EPA 608 Core Chapter 2 (Take full course for free)
In this module, we will define the term 'recovery time' and, we will also discuss various factors affecting recovery time. Skip to quiz!
1. Minimizing Recovery Time
Recovery time is the time it takes to recover a refrigerant.
Generally, we want to recover refrigerant in the least possible amount of time. This is because the longer it takes for the technician to recover the refrigerant, the higher the chances of venting.
The time it takes to recover refrigerant changes depending on:
Ambient Temperature, and
Hose Length
2. Temperature
Ambient temperature just refers to the temperature of the system.
Recall from our Essential Chemistry module that temperature is a measure of how fast molecules are moving. If the temperature is low, that means the molecules inside the system are moving slowly.
The lower the temperature of the system, the longer the recovery time will be. This is because the refrigerant molecules inside the system are moving slower, so it will take more time to move them out of the system.
3. Hose Length
The second main factor that affects your recovery time is how long your hose is between the system and recovery machine. The longer the hose, the longer the time it will take to recover the refrigerant.
This is because the refrigerant has to travel through the entire length of the hose before reaching the recovery device. So we want to keep the hose length to a minimum to minimize recovery time.
Long hoses also cause excessive pressure drops between the system and recovery device. Recall that recovery depends on pressure difference, so an excessive pressure drop with interfere with proper recovery.
4. Conclusion
In this module, we defined recovery time and saw the various factors affecting the recovery time.