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In EPA's leak repair rules, what does it mean to 'mothball' an appliance?

Evacuate it and temporarily shut it down, which pauses repair deadlines.

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  1. Evacuate it to at least atmospheric pressure and shut it down ✔
  2. Leave it fully charged and switch it off for the season
  3. Remove it from service and scrap it for good

Why: Mothballing means pulling the refrigerant out to at least atmospheric pressure and temporarily shutting the appliance down. While it is mothballed, the leak repair clock pauses, then restarts the day refrigerant is added again.

Huh, didn't know that: Owners who mothball to pause deadlines must keep records of when it was mothballed and when refrigerant was added back.

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Why did the butterfly turn down an invitation to the dance? She heard it was a moth ball.
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References

Answer: Evacuate it to at least atmospheric pressure and shut it down. Mothballing means pulling the refrigerant out to at least atmospheric pressure and temporarily shutting the appliance down. While it is mothballed, the leak repair clock pauses, then restarts the day refrigerant is added again.

  1. 40 CFR 82.152 Definitions (Cornell LII) www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/82.152
    Mothball means to evacuate refrigerant from an appliance, or the affected isolated section or component of an appliance, to at least atmospheric pressure
    Checked 2026-10-11.
  2. 40 CFR 82.157 Appliance maintenance and leak repair (Cornell LII) www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/82.157
    temporarily suspended when an appliance is mothballed. The time will resume on the day additional refrigerant is added to the appliance
    Checked 2026-10-11.
  3. 40 CFR 82.157 Appliance maintenance and leak repair (Cornell LII) www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/82.157
    must keep records documenting when the appliance was mothballed and when additional refrigerant was added to the appliance
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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