EPA refrigerant leak thresholds: sourced data and CSV
eCFR text as of Nov 5, 2026
Every number below is copied from the eCFR text of 40 CFR 82.157 (Subpart F, the older ozone-depleting-substance rule) and 40 CFR 84.106 (Subpart C, the newer HFC rule). It does not say which rule applies to you. Not legal advice.
Thresholds side by side
| Parameter | 40 CFR 82.157 | 40 CFR 84.106 |
|---|---|---|
| Applicability: minimum full charge | 50 pounds (class I/II refrigerant; from Apr 10, 2020) (82.157(a)) | 15 pounds (regulated substance or substitute with GWP over 53) (84.106(a)) |
| Leak rate: commercial refrigeration | 20 percent (82.157(c)(2)(i)) | 20 percent (84.106(c)(2)(i)) |
| Leak rate: industrial process refrigeration | 30 percent (82.157(c)(2)(ii)) | 30 percent (84.106(c)(2)(ii)) |
| Leak rate: comfort cooling and other covered appliances | 10 percent (comfort cooling or other, 50+ lb) (82.157(c)(2)(iii)) | 10 percent (comfort cooling, refrigerated transport or other, 15+ lb) (84.106(c)(2)(iii)) |
| Repair deadline after exceeding leak rate | 30 days (120 days if industrial process shutdown required) (82.157(d)) | 30 days (120 days if industrial process shutdown required) (84.106(d)) |
| Retrofit or retirement plan | Plan within 30 days of the trigger (82.157(h)(1)) | Plan within 30 days of the trigger (84.106(h)(1)) |
| Records retention | At least 3 years (82.157(l)) | At least 3 years (84.106(l)) |
| Inspections: commercial and industrial process, 500+ lb | Every 3 months until four quarters in a row within rate (82.157(g)(1)(i)) | Every 3 months after a successful follow-up verification test until within rate (see rule text) (84.106(g)(1)(i)) |
| Inspections: commercial and industrial process, below 500 lb | Once per calendar year (50 to under 500 lb) (82.157(g)(1)(ii)) | Once per year (15 to under 500 lb) (84.106(g)(1)(ii)) |
| Chronic leakers report to EPA | Not in this section (n/a) | 125 percent or more of full charge in a calendar year; report by March 1 (84.106(j)) |
Download the CSV (10 rows, with section numbers and source URLs). Free to reuse; cite this page.
Methodology
- Source text: eCFR, 40 CFR 82.157 and 40 CFR 84.106, fetched from the eCFR versioner API for the version current on Nov 5, 2026.
- Only numbers and deadlines the rule text states are listed. Nothing is estimated, averaged or inferred. Wording is shortened; the section number beside each value points to the exact paragraph.
- Where a row has no counterpart in a section, the cell says so.
- Rules change. Check EPA and the eCFR before relying on any value.
- Related: the 84.106 rule quoted, leak rate calculator, reporting dates.