processing, and testing are not part of the recovery process. Recovered refrigerant may contain acids, moisture, and oil. Recovery must be performed: • •• Before the system is opened for repairs. • Before disposing of any system or components containing refrigerant. • • When removing excess refrigerant from a system. • • Before pressurizing a system for leak detection with an inert gas. 15.4.2 Recycle Recycle means to clean refrigerant for reuse by removing moisture and contaminants from recovered refrigerant. Recycling is accomplished by repeatedly passing the recovered refrigerant through one or more filter-driers. See Figure 15‑6. A recycle unit uses a liquid pump (not a compressor) to pull liquid from the bottom of a cylinder via the dip tube (liquid valve). The liquid refrigerant is circulated through a replaceable core filter-drier and returned to the top of the cylinder (vapor valve). Recirculation of the liquid refrig- erant through the filter-drier removes moisture and contaminants and may require several hours. • •• 20% of full charge for commercial refrigeration. • 10% of full charge for comfort cooling and all other equipment with charges over 50 pounds. When a substantial leak is discovered, the owner or operator must take corrective action. Either the leak must be repaired or the owner or operator must develop a plan to retrofit or retire the equipment within one year. The repair must be made (or the plan must be developed) within 30 days to the discovery of the leak. If repair of an industrial system requires a process shutdown, the deadline for corrective action is extended to 120 days. Repair deadlines can also be extended if parts required for the repair cannot be readily obtained or if other regulations delay the repair. After a substantial leak is repaired, initial testing is required to ensure that the repair was executed correctly. Additional inspections are required annually until the owner can demon- strate through leak rate calculations that the leak no longer exceeds the trigger amount. For systems with a charge over 500 pounds, these follow-up inspections must be performed every three months. 15.4 The “Three Rs:” Recover, Recycle, Reclaim The type of system, the condition of the refrigerant, and other factors should be consid- ered when determining what to do with a system’s refrigerant charge. There are three main proce- dures when dealing with a refrigerant charge: • •• Recover •• Recycle • Reclaim. 15.4.1 Recover Recover means to remove refrigerant in any condition from a system and to store it in an approved cylinder or external container. It is illegal to purge or vent refrigerants to the atmosphere. Recovery equipment is required to avoid releasing refrigerant to the atmosphere when making repairs or disposing of refrigeration equipment. See Figure 15‑5. Recovered refrigerant is normally returned to the same system after repairs are finished. Recovery does not address the quality or reuse potential of the refrigerant. Cleaning, JB Industries Figure 15‑5. Refrigerant recovery equipment. Chapter 15 Refrigerant Recovery and Recycling 263 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.