and at least one other section of the exam.
[2] Many universities and colleges also have associate degrees and apprenticeship programs that teach HVAC fundamentals along with providing EPA examinations.