Recovery, Recycling
& Reclaiming

Three Distinct Processes

EPA regulations recognize three distinct processes for handling refrigerant removed from equipment. Understanding the differences is essential - they have different requirements, equipment, and end results.

Process	What It Does	Where Done	Reuse Allowed?
Recovery	Removes refrigerant from system into external container without testing or processing	On-site, in the field	Only if recycled or reclaimed first
Recycling	Cleans refrigerant using oil separators, filter-driers, and moisture removal - does not meet ARI 700	On-site, in the shop	Yes - in the same equipment or same owner's equipment
Reclaiming	Reprocesses refrigerant to ARI Standard 700 purity at a certified facility - chemical analysis required	Off-site at certified reclaim facility	Yes - can be resold commercially

? Key Distinction

Only reclaimed refrigerant meets ARI Standard 700 purity and can be resold or transferred to different equipment owners. Recycled refrigerant can only be used in the same system or systems owned by the same owner - it cannot be resold or transferred.

Recovery Equipment Requirements

Recovery equipment must be EPA-certified (tested by an EPA-approved equipment testing organization). There are two recovery equipment certification standards:

UL 1963 - Most widely used standard for refrigerant recovery equipment
ARI 740 - Equipment performance standard

Recovery machines must achieve the required recovery efficiency before the technician may open the system. The machine runs until system pressure drops to the required level.

Recovery Procedures - Step by Step

Before You Begin

Identify the refrigerant type - use a refrigerant identifier on unknown systems
Select appropriate recovery equipment certified for that refrigerant type (R-1234yf requires A2L-rated equipment)
Select a properly labeled, appropriate recovery cylinder with sufficient remaining capacity
Inspect recovery cylinder for damage and verify fill level is below 80%

Recovery Process

Connect blue (low-side) hose to system low-side service port
Connect red (high-side) hose to system high-side service port
Connect recovery machine outlet to recovery cylinder
Open service valves and start recovery machine
Continue until required system pressure is achieved (per EPA recovery efficiency requirements)
Isolate recovery cylinder and verify system pressure remains stable (not rising, which would indicate incomplete recovery)
Record amount of refrigerant recovered (required for systems >50 lbs of refrigerant)

Pushing Liquid vs. Recovering Vapor

Recovery speed can be increased by recovering liquid refrigerant first before recovering the remaining vapor:

Connect the liquid line service valve (where present) to recover liquid directly
Liquid recovery is much faster than vapor recovery - the same mass flows much more quickly
After liquid is recovered, switch to vapor recovery for the remaining refrigerant
Be careful not to allow liquid to enter the recovery machine's compressor - use the liquid recovery fitting on the machine if provided

System Evacuation After Recovery

After recovery and any repairs, the system must be evacuated before recharging:

Connect vacuum pump to system (use dedicated vacuum pump - not recovery machine)
Evacuate to target vacuum depth: 500 microns or better
Isolate vacuum pump from system by closing valves
Hold vacuum for 5-10 minutes - pressure should remain stable
Rising pressure indicates a leak - find and repair before charging

? Module 3 Module 5: Leak Detection ?