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EPA 608 Core Exam·Recover, Recycle, Reclaim

What should be done with refrigerant removed from a system that is suspected of being contaminated?

  1. AReturn it to any refrigerant supplier
  2. BRelease it to the atmosphere
  3. Send it to a certified reclaimer or dispose of properly
  4. DUse it in another system

Correct answer

Send it to a certified reclaimer or dispose of properly

Why

Contaminated refrigerant must be sent to a certified reclaimer for processing or properly disposed of - never vented or reused without reclaiming.

The concept behind this question

Recover, recycle and reclaim are three distinct things and the exam tests whether you know the difference. Recovering means removing refrigerant from an appliance and storing it, with no processing. Recycling means cleaning it for reuse — typically oil separation and a filter-drier pass — usually on site. Reclaiming means reprocessing it to meet the AHRI 700 purity specification, which requires laboratory analysis and can only be done by a certified reclaimer, not in the field.

More questions on this topic

Exam-style practice question. Not an official EPA exam question.