EPA 608 Type III key terms

Under EPA rules, refrigeration or air-conditioning equipment that operates at a suction pressure below atmospheric pressure, typically using refrigerants such as R-11, R-123, or R-113.

A refrigerant whose boiling point at atmospheric pressure is high enough that the system runs in a vacuum, so air and moisture tend to leak inward rather than refrigerant leaking outward.

A storage tank or receiver built to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers pressure-vessel code, required for holding recovered refrigerant at rated pressure and temperature.

A refillable container used to hold refrigerant removed from equipment; it must be DOT-approved or ASME-rated, properly marked, and never filled beyond its rated capacity.

A refillable pressure container manufactured and marked to U.S. Department of Transportation specifications, used for transporting recovered refrigerant and subject to periodic requalification.

The maximum weight of refrigerant allowed in a recovery container, commonly 80 percent of the cylinder's water capacity for low-pressure refrigerants, to leave room for liquid expansion.

The increase in refrigerant volume as it warms; in a sealed cylinder this raises pressure, so containers must be filled to leave a vapor space and never overfilled.

The act of removing refrigerant from an appliance and storing it in an external container, without necessarily cleaning it, so it can be reused, recycled, or reclaimed later.

Cleaning recovered refrigerant for reuse by removing oil, moisture, and particulates, typically by filtering and separating in the field; it does not restore the refrigerant to a specified purity standard.

Reprocessing refrigerant to meet a published purity specification, such as AHRI Standard 700, using laboratory-verified analysis; it must be done by an EPA-certified reclaimer.

The industry standard that specifies purity limits for reclaimed refrigerants, including allowable moisture, acidity, and noncondensable gas content, used to certify reclaimed product.

A company or facility certified by EPA to reprocess used refrigerant to AHRI 700 purity and to accept refrigerant for reclamation, as listed in EPA's reclaimer registry.

A mechanical system, often a compressor-driven unit, that pulls refrigerant vapor from an appliance and condenses it into a recovery container for storage.

Removing refrigerant from an appliance as a gas, which is slower than liquid recovery but leaves the system at a lower final pressure and is used for the final portion of evacuation.

Removing refrigerant from an appliance as a liquid, which is much faster than vapor recovery and is used first when the system contains a large liquid charge.

Air or another gas that does not condense at normal system temperatures; in low-pressure systems it collects in the condenser and raises head pressure, reducing efficiency.

The inward leakage of air and moisture into a low-pressure system because it operates below atmospheric pressure, a common cause of noncondensables and acid formation.

A device that removes noncondensable gases from a low-pressure system's condenser; older units vented refrigerant, while modern units recover refrigerant before exhausting air.

Water that enters a system, often with infiltrating air, causing corrosion, ice formation at orifices, and acid formation when combined with refrigerant and oil.

A replaceable device containing desiccant that removes moisture and captures particulates and acids from refrigerant circulating in a system.

A field or laboratory check of refrigerant or oil for acidity, used to decide whether a charge can be recycled or must be reclaimed and whether system cleanup is needed.

The process of removing moisture from a system, usually by deep evacuation with a vacuum pump and by replacing filter-driers, before recharging refrigerant.

Evacuation of a system to a very low absolute pressure, measured in microns, to boil off moisture and verify that the system is tight and dry.

An electronic instrument that measures absolute pressure in microns, used to confirm that evacuation has reached the required vacuum level and that the system holds it.

A test in which the system is isolated under deep vacuum and observed; a rapid pressure rise indicates a leak, while a slow rise suggests remaining moisture.

A procedure that evacuates the system, breaks the vacuum with dry nitrogen, and repeats, helping to sweep moisture and noncondensables out of the system.

Nitrogen gas free of moisture, used to pressurize systems for leak testing and to break a vacuum during evacuation without introducing water or oxygen.

A leak check in which dry nitrogen or another inert gas raises system pressure while the outside of joints and components is checked for escaping gas.

The process of finding refrigerant or vacuum leaks using methods such as electronic detectors, soap bubbles, ultrasonic tools, or pressure and vacuum decay tests.

Correcting a refrigerant leak, such as by tightening, brazing, or replacing a component, and then verifying the repair with a follow-up leak check before recharging.

Computing the percentage of a full charge lost per year, used to determine whether an appliance exceeds the regulatory leak-rate threshold and triggers repair obligations.

A leak that persists after repair attempts or that causes an appliance to exceed the applicable leak-rate threshold repeatedly, potentially requiring retrofit or retirement.

The Clean Air Act provision that governs refrigerant handling, requiring technician certification, safe disposal, leak repair, and recordkeeping for ozone-depleting refrigerants.

The EPA regulation implementing Section 608, setting the rules for refrigerant recovery, recycling, reclamation, leak repair, recordkeeping, and technician certification.

The credential required by EPA for people who service, maintain, repair, or dispose of appliances containing regulated refrigerants; Type III covers low-pressure appliances.

The requirement that refrigerant be recovered from appliances before they are scrapped or dismantled, and that the recovery be documented to show compliance.

Maintaining required documents such as service records, refrigerant purchase and disposal records, leak repair records, and disposal certifications for the required retention period.

Pressure exerted by liquid refrigerant trapped in a closed section of piping or a cylinder as it warms, which can rupture components and cause serious injury.

The percentage of the original refrigerant charge that a recovery process removes, with EPA rules setting minimum evacuation levels for low-pressure appliances.