EPA AIM Act · Refrigerant compliance
The Leak Rules Are Live.
WatchTower Keeps You Ahead of Them.
Proven leak-detection results from leading retailers. WatchTower’s AI-driven monitoring helps grocers detect refrigerant loss early, document everything the EPA asks for, and avoid the penalties, with a 24/7 triage center behind every alert.
What the new EPA rules require
The thresholds that now apply to your racks.
Effective January 1, 2026 under the AIM Act. Systems installed 2017 to 2025 must retrofit automatic leak detection by January 1, 2027.
Systems with 15 lbs or more of HFCs must meet leak-repair requirements, rate thresholds, and inspection provisions.
Large-charge systems must have Automatic Leak Detection (ALD) installed, from day one on new systems.
Annual leak-rate caps: 20% for commercial refrigeration, 30% industrial process, 10% comfort cooling.
Complete records of all leaks, repairs, and refrigerant additions, available for EPA audits.
Per day, per violation, for non-compliance. That cost dwarfs the monitoring that prevents it.
Existing systems installed 2017 to 2025 must be retrofitted with ALD by this date.
EPA § 84.108 checklist
How WatchTower meets the ALD requirements.
- Coverage where required: applies to refrigerant systems over 1,500 lb charge using refrigerants with GWP above 53.
- Annual audit & calibration: the ALD system is audited and calibrated annually, with records kept.
- Loss alerts at the threshold: alerts trigger when refrigerant loss exceeds 50 lb or 10% of full charge.
- Three-year alert log: every date the ALD system triggers is recorded and retained for at least 3 years.
Featured case study
Tailored technology with big results.
One store, one alert, and the documented path from detection to repair. The same records that keep the equipment running are the records an EPA audit asks for.
A failing valve, caught before it failed.
Challenge
- Temperatures fluctuating in a supermarket refrigeration unit.
- Traditional monitoring often misses fluctuations until they escalate.
- Undetected drift risks system failure, spoiled product, and off-hours repairs.
Solution
- WatchTower’s AI platform flagged inconsistent temps with a Case Health Smart Alarm®.
- A timely evaluation found a malfunctioning EPR valve, cleaned and restored.
- 24/7 remote monitoring by the triage center confirmed stable recovery.
Results
- No emergency service calls, no overtime, zero downtime.
- Valve failure and repair costs avoided; product losses prevented.
- Energy efficiency restored and equipment lifespan extended.
“WatchTower gave us the visibility and control we needed to get ahead of the new EPA requirements.”
Three full case studies are available on request: request the case study pack.
Take action
The deadline passed.
The retrofit window hasn’t.
New systems need ALD at install; 2017 to 2025 systems must retrofit by January 1, 2027. A free compliance assessment shows exactly where your fleet stands.