Wuzler.

Applicability · 40 CFR 84.106(a)

Does the 15-pound rule apply?

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You own, run or service an appliance with refrigerant in it and someone mentioned a new rule. The section states four criteria. Enter the full charge and the refrigerant; each criterion is reported with the paragraph it comes from.

Applicability42.0 lb · R-404A
full charge42.0 lb full charge; the section applies at 15 lb or moreyes
refrigerantGWP 3922; the section applies above 53yes
not an ozone-depleting-substance-only appliancenot excluded on this groundyes
not residential or light commercial air conditioningnot excluded on this groundyes
40 CFR 84.106applies

leak rate limit 20% · 84.106(c)(2)(i)

Calculate the leak rateon every addition

84.106(b)

Records kept3 years

84.106(l)

Inspections after an exceedanceannual

84.106(g)(1)(ii)

Automatic leak detectionnot required

not required: 42.0 lb is under 1500 lb

Covered

40 CFR 84.106(a) · verified 2026-09-04 · the rule's criteria applied to your numbers, not advice

The four criteria

Fifteen pounds or more of full charge. A refrigerant that is an HFC or a substitute with a GWP above 53. Not an appliance running solely on an ozone-depleting substance. Not residential or light commercial air conditioning. All four, and the section applies: the leak rate calculation on every addition, the limits, the 30-day repair clock, the verification tests, the chronic-leak report and three years of records.

The checker reports what the criteria say about the numbers you enter. It does not tell you what to do about it, and it is not the EPA. The section text is one click away.

40 CFR 84.106(a)(3) · verified 2026-09-04 · the section text

Common questions

What changed on January 1, 2026?
The leak repair provisions of the EPA's Emissions Reduction and Reclamation rule took effect under the AIM Act. They apply to refrigerant-containing appliances with a full charge of 15 pounds or more of an HFC or a substitute with a GWP above 53 (40 CFR 84.106(a)). The ozone-depleting-substance rule in 40 CFR part 82 applied at 50 pounds; appliances holding 15 to 49 pounds of an HFC are under a federal leak repair requirement for the first time.
Which appliances are excluded?
Appliances containing solely an ozone-depleting substance as the refrigerant (R-22, for example, stays under part 82), and appliances in the residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump subsector (84.106(a)(3)).
What counts as full charge?
The amount of refrigerant required for normal operating characteristics and conditions, determined by the manufacturer's figure, by calculation from component sizes and piping, by actual measurement of refrigerant added or evacuated, or by an established range whose midpoint serves as the full charge (84.102). The rule required owners and operators to determine and record it by January 1, 2026 (84.106(l)(1)).
Is a walk-in cooler at a restaurant commercial refrigeration?
The definition names the retail food and cold storage subsectors, and retail food appliances include those found in supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants and other food service establishments (84.102). The leak rate limit for commercial refrigeration is 20 percent.