What is the definition of refrigerant recovery?

Refrigerant recovery is defined as the process of removing refrigerant from a system and storing it in an external container. This definition encompasses the entire scope of recovery operations, which include collecting refrigerant from a cooling system, regardless of whether it is in vapor or liquid form. The primary purpose of refrigerant recovery is to ensure that the refrigerant is safely removed and can either be reused, recycled, or disposed of according to regulations and environmental standards.

This process is crucial because it helps prevent refrigerant from being released into the atmosphere, which can contribute to environmental issues, including ozone depletion and climate change. It also ensures that the refrigerant is handled in a manner that complies with industry standards and legal requirements.

The other definitions, while related to refrigerant management, do not fully capture what recovery entails. For example, cleaning refrigerant for reuse involves both recovery and additional procedures, while processing refrigerant to specifications refers to the treatment of refrigerant rather than its initial recovery. Storing refrigerant temporarily doesn’t imply the critical action of removing it from a system, thus missing out on the broader implications of the recovery process.