Refrigerant Recovery, Recycling, Reclamation and Cylinder Management
Refrigerant recovery, recycling, reclamation and cylinder management
This domain tests whether you can define and apply the refrigerant handling chain correctly, and whether you can manage cylinders without overfilling, mixing or contaminating them.
Core rules
- Recovery removes refrigerant from a system and stores it; it does not restore specification.
- Recycling cleans refrigerant on site, usually by oil separation and filter-drier treatment; it remains a used product and is not automatically returned to virgin specification.
- Reclamation reprocesses refrigerant to a defined specification and is supported by laboratory analysis. Recycled refrigerant should not be described as reclaimed.
- Use dedicated recovery cylinders. Check tare weight, gross weight, maximum fill and inspection date. The common maximum fill is 80% of cylinder capacity by weight; always follow the cylinder marking and local rules.
- Never mix refrigerant types. Use a refrigerant identifier when identity is uncertain. Check for non-condensables and follow the recovery machine and cylinder instructions.
Worked example
A recovery cylinder has a tare of 8.0 kg and a water capacity of 12.0 kg. At an 80% limit, the maximum refrigerant mass is 9.6 kg and the maximum gross mass is 17.6 kg. The system holds 0.8 kg and the cylinder currently weighs 8.0 kg, so the final gross mass would be 8.8 kg. It is safe to use. If the cylinder already weighed 9.5 kg, adding 0.8 kg would give 10.3 kg, exceeding 9.6 kg; use another cylinder.
Traps
- Treating recycled refrigerant as reclaimed.
- Filling by liquid level rather than by weight.
- Mixing R134a and R1234yf in one cylinder.
- Using a disposable can as a recovery cylinder.
- Ignoring non-condensable pressure rise.