Major and Minor Repairs - EPA Certification
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Major and Minor Repairs

Updated: Sep 17

EPA 608 Type 3 Chapter 11 (Take full course)


In this module, we will learn about EPA’s classification of major and minor repairs.


1. Major Repairs


EPA defines major repairs as “Maintenance, service, or repair that involves removal of the appliances"

  • Condenser

  • Evaporator

  • Auxiliary heat exchanger coil or

  • Compressor”

Apart from these, any other repairs are considered as “minor repairs.”


An evaporator or condenser coils are removed/replaced if there is an irreparable flaw in it. Examples of an irreparable flaw would be if the coils have rusted or a hole in the coil piping is so big that it cannot be closed by repairing it.


Evaporator and condenser coils are types of heat exchangers. An auxiliary heat exchanger means a secondary or an extra heat exchanger in the system. It is generally seen in heat pumps and large systems cooling vast spaces.


Examples of major compressor repairs are

  • A compressor burnout, causing its replacement.

  • A non-working compressor due to mechanical problems.

  • A broken or leaking compressor.

We will talk about compressor burnout in more detail.


A compressor burnout is a major repair, and an oil sample is taken to detect it. A sample of the oil is taken to check its properties whenever there is a compressor burnout. A compressor burnout means that the compressor's motor windings have burnt due to a short circuit.


A short circuit in the electrical component produces very high voltage and temperatures. This burns the refrigerant oil during a burnout. Burnt refrigerant oil has acidic properties that harm the system.


While repairing any system, a technician should follow these steps,

  • Isolating the component.

  • Evacuate the isolated section.

  • Wait for a few minutes to see if the pressure rises in the system.

Recall that all this has been discussed in the evacuation topic.


2. Minor Repairs

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Apart from all the repairs mentioned above, any other repairs are considered as minor repairs. For any such repairs, we generally use the method of heating the system using heating blankets to detect leaks. All repairs are done after detecting leaks and recovering refrigerant if needed.





3. Conclusion


In this module, we understood EPAs classification of major and minor repairs. These classification of major repairs is an important part of the EPA Type 3 Course.




Other References:


 
 
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