How can the technician confirm the 90 percent level was met with newer equipment?

Recovery techniques · EPA 608 Type I. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

Identifying refrigerants, access valves, passive recovery and solderless fittings.

The question

A refrigerator's nameplate charge is 9 ounces, and the compressor works. How can the technician confirm the 90 percent level was met with newer equipment?

• ACheck that all the frost has melted off the evaporator coil
• BRun the recovery for 20 minutes and stop
• CWeigh what was recovered: it must be at least 8.1 ouncesCorrect answer
• DCheck that the high side reads 0 psig

Why “Weigh what was recovered: it must be at least 8.1 ounces” is correct

Ninety percent of a 9-ounce charge is 8.1 ounces, so weighing the recovered refrigerant against the nameplate charge shows whether the level was met. The technician may instead evacuate to 4 inches of Hg vacuum.

Source: 40 CFR 82.156(b)

Why the other answers are wrong

• Check that all the frost has melted off the evaporator coil — Frost tells you nothing about how much refrigerant was recovered.
• Run the recovery for 20 minutes and stop — A fixed time does not prove a recovery level.
• Check that the high side reads 0 psig — Zero psig does not equal 90 percent recovery or the 4-inch option.

Practice more of this

More EPA 608 Type I practice questions, or see every EPA 608 practice test.