6 Type I: Small Appliances
Learn how Type I certification applies to small appliances, how to meet refrigerant recovery requirements, and how to service and handle recovered refrigerant safely.
Scope and certification
A is factory-manufactured, charged, and hermetically sealed, with a refrigerant charge of pounds ( kg) or less. Examples include household refrigerators and freezers, window or portable air conditioners, dehumidifiers, vending machines, drinking-water coolers, and under-counter ice makers. Classification depends on the appliance’s manufacture and refrigerant charge, not simply its size.
covers servicing small appliances. A technician who may disturb the refrigerant circuit—by connecting gauges, adding or removing refrigerant, or replacing a refrigerant-circuit component, for example—generally must hold the appropriate Section 608 certification. Small appliances are exempt from the certification requirement for refrigerant recovery when they are being prepared for disposal; this exception does not remove the obligation to recover refrigerant properly.
Recovery requirements
Before opening a for service or disposing of it, recover the refrigerant using equipment certified for the work. The required recovery level depends on the recovery equipment’s manufacture date and, for equipment made on or after November 15, 1993, whether the appliance compressor works.
Equipment made before November 15, 1993: Recover at least of the refrigerant, whether or not the compressor works.
Equipment made on or after November 15, 1993, with a functioning compressor: Recover at least .
Equipment made on or after November 15, 1993, with a nonfunctioning compressor: Recover at least .
Alternative for any of these cases: Evacuate the appliance to a -inch-of-mercury vacuum reading relative to atmospheric pressure.
Follow the recovery equipment manufacturer’s instructions. For example, if an appliance contains ounces of refrigerant, its compressor works, and the equipment was made on or after November 15, 1993, the recovery option requires removing at least ounces. Evacuating to the specified vacuum is the alternative.
Recovery equipment and methods
uses its own compressor or another means to remove refrigerant; it does not rely on the appliance’s compressor. uses pressure differences and/or components in the appliance to move refrigerant into an external container. Passive equipment can be used on small appliances, but it cannot be used on an appliance with a full charge above pounds unless it is permanently attached as a pump-out unit.
For an appliance with a working compressor, operate the compressor when using system-dependent recovery equipment. For an appliance with an inoperative compressor, establish access to both the high and low sides so refrigerant can be removed from both sides of the sealed system.
Test-topic examples of passive recovery methods include applying heat and sharply striking the compressor, or using a vacuum pump with a non-pressurized recovery container. Use such techniques carefully and only in accordance with equipment and service procedures; do not damage the compressor or create a safety hazard.
Equipment must be suitable for the appliance and refrigerant, certified as applicable, and used according to its instructions. AHRI and UL are approved equipment-testing organizations; look for the equipment certification label. Equipment standards differ, including standards for equipment intended for flammable refrigerants.
Service, handling, and safety
Identify the refrigerant before connecting equipment by checking the appliance label and service information. Pressure–temperature relationships can serve as a diagnostic check: compare the measured pressure with the expected saturation pressure at the measured refrigerant temperature. A discrepancy can indicate a misidentified refrigerant or noncondensables, but pressure and temperature alone do not substitute for proper refrigerant identification.
Use compatible recovery equipment and containers to prevent and emissions. Minimize hose loss, do not mix different refrigerants in a recovery container, and do not knowingly vent refrigerant during service; recover it instead.
When recovering refrigerant from an appliance with an inoperative compressor, access to both sides is important. Remove temporary solderless access fittings at the end of service, and reseal or restore access tubing as appropriate to the appliance design.
Recovered refrigerant may generally be returned to the same appliance or used in another appliance owned by the same person. Used refrigerant cannot be sold unless it has been reclaimed by an EPA-certified reclaimer.
Follow appliance and equipment instructions, use appropriate personal protective equipment, and take additional precautions when the refrigerant is flammable. Never energize a hermetic compressor while it is under vacuum.