The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has updated its Section 609, EPA-approved Refrigerant Recovery and Recycling Program. This latest version includes the EPA’s adoption of a new standard for refrigerant handling equipment, along with updated awareness of acceptable and unacceptable refrigerants.
The new standard, J2788, from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), supersedes an older standard, J2210. The J2788 standard specifies more stringent performance requirements for refrigerant handling equipment. J2788 only applies to equipment built after December 31, 2007. “Technicians and shop owners needn’t panic over the adoption of this new standard by the EPA,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president. “The action doesn’t automatically make older equipment obsolete, nor does it make the use of that older equipment a service procedure violation in the eyes of the EPA.”
As a reminder, technicians should not confuse the ASE Refrigerant Recovery and Recycling Program with the ASE Heating and Air Conditioning (A7, H7, S7 and T7) certification. Only the ASE Refrigerant Recovery and Recycling program meets Section 609 requirements by the U.S. EPA for motor vehicle air conditioning service.
For more information about ASE, visit the website at www.ase.com.
