What does this mean?

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

Recovering liquid first, speeding recovery, and avoiding cross-contamination.

The question

A technician pulls a 200-pound R-22 system down to 10 inches of Hg vacuum, closes the valves, and five minutes later the gauge reads 2 psig. What does this mean?

• AThe gauge needs recalibrating
• BAir has leaked into the system through the hose connections
• CRefrigerant is still in the liquid or the oilCorrect answer
• DThe system is ready to open

Why “Refrigerant is still in the liquid or the oil” is correct

A pressure rise after recovery stops shows refrigerant is still boiling off, from leftover liquid or from the oil. The technician must resume recovery until the required level holds.

Source: EPA: Test Topics; 40 CFR 82.156(a)

Why the other answers are wrong

• The gauge needs recalibrating — A rise like this is the expected sign of remaining refrigerant, not a gauge fault.
• Air has leaked into the system through the hose connections — Air leaking in is not the usual reason for a quick climb above 0 psig.
• The system is ready to open — The required level is no longer met, so the system cannot be opened.

Practice more of this

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