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EPA Refrigerant Leak Rate Calculator

Estimate an appliance's annual leak rate with the Rolling Average Method of 40 CFR § 84.102 (AIM Act, Part 84) and compare it against the leak-rate limits of 40 CFR § 84.106(c). No login, no email required.

Pending legal review. Regulatory values shown on this page are pending legal review — verify with counsel before relying on them.

Method: Rolling Average Method — 40 CFR § 84.102

EPA also permits a second calculation method (the Annualizing Method), and the two can give different results from the same data. Per 40 CFR § 84.102, “the same method must be used for all appliances subject to the leak repair requirements located at an operating facility.” This tool implements the Rolling Average Method only.

The leak-rate limit varies by appliance type (40 CFR § 84.106(c)).

Retail food (supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, food service) and cold storage warehouses.

The appliance’s total refrigerant charge when operating normally.

Refrigerant additions

Every pound of refrigerant added to the appliance, with the date it was added. The § 84.102 calculation counts total pounds added.

Do not include an addition “made immediately following a retrofit, installation of a new refrigerant-containing appliance, or [that] qualifies as a seasonal variance” (40 CFR § 84.106(b)) — those are the only excepted additions. Enter the countable additions only.

If a leak repair was verified by a successful follow-up test less than a year ago, the window starts there instead of 365 days back (40 CFR § 84.102).

Leak-rate limits vary by appliance type

The applicable limit depends on how the appliance is used (limits per 40 CFR § 84.106(c); appliance-type definitions per 40 CFR § 84.102):

  • Commercial refrigeration — 20% (40 CFR § 84.106(c)). Retail food (supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, food service) and cold storage warehouses.
  • Industrial process refrigeration — 30% (40 CFR § 84.106(c)). Complex customized appliances directly linked to an industrial process — plus industrial ice machines, power-generation cooling, and ice rinks.
  • Comfort cooling — 10% (40 CFR § 84.106(c)). Air conditioning for occupied spaces — chillers, commercial split systems, dual-function heat pumps, rooftop units.
  • Refrigerated transport / other — 10% (40 CFR § 84.106(c)). Refrigerated transport and everything else with a full charge of 15 lb or more (40 CFR § 84.106(a)).

The federal leak-repair rule applies to refrigerant-containing appliances with a full charge of 15 or more pounds of refrigerant, where the refrigerant contains a regulated substance or a substitute with a global warming potential greater than 53 (40 CFR § 84.106(a)), in effect since January 1, 2026. It does not apply to appliances in the residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump subsector (40 CFR § 84.106(a)).

This calculator is an educational estimate, not legal advice and not a compliance determination. Regulatory values are pending legal review — verify with counsel. For recordkeeping-grade calculations on every service event, try RefriComply free.

Want the formulas and worked examples behind this tool? Read our step-by-step guide: How to Calculate Refrigerant Leak Rates