reclaimed-refrigerant-appendix-final_amended-21-may-2026-ae7dfbdd1b644335.pdf

This appendix details the methodology and results of a study conducted by OTS R&D, Inc. between August and December 2025 to evaluate the short-term performance of heat pump systems using virgin, reclaimed, and recovered R-410A refrigerants. The study found no statistically significant performance penalty when using reclaimed refrigerant that meets AHRI 700 purity standards.

• Testing of a 3-ton residential split-system and a 5-ton packaged rooftop unit (RTU) showed that there were no statistically meaningful differences in capacity, efficiency (COP/EER), discharge pressure, or power consumption between virgin and reclaimed refrigerant when charged using standard liquid port procedures.
• Reclaimed refrigerant used in the study was formulated as a "worst-case" composition that still adhered to AHRI 700 purity standards, including maximum allowable limits for R-32, non-condensable gas content, and 0.5% R22 as "other volatiles".
• A recovered refrigerant sample, which did not undergo reclamation to AHRI 700 standards, performed similarly to virgin and reclaimed samples in short-term tests. However, the document notes that recovered refrigerant quality is inherently variable and may contain acids or moisture that could affect long-term reliability.
• Tests simulating a nearly empty refrigerant cylinder—intended to maximize the entry of non-condensable gases (NCG) into the system—resulted in a slight increase in discharge pressure (approximately 0.7%–2%) for the RTU, but no measurable impact on capacity or COP.
• The RTU system demonstrated performance stability down to approximately 85% of its nominal refrigerant charge, with capacity decreasing by roughly 4% and efficiency changing by approximately ±2%. Performance degradation became more pronounced below the 85% threshold.
• The resilience of the RTU to performance loss at 85% charge is attributed in part to the thermostatic expansion valve (TXV), which dynamically meters refrigerant into the evaporator and acts as a buffer against low charge.

APA

RMI (n.d.). reclaimed-refrigerant-appendix-final_amended-21-may-2026-ae7dfbdd1b644335.pdf. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2026/05/Reclaimed-Refrigerant-Appendix-FINAL_Amended-21-May-2026.pdf

Chicago

RMI. reclaimed-refrigerant-appendix-final_amended-21-may-2026-ae7dfbdd1b644335.pdf. n.d. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2026/05/Reclaimed-Refrigerant-Appendix-FINAL_Amended-21-May-2026.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=reclaimed-refrigerant-appendix-final_amended-21-may-2026-ae7dfbdd1b644335.pdf |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2026/05/Reclaimed-Refrigerant-Appendix-FINAL_Amended-21-May-2026.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmindreclaimedrefrigerantappendixfinalamended21may2026ae7dfbdd1b644335pdf, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{reclaimed-refrigerant-appendix-final\_amended-21-may-2026-ae7dfbdd1b644335.pdf}}, institution = {RMI}, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2026/05/Reclaimed-Refrigerant-Appendix-FINAL_Amended-21-May-2026.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }