---
title: "What certification standards must refrigerant recovery and recycling equipment meet under 40 CFR 82.158 before a technician can use it on the job? Answer in under 100 words."
canonical: https://www.m-i-n-d.ai/minds/hvac/certification-standards-must-refrigerant-recovery-recycling-equipment-meet
jurisdiction: "US Federal · EPA · 40 CFR Part 82 Subpart F (Clean Air Act Section 608)"
last_verified: 2026-08-26
license: CC BY 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
attribution: "Source: MIND (m-i-n-d.ai)"
---

# What certification standards must refrigerant recovery and recycling equipment meet under 40 CFR 82.158 before a technician can use it on the job? Answer in under 100 words.

Starting January 1, 2017, § 82.158 governs recovery and/or recycling equipment used on appliances and prohibits manufacturing or importing such equipment unless it is certified under the section. By build date: B1 (ARI 740-1993) covers Nov 15, 1993–Sep 21, 2003; B2 (ARI 740-1995) covers Sep 22, 2003–Dec 31, 2016; B3 (non-flammable) or B4 (flammable) covers Jan 1, 2017 onward. Machines must achieve the Table 2 evacuation levels for their appliance category, and technicians must use equipment certified pursuant to § 82.158.

## Details / How it works

- Starting January 1, 2017, § 82.158 governs recovery and/or recycling equipment used on appliances and prohibits manufacturing or importing such equipment unless it is certified under the section.
- Manufacturers and importers must have equipment built on or after November 15, 1993 certified by an approved equipment testing organization.
- By build date: B1 (ARI 740-1993) covers Nov 15, 1993–Sep 21, 2003; B2 (ARI 740-1995) covers Sep 22, 2003–Dec 31, 2016; B3 (non-flammable) or B4 (flammable) covers Jan 1, 2017 onward.
- Appendix B3 is based on AHRI Standard 740-2016.
- An approved equipment testing organization is one approved by the EPA Administrator pursuant to § 82.160.
- Machines must achieve the Table 2 evacuation levels for their appliance category, and technicians must use equipment certified pursuant to § 82.158.
- Certified units must carry a durable label naming the certifying organization and appliance category, plus manufacture date and serial number.
- Manufacturers or importers must retest or inspect certified equipment at least every three years, and EPA may revoke certification if a model line later fails the criteria.
- Units with a noncondensables purge device may vent no more than 3 percent of recycled refrigerant, and hoses must use low-loss fittings.

## Numbers & thresholds

For small appliances, recovery equipment must recover 90 percent of the refrigerant with the compressor operating or 80 percent with it inoperative, or achieve a four-inch vacuum.

| Parameter | Standard | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Rules effective | January 1, 2017 | All covered recovery/recycling equipment |
| Test protocol | Appendix B1 (ARI 740-1993) | Built Nov 15, 1993 – Sep 21, 2003 |
| Test protocol | Appendix B2 (ARI 740-1995) | Built Sep 22, 2003 – Dec 31, 2016 |
| Test protocol | Appendix B3 (non-flammable, AHRI 740-2016) / Appendix B4 (flammable) | Built on/after Jan 1, 2017 |
| Evacuation target | Table 2 levels (by pressure class and charge size) | Non-small, non-MVAC appliances |
| Small-appliance recovery | 90% (compressor on) / 80% (compressor off), or 4-in. Hg vacuum | Small appliances |
| MVAC-like gear, pre-1993 | 102 mm Hg vacuum | MVAC-like appliances |
| Purge loss cap | ≤ 3% of refrigerant recycled | Units with purge devices |
| Retesting cadence | At least every 3 years | Manufacturers/importers |

## Exceptions & edge cases

- Equipment built before November 15, 1993 (except small appliances, MVACs, and MVAC-like appliances) is grandfathered as certified if it reaches its Table 2 evacuation level when checked with a properly calibrated pressure gauge.
- Altering a certified unit's design triggers resubmission for certification testing, and the altered equipment counts as uncertified until it passes.
- MVAC and MVAC-like recovery equipment is certified under subpart B of Part 82, with pre-November 15, 1993 MVAC-like gear required to reach 102 mm Hg vacuum.
- System-dependent recovery equipment cannot be used on appliances charged with more than 15 pounds of refrigerant unless it is permanently attached as a pump-out unit.
- Per § 82.154(b), no one may maintain, service, repair, or dispose of an appliance containing regulated refrigerants without using equipment certified for that refrigerant and appliance type under § 82.158.

## Sources

- [1] U.S. National Archives, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations — 40 CFR 82.158 — Standards for recovery and/or recycling equipment · https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/section-82.158 · as of 2026-08-26
- [2] U.S. National Archives, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations — 40 CFR 82.156 — Proper evacuation of refrigerant from appliances · https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/section-82.156 · as of 2026-08-26
- [3] U.S. National Archives, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations — 40 CFR 82.152 — Definitions · https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/section-82.152 · as of 2026-08-26
- [4] U.S. National Archives, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations — 40 CFR 82.154 — Prohibitions · https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/section-82.154 · as of 2026-08-26