Refrigerant reclaiming is the process of reprocessing used or contaminated refrigerant to restore it to a level of purity equivalent to newly manufactured (virgin) refrigerant. This is accomplished through distillation, filtration, chemical treatment, and other processing methods performed at EPA-certified reclamation facilities. Once reclaimed, the refrigerant is verified to meet the stringent purity requirements of AHRI Standard 700 and can be resold and reused in HVAC and refrigeration systems with full confidence in its performance.
Technical Details and Process
Reclaiming goes well beyond simple recovery or field recycling. The process involves removing oil, moisture, acids, particulates, non-condensable gases, and other contaminants that accumulate during normal system operation or as a result of compressor burnouts and equipment failures. Key steps in the reclamation process typically include:
- Distillation to separate refrigerant from oils and heavy contaminants
- Filtration through activated alumina or molecular sieves to remove moisture and acid
- Chemical analysis and gas chromatography testing to verify final purity levels
- Packaging into properly labeled cylinders marked “Reclaimed” with batch traceability
Reclaimed refrigerant must achieve purity levels of 99.5% or higher (by weight) for most common refrigerants, with moisture content typically limited to 10 ppm or less, depending on the specific refrigerant type. These thresholds are defined in AHRI Standard 700-2024, which covers over 60 refrigerant types.
Regulatory Framework and Standards
Refrigerant reclamation is regulated under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act. Only EPA-certified reclaimers are authorized to process used refrigerant for resale. Key regulatory and industry requirements include:
- EPA certification is mandatory for any entity performing reclamation for resale purposes
- Reclaimers must verify that processed refrigerant meets AHRI Standard 700 before it re-enters the market
- Reclamation facilities must report annually to the EPA on the quantities of refrigerant received and reclaimed, broken down by type
- The AIM Act of 2020 has further strengthened reclamation requirements as part of the HFC phasedown, increasing the importance of reclaimed supplies for high-GWP refrigerants like R-410A and R-134a
Practical Significance
Reclaiming plays a critical role in extending the available supply of refrigerants that are being phased down or phased out. As production allowances for HFCs decrease under the AIM Act schedule (which targets a 85% reduction in HFC production and consumption by 2036), reclaimed refrigerant becomes an increasingly valuable resource for servicing existing equipment. For HVAC contractors, sourcing reclaimed refrigerant can provide meaningful cost savings compared to purchasing virgin product, particularly for legacy refrigerants like R-22, where new production has been banned since January 1, 2020.
It is important to distinguish reclaiming from recycling. Recycled refrigerant is cleaned using basic field equipment (oil separation and single-pass filtration) and can only be reused in the same owner’s equipment. Reclaimed refrigerant, by contrast, has been restored to certified purity standards and can be sold to any end user, making it functionally identical to new refrigerant for all system applications.
Related Terms
- Refrigerant Recovery
- Refrigerant Recycling
- AHRI Standard 700
- EPA Section 608 Certification
- AIM Act (American Innovation and Manufacturing Act)
- HFC Phasedown
- Refrigerant Bank