Refrigerant reclaim is the industrial process of purifying used refrigerant recovered from HVAC systems to meet original equipment specifications and reuse standards. Licensed reclaim facilities use advanced filtration, distillation, and testing methods to restore used refrigerant to virgin quality, removing contaminants including moisture, acid, and non-condensable gases. Reclaimed refrigerant costs 30 to 50 percent less than new refrigerant and reduces landfill waste substantially.
Reclaim Process and Standards
Reclaim technicians perform detailed analysis testing refrigerant for acidity, moisture content, and non-condensable gas levels according to ARI Standard 700 specifications. Multi-stage distillation removes contaminants, while vacuum processes eliminate moisture. Reclaimed refrigerant must pass rigorous purity tests before certification for reuse, ensuring equipment compatibility and performance reliability comparable to newly manufactured product.
Environmental and Economic Benefits
Reclaim programs prevent 15 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions annually across the HVAC industry. Cost savings encourage technician participation in proper refrigerant recovery and reclaim procedures. However, reclaiming high-GWP refrigerants like R-22 and R-410A becomes economically challenging as regulations phase these products out, shifting industry focus toward low-GWP refrigerant systems with limited reclaim infrastructure currently available.