Refrigerant Recycling

A refrigerant recycling unit is disposed to a recycling unit to receive the excess or heat waste and then discharging these waste components there from. The procedure for stratospheric ozone protection by refrigerant recycling involves that liquid and gas refrigerant is evacuated from the recycling unit to a heat discharger. The liquid that is flowing from the heat discharger is vaporized by the heat.

The use of a refrigerant recycling unit has been prescribed by many motor vehicle manufacturers in an attempt to help safe the environment and to help prevent further damage to the ozone layer that is around the earth. Legislation has made numerous changes to the definitions of phrases such as refrigerant and recycling to include more of the hazardous factors that can lead to destruction of the very valuable resources that mother earth is so desperately running out of.

Legislation also makes provision for the steps and procedures to be followed in this attempt to restore or maintain some of the natural conditions that was damaged by human interference. Refrigerant recycling is specifically dealt with under section 608 of the CAA. Under this section the EPA has established regulations that sets certification requirement for recycling and recovery equipment, technicians and re-claimers of refrigeration products. It also restrict the sale of refrigerant to certified technicians and requires from persons servicing or disposing of air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment to certify to the EPA that all recycling and recovery equipment was acquired and complied with the requirements as set out in the rules.

The regulations under this section further impose a penalty on the event of substantial leaks in air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. The regulatory requirement for technicians that repairs small appliances such as household refrigerators sets that eighty percent of the refrigerant must be recovered for all equipment that was manufactured before November 1993 or if the compressor in the appliance is not working. In the instance where the equipment was manufactured after November 1993, ninety percent of the refrigerant must be recovered while the compressor is still working. All these regulations help to promote refrigerant recycling among the persons in the trade.

Other preventative measures and regulations to help technicians contribute to refrigerant recycling includes adhering to a certification program for recovery and recycling equipment and the grandfathering of equipment that was manufactured before November 1993. The EPA has also established a technician certification program for persons who perform any duty with regards to the reasonable release of refrigerants into the atmosphere. Other regulations include restrictions on the sale of refrigerants, the certification of owners of recycling and recovery equipment, a re-claimer certification, safe disposal requirements, major record keeping requirements and instructions on hazardous waste disposal.