Charge8 min
Recovery and evacuation
EPA 608 path: recover, repair, evacuate, weigh in. No venting, no ‘just a hiss.’
Recovery
- Identify refrigerant. Use a tank that is empty or same gas, in date, and not overfilled (80% by weight).
- Purge hoses into the recovery path, not the air. Core tools save time and reduce loss.
- Push-pull on large charges. Standard recovery on small splits. Watch tank temperature and pressure.
Evacuation
- New or freshly opened system: evacuate to 500 microns or the OEM spec, then isolate and watch decay.
- Decay that rises fast and stalls high is moisture or a leak. Decay that rises then flattens can be outgassing — hold longer.
- Change vacuum pump oil when it milks. A dirty pump will not make micron.
- Never use the compressor as a vacuum pump.
Weigh-in
- Nameplate charge is for factory line-set length. Add or subtract per OEM feet of liquid line.
- A2L (R-32, R-454B): charge limits, no open flame, leak-check before applying power.