Recovery, Recycling & Safe Practices
Recovery equipment certification, efficiency requirements, vacuum levels, reclamation standards, pressure testing safety, nitrogen use, and brazing procedures.
- Identify the organizations that certify recovery and recycling equipment in the United States
- State the required recovery efficiencies for small appliances and the vacuum levels for high-pressure equipment
- Distinguish between recovery, recycling, and reclamation and explain AHRI 700 purity standards
- Describe safe pressure testing procedures using dry nitrogen
- Explain why oxygen must never be used for pressure testing and the purpose of nitrogen flow during brazing
- Identify Section 608 and AIM Act requirements for automatic leak detection in large commercial systems
Lesson 1
Recovery Equipment & Certification Standards
Recovery vs. Recycling vs. Reclamation
Before discussing equipment and standards, it is essential to understand three distinct terms that the EPA defines precisely and that the exam will test:
Recovery is the process of removing refrigerant from a system and storing it in an external container (typically a DOT-approved recovery cylinder) without necessarily testing or cleaning it. The refrigerant is simply transferred from the appliance to a tank. Recovery is required before opening a system for service, repair, or disposal.
Recycling involves cleaning recovered refrigerant for reuse by passing it through oil separation and basic filtration processes. Recycling is typically done on-site using recycling equipment and the cleaned refrigerant is reused in the same system or in other equipment owned by the same owner. Recycling reduces the refrigerant to a usable condition but does not guarantee it meets original manufacturer specifications.
Reclamation is a more rigorous process. Reclaimed refrigerant has been reprocessed to meet AHRI Standard 700 purity specifications. Reclamation can only be performed by an EPA-certified reclamation facility - not by a technician in the field. The reclamation process involves:
- Distillation to separate the refrigerant from contaminants
- Chemical analysis to verify purity levels
- Moisture removal to meet strict dryness requirements
- Acid and particulate removal
- Verification that the refrigerant meets the same quality standards as virgin (new) refrigerant
After reclamation, the refrigerant is essentially "like new" and can be sold to any buyer, resold by distributors, and used in any compatible system. Reclaimed refrigerant must be accompanied by documentation certifying it meets AHRI 700 standards.
Recycled Refrigerant
Process: Basic oil separation and filtration
Done by: Technician on-site
Purity: Usable but not guaranteed to manufacturer spec
Use: Same system or same owner's equipment only
Reclaimed Refrigerant
Process: Distillation, chemical analysis, drying, filtration
Done by: EPA-certified reclamation facility
Purity: Meets AHRI 700 - equivalent to virgin (new)
Use: Can be sold to anyone, used in any compatible system
Who Certifies Recovery Equipment?
All recovery and recycling equipment used in the United States must be certified by an EPA-approved testing organization. AHRI (Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute) and UL (Underwriters Laboratories) are the organizations that certify recovery equipment in the US.
The certification process ensures that recovery machines meet the EPA's minimum performance requirements for:
- Recovery efficiency (percentage of refrigerant removed from the system)
- Recovery rate (speed of recovery, measured in pounds per minute)
- Final vacuum level achieved
- Compatibility with specific refrigerants and pressure ranges
When purchasing or using recovery equipment, technicians should verify that the equipment bears AHRI or UL certification markings and is rated for the specific refrigerant being recovered. Using uncertified equipment is a violation of Section 608 regulations.
Equipment Ratings and Compatibility
Recovery equipment is rated for specific refrigerant types and pressure ranges:
- Small appliance recovery equipment - designed for self-contained, low-charge systems
- High-pressure recovery equipment - rated for refrigerants like R-22, R-410A, R-134a, R-404A
- Low-pressure recovery equipment - designed for refrigerants like R-11, R-123 that operate below atmospheric pressure
Always verify that your recovery machine is rated for the refrigerant you are recovering. Using a machine rated for R-22 pressures on an R-410A system can result in equipment failure, injury, or incomplete recovery.