EPA 608 and HFC Leak Rate Calculator
Our CMMS includes statutory compliance tools like this calculator, built to help HVAC service companies and facility managers track refrigerant usage, record service additions, and monitor EPA leak-repair limits. Calculate system leak rates dynamically using the EPA annualized method. Check a rate against EPA's HFC leak repair rule (40 CFR 84.106, from 1 January 2026) or, for ozone-depleting refrigerants such as R-22, the Section 608 leak repair rule (40 CFR 82.157).
The rule this calculator applies
Since January 1, 2026 EPA's HFC leak repair rule (40 CFR 84.106, under the AIM Act) requires leak repair on appliances with a full charge of 15 lbs or more of an HFC or a substitute with a GWP above 53, when the annualized rate exceeds 10% comfort cooling, 20% commercial refrigeration or 30% industrial process. It does not apply to residential and light-commercial air conditioners and heat pumps at any charge size. Ozone-depleting refrigerants such as R-22 stay under the Section 608 leak repair rule (40 CFR 82.157) at 50 lbs. For what changed, the repair and verification deadlines, the chronic-leaker report and who is exempt, see EPA leak rate thresholds explained. Not sure the rule reaches your unit at all? Typical charges by equipment type. Whether or not leak repair applies, the venting and recovery rules still do.This tool is a calculation aid, not a compliance determination. Check the rule for your appliance and refrigerant: 40 CFR 84.106 (HFCs, from 1 January 2026), 40 CFR 82.157 (ozone-depleting refrigerants, Section 608) and EPA's Section 608 leak repair page. Equipment Tracker Pro keeps your records; it does not make you compliant.
Annualized Leak Rate Formula
Rate = (Lbs Added / Full Charge) * (365 / Days) * 100, where Days = Days Since Last Addition or 365, whichever is shorter
This is the annualizing method from the EPA's definition of leak rate (40 CFR 84.102, and 82.152 for ozone-depleting refrigerants such as R-22). The rule also allows a rolling average method; a facility has to use the same method for all of its appliances.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to enter to get a leak rate?
Three numbers and two choices: the full charge of the appliance in pounds, the pounds of refrigerant added at the last charge, and the number of days since the previous addition. The refrigerant and the appliance class decide which rule and which trigger rate the result is measured against. The rate appears as you type — there is no submit step.
Why does the calculator ask which refrigerant is in the system?
Because the charge at which the rule applies depends on it. An HFC or high-GWP substitute is measured against the 15 lb line in 40 CFR Part 84 Subpart C; R-22 is an ozone-depleting HCFC, is excluded from that rule by 40 CFR 84.106(a)(3)(i), and is measured against the 50 lb line in 40 CFR Part 82 Subpart F. Choosing "Other HFC/HCFC" cannot be resolved to one rule, so the calculator applies the 15 lb line and labels the result as an assumption — check which one your refrigerant is before relying on it.
Does this calculator store my results or need an account?
No to both. The arithmetic runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded, and nothing is kept once you close the tab. It is a scratchpad, not a record. Logging the addition against the equipment record in Equipment Tracker Pro is what produces something you can show later.
Why did the calculator not flag a rate that looks high?
A flag needs two things to be true at once: the annualized rate has to be above the trigger rate for the appliance class you picked, and the full charge has to reach the line at which the rule applies to that refrigerant. A 6 lb system leaking heavily is above the rate and below the charge line, so the leak-repair obligation is not triggered and the calculator does not claim it is.
Why does a comfort cooling result carry an exemption note?
Because residential and light-commercial air conditioning and heat pump systems are excluded from EPA's HFC leak repair rule whatever their charge (40 CFR 84.106(a)(3)(ii)), and the calculator cannot tell from a charge size which side of that line a given unit sits on. It shows the number and says the exemption may apply, rather than suppressing a result that a technician may still want on the record.
Automate Your Compliance Logbooks
Don't calculate leak rates by hand on paper. Equipment Tracker Pro works out EPA leak rates on-site, flags an addition over the trigger rate the moment you log it, and keeps every refrigerant addition logged and organized for your compliance records. If you are still choosing a tool, our guide to HVAC equipment tracking software compares the options.