5.2 Type I Recovery Requirements
Key Takeaways
With recovery equipment manufactured on or after November 15, 1993, a small appliance must have 90% of its refrigerant recovered if the compressor is operating, or 80% if it is not, or be evacuated to 4 inches of Hg vacuum.
System-dependent (passive) recovery relies on the appliance's compressor or internal pressure; when the compressor works, it must be run during recovery.
With an inoperative compressor, passive recovery still works with help — access valves on both the high and low sides, heating and sharply striking the compressor, or a vacuum pump with a non-pressurized recovery container — and self-contained equipment is another option.
Recovery equipment manufactured before November 15, 1993 must recover 80% whether or not the compressor works, or reach 4 in. Hg.
Compressor condition drives two decisions at once: the required recovery percentage and the recovery technique.
Type I Recovery Requirements
Once a technician has classified an appliance as a Type I small appliance and checked whether the recovery equipment was made before or on/after November 15, 1993, the next question is: how much refrigerant must actually be recovered before the sealed system can be opened, disposed of, or sent for disposal? EPA Section 608 answers that question with a standard built around one variable — whether the compressor is operating or not.
The 90% / 80% / 4-in.-Hg Standard
When the recovery equipment was manufactured on or after November 15, 1993, a technician must do ONE of the following before the appliance can be serviced further or discarded:
| Compressor condition | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating (functional) | Recover 90% of the refrigerant charge |
| Not operating (inoperative) | Recover 80% of the refrigerant charge |
| Either condition (alternative method) | Evacuate the system to 4 inches of mercury (in. Hg) vacuum |
The distinction between an operating and a non-operating compressor exists because compressor condition directly affects how completely refrigerant can be pulled from the sealed system. A functioning compressor can help move refrigerant toward a recovery device, supporting a higher 90% target. Once the compressor stops functioning, recovery becomes fully dependent on external equipment (passive migration or a self-contained pump), which is why the rule accepts a somewhat lower 80% target — or the 4 in. Hg vacuum alternative — for that scenario.
Notice that the standard gives a technician two ways to satisfy the requirement: hit the applicable percentage using an appropriate recovery method, or pull the system down to 4 in. Hg vacuum, whichever is achievable and verifiable with the equipment on hand. The 4 in. Hg vacuum alternative exists because, on some small appliances, verifying an exact recovered percentage is harder than simply confirming the vacuum level on a gauge.
Recovery equipment manufactured before November 15, 1993 must recover 80% of the refrigerant whether or not the compressor works, or reach 4 in. Hg — so check the recovery machine's date, not the appliance's.
What "Operative" Actually Means
An operative compressor is one that runs and is capable of pumping refrigerant through the system — it does not have to be running perfectly or efficiently, only capable of moving refrigerant. A compressor that hums but is mechanically seized, or one that has no electrical continuity and will not start at all, is inoperative for the purposes of this rule. A technician who is unsure whether a compressor qualifies as operative should attempt to start it under normal conditions before deciding which recovery percentage applies and which category of recovery equipment can legally be used. Guessing in either direction carries real consequences: assuming a marginal compressor is operative when it truly is not can leave refrigerant trapped in the oil if the technician skips the access-valve, heat-and-strike, or vacuum-pump steps, while assuming an operative compressor is inoperative can lead to needlessly settling for the lower 80% recovery figure when 90% was achievable and required.
Confirming Recovery in the Field
In practice, technicians confirm they have met the recovery standard in one of two ways: by tracking the weight of refrigerant pulled into the recovery cylinder against the appliance's nameplate charge (to estimate the recovered percentage), or by watching the system gauge fall to the 4 in. Hg vacuum alternative and holding there once the recovery machine is isolated. Whichever method is used, the goal is the same — leave as little refrigerant as legally and practically possible inside the sealed system before it is opened, repaired, or scrapped.
Using recovery equipment manufactured well after 1993, a technician finds a small appliance's compressor running normally at the start of the service call. What is the minimum percentage of refrigerant the technician must recover?
70%
75%
80%
90%
System-Dependent (Passive) Recovery and the Compressor
System-dependent recovery equipment — also called passive recovery — relies on components in the appliance, its compressor or internal pressure, to move refrigerant into a recovery container. EPA's Type I topics tie the technique to compressor condition:
- Compressor operative: run the appliance's compressor during recovery so it pushes refrigerant toward the recovery device.
- Compressor inoperative: passive recovery still works with help — install access valves on both the high and low sides, heat and sharply strike the compressor to free refrigerant from the oil, or use a vacuum pump with a non-pressurized recovery container.
Self-contained recovery equipment, which has its own compressor, is the other option and works regardless of the appliance's condition. System-dependent equipment may not be used on appliances with a full charge of more than 15 lb unless it is permanently attached as a pump-out unit, so every small appliance is within its limit.
The link to the table above: an inoperative compressor lowers the required recovery from 90% to 80% (with post-1993 recovery equipment) and changes the technique, but it does not make passive recovery illegal.
Using recovery equipment manufactured on or after November 15, 1993, a technician finds a small appliance's compressor operating. Which of the following satisfy the Type I recovery requirement? (Select all that apply)
Select all that apply
Recover 90% of the refrigerant charge
Recover 80% of the refrigerant charge
Evacuate the system to 4 inches of Hg vacuum
Recover 70% of the refrigerant charge
Vent the remaining refrigerant to the atmosphere once most of it has been recovered
A technician arrives to service a vending machine and finds its hermetic compressor will not start. Using a passive (system-dependent) recovery device, which step helps recover the refrigerant?
Heat and sharply strike the compressor to free refrigerant from the oil
Run the dead compressor anyway to push the refrigerant out
Vent the charge because the compressor cannot move it
Install a single low-side piercing valve and nothing else
Match each Type I recovery scenario to the requirement or rule that applies to it.
Match each item on the left with the correct item on the right
Post-1993 recovery equipment, compressor operating
Post-1993 recovery equipment, compressor not operating
System-dependent recovery equipment
Which statement correctly describes the Type I recovery requirement when the recovery equipment was manufactured before November 15, 1993?
There is no difference; every small appliance follows the 90%/80%/4-in.-Hg standard
It must recover 80% whether or not the compressor works (or reach 4 in. Hg)
It must recover 90% whether or not the compressor works
Older recovery equipment is exempt from all recovery requirements
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.