Type I recovery techniques: EPA 608 Practice Questions

Where is refrigerant usually accessed on a small appliance that has no service valves?

Small appliances have a process stub. A piercing (tap) valve is installed on it, or on the tubing, to reach the refrigerant.

Why should a solderless piercing access valve not be left on a small appliance after service?

Clamp-on piercing valves are meant for temporary access and often leak. Remove them, or replace them with a brazed fitting, after the job.

Before recovering through a newly installed piercing valve, what should the technician check?

Check the pressure first to confirm there is refrigerant to recover and that the piercing valve has sealed. A leaking valve can pull in air and contaminate the recovered refrigerant.

Using system-dependent recovery on a small appliance whose compressor does not run, where should access be made?

Without the compressor to move refrigerant, the capillary tube traps refrigerant on each side, so access both sides to reach the required recovery level.

The compressor in a small appliance will not run. What helps release refrigerant trapped in the compressor oil during recovery?

Refrigerant dissolves in compressor oil. Gently heating the compressor (for example with a heat lamp) and tapping it helps the refrigerant boil out of the oil.

Using system-dependent recovery on a small appliance with a working compressor, what is the usual method?

An operating compressor pushes refrigerant to the high side, so it can be captured there into the recovery container, which reaches the 90% level more easily.

An old refrigerator, likely from before 1950, may not contain a fluorocarbon refrigerant. Which refrigerant might it contain that should not go into standard recovery equipment?

Some very old appliances used sulfur dioxide, methyl chloride or methyl formate. Identify the refrigerant first; these are toxic and should not be put through standard recovery equipment.

An RV refrigerator uses an absorption system with an ammonia-water solution. How should its refrigerant be handled?

Ammonia in absorption systems is an exempt substitute and is not compatible with fluorocarbon recovery equipment. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for these units.

A small appliance has a burned-out compressor and the oil smells acidic. What should the technician do with the recovered refrigerant?

Burnout refrigerant is contaminated with acid and should be kept separate and sent for reclamation or destruction. Contaminated refrigerant must still be recovered.

Before connecting recovery equipment to a small appliance, how should the technician identify the refrigerant?

The nameplate lists the refrigerant type and charge. Using the wrong recovery cylinder or equipment can mix refrigerants or create a fire hazard.

Why does a refrigerant pressure reading taken before recovery help on a small appliance?

A pressure near zero means the refrigerant has leaked out; a pressure matching the PT chart shows refrigerant is present and helps confirm its type.

How should the refrigerant charge be measured when recharging a small appliance?

Small appliances are critically charged: a fraction of an ounce matters. Weigh the exact nameplate charge with an accurate scale.

A household refrigerator has a slow leak. Do the federal leak repair requirements of 40 CFR 82.157 apply?

The leak repair rules cover appliances with a full charge of 50 lb or more of an ozone-depleting refrigerant. Fixing the leak is still good practice.

After opening the sealed system of a small appliance for a repair, what component is normally replaced?

Opening the system lets in moisture. A new filter-drier absorbs moisture and traps debris before the system is evacuated and recharged.

A technician recovers from a small appliance with a working compressor using a 2019 recovery unit, but captures only 85% of the charge. What is required?

With post-1993 equipment and a running compressor, the level is 90% (or 4 in Hg). The 80% level applies only when the compressor does not run.