Safe Disposal and Evacuation Requirements for Low-Pressure Equipment
Disposal and evacuation questions test the final recovery endpoint, the prohibition on venting, and the paperwork that must follow a retired low-pressure appliance. The key number is 25 mm Hg absolute for low-pressure equipment.
Core rules
- Before scrapping, dismantling, or disposing of a low-pressure appliance, recover the refrigerant. Knowing venting is prohibited; recovery must be done by a certified technician using certified recovery equipment.
- The required evacuation level for a low-pressure appliance is 25 mm Hg absolute. This applies to final evacuation before disposal, not just to service recovery.
- Recover liquid first, then vapor, and use low-pressure-rated equipment. Do not use the appliance’s compressor as a makeshift recovery device unless the procedure and equipment are permitted and certified.
- Refrigerant removed from a disposed appliance must be recycled, reclaimed, or destroyed. If it is contaminated or mixed, send it to an EPA-certified reclaimer; do not vent it.
- Document the refrigerant type, amount recovered, date, and final evacuation reading. Retain disposal and recovery records as required; owners and technicians should be able to show the chain of custody.
- If an appliance cannot be repaired and is being retired, recover the charge before transport or scrap. Do not ship a charged low-pressure appliance to a scrapyard and assume the yard will handle it.
Worked example
A hospital retires an R-11 chiller. The contractor recovers until the gauge reads 2 psig, then sends the shell to scrap. Is this compliant? No. 2 psig is above atmospheric pressure, so refrigerant remains in the shell. The required endpoint is 25 mm Hg absolute. The contractor must continue recovery with low-pressure equipment, record the final reading, and send the recovered R-11 for reclamation or destruction. Opening the shell at 2 psig could cause a prohibited release.
Traps that cost marks
- Stopping at 0 psig and calling the job complete.
- Confusing the low-pressure endpoint with the 80% recovery rule for small appliances.
- Venting residual refrigerant because the appliance is being scrapped.
- Failing to document the final evacuation.
- Assuming the scrap yard is responsible for recovery.