Understanding Refrigerant Types and Classifications: Essential Knowledge for the EPA 608

The stratospheric ozone layer serves as Earth’s protective shield against harmful ultraviolet radiation. Decades of refrigerant emissions have created what scientists call the “ozone hole,” which causes environmental damage with real consequences, like increased skin cancer rates, reduced crop yields, and damaged marine ecosystems. As an HVAC professional, you’re on the front lines of preventing further damage.

To understand why certain refrigerants are regulated, you need to first know how they interact with our atmosphere. Scientists discovered that chlorine is the primary culprit behind ozone depletion. While chlorine occurs naturally – from sources like volcanic eruptions – air samples taken over decades show that volcanoes contribute only a small amount compared to man-made refrigerants.

The real problem comes from chlorine-containing refrigerants like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). These synthetic compounds behave very differently from natural chlorine sources. Unlike naturally occurring chlorine that dissolves in water and rains out of the atmosphere, refrigerant-based chlorine never breaks down in water and won’t wash out of our atmosphere. When UV radiation breaks apart these refrigerant molecules, a single chlorine atom can destroy up to 100,000 ozone molecules and remain active in the stratosphere for up to 120 years.

This is why the industry has shifted toward hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), and hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants – each with their own environmental profiles and safety considerations that you’ll need to understand and work with safely.

While newer refrigerants like HFCs don’t deplete the ozone layer, many have global warming potentials thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. Understanding refrigerant classifications, safety matrices, and ASHRAE designations will make you a responsible professional in an evolving industry.

The following clip explores refrigerant types and classifications – essential knowledge for your EPA 608 Technician Certification. If you maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment containing regulated refrigerants, you’ll need this certification to work legally in the field.

This segment is from Brynn Cooksey’s EPA 608 Technician Certification course. Consider enrolling if you are preparing for your 608 exam.

Transcript below.

 All refrigerants have some kind of identifying characteristics. Refrigerants may be identified by their type, which is CFC, HCFC, or HFC, HFO, or HC. They’re given these designations by ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers. 

ASHRAE assigns a R number, which stands for refrigerant, plus a designation given to the refrigerants by ASHRAE, which describes the refrigerant molecules.  

ASHRAE also has classifications for refrigerants that describe their safety, and these classifications are important to the HVAC technician. The classification has two parameters to it. Number one is the safety as far as toxicity, and that’s represented by the A and B. When a refrigerant has an A designation, that means it’s relatively safe. When it has the B designation, that means that it is toxic to humans.

The other parameter that we’ll be looking at is the flammability of the refrigerant with 1 meaning no flammability, and then 3 being really high. So this defines and sets up what is called a safety matrix or safety group, where you can understand what a refrigerant is, look at its designation, and actually know how to interact or behave with that refrigerant.