---
title: "What percentage of refrigerant must recovery equipment be certified to recover from a small appliance, and does it differ when the compressor is not operating? Answer in under 100 words."
canonical: https://www.m-i-n-d.ai/minds/hvac/percentage-refrigerant-must-recovery-equipment-certified-recover-small
jurisdiction: "US Federal · EPA · 40 CFR Part 82 Subpart F"
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 percentage of refrigerant must recovery equipment be certified to recover from a small appliance, and does it differ when the compressor is not operating? Answer in under 100 words.

Under 40 CFR § 82.158(e), small-appliance recovery equipment must be certified to recover 90 percent of the refrigerant when the compressor is operational, dropping to 80 percent when the compressor is not operational. Yes, it differs by compressor status. Separately, per § 82.156(b), recovery equipment manufactured before November 15, 1993 is considered compliant at 80 percent regardless of compressor operation, and technicians may alternatively satisfy the requirement by evacuating the small appliance to a vacuum of four inches of mercury.

## Details / How it works

**Certification standard (§ 82.158(e)).** Equipment used during the maintenance, service, repair, or disposal of small appliances must be certified by an approved equipment testing organization to recover **90%** of the refrigerant in the test stand when the compressor is operational, and **80%** when the compressor is not operational.

**Service practice (§ 82.156(b)).** When recovering refrigerant from a small appliance, persons using equipment manufactured before November 15, 1993 must recover 80%; those using newer equipment target 90% (operational compressor) or 80% (non-operational compressor). Alternatively, the appliance may simply be evacuated to a vacuum of four inches of mercury.

## Numbers & thresholds

| Scenario | Required recovery |
|---|---|
| Certified equipment, compressor operational | 90% |
| Certified equipment, compressor not operational | 80% |
| Equipment manufactured before November 15, 1993 | 80% |
| Alternative compliance method | 4-inch Hg vacuum |

## Exceptions & edge cases

- Pre-November 15, 1993 equipment: only 80% recovery is required, regardless of whether the appliance's compressor is functioning.
- Percentage-based recovery is optional: evacuating the small appliance to a four-inch mercury vacuum satisfies the requirement in lieu of meeting either percentage threshold.

## 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