Recovery Best Practices w/ NAVAC (Podcast)

In today's podcast, Kevan Mayer from NAVAC comes talks about recovery and ways to make it work better and more safely for you.

Recovering refrigerant is better for the environment and safer for us. When designing recovery equipment, NAVAC's goal is to limit the gases we put into the atmosphere and leave the planet in better shape than we gound it. Recovery also ensures that refrigerants for phased-out refrigerants remain available.

Tanks require vacuums of at least 1000 microns, if not deeper. We also need to remember what the previous tank contents were to make sure that we only fill the tank with those refrigerants and oils. You absolutely DO NOT want to mix refrigerants. Tanks should always be up-to-date and must be certified every 5 years.

When recovering refrigerant, one of the best practices is to use a filter-drier to filter out moisture and contaminants. Reducing moisture and contamination will increase the life of your recovery machine. However, a filter-drier will not restore refrigerant back to the highest purity standards.

The speed of your recovery will depend on your vacuum, recovery machine, hose sizing, and core removal. You can also raise pressure by turning the fan on. The goal to produce speedy recoveries is to reduce tank pressure and increase system pressure.

When it comes to filling the tanks, we must pay attention to the tare weight and water capacity. However, we must understand that the water capacity is NOT the same as refrigerant capacity. We need to do a little bit of math to fill our tanks safely.

Kevan and Bryan also discuss:

Evacuation vs. recovery
Reclaim company tank-handling protocols
Refrigerant mixing costs/consequences
Using recovered refrigerant legally
Compression ratio
Hose sizing and manifolds
Push-pull method
The 80% rule
NRDD recovery machine

Learn more about NAVAC tools at navacglobal.com.

Learn more about Refrigeration Technologies HERE.

If you have an iPhone, subscribe to the podcast HERE, and if you have an Android phone, subscribe HERE.

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Author:

Bryan Orr

Company: HVAC School

Position: Founder

Kevan Mayer

Check out our most recent video

How to Evacuate an AC system, Full Vacuum Procedure

Our latest Podcast

HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs

Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

Chris Hughes and Steve Rogers from The Energy Conservatory discuss TEC’s TrueFlow technology and its crucial role in predicting airflow issues in the sales process, particularly for heat pump retrofits. They explain how the TrueFlow app helps contractors accurately measure both static pressure and airflow in existing systems, enabling them to predict whether proposed equipment changes will work effectively. This is especially vital when considering the growing trend of replacing gas furnaces with heat pumps, as the airflow requirements can differ significantly.

The conversation delves into a detailed example of replacing an 80% efficient 48,000 BTU furnace with a heat pump. They demonstrate how the airflow requirement would nearly double from 652 CFM to 1,200 CFM, potentially causing the static pressure to quadruple due to Fan Law 2 principles. This dramatic increase could lead to significant performance issues if not properly addressed during the system design phase. The experts emphasize that using TrueFlow during the sales process allows contractors to identify potential problems and necessary modifications before installation rather than discovering issues during callbacks.

The discussion also covers the ideal workflow for system assessment and sales, starting with customer comfort evaluation and proper load calculations. It’s important to reduce loads through envelope improvements when possible, particularly in cold climates where heat pump retrofits are becoming more common. Proper system sizing often means going smaller rather than larger, contrary to common industry practices, and the worst HVAC systems are often found in expensive custom homes rather than tract housing.

Key Topics Covered:

TrueFlow technology and its role in system forecasting
Fan Law 2 and its impact on static pressure when changing airflow
Heat pump retrofit challenges and considerations
The importance of accurate load calculations
Dual fuel systems as a solution for cold climates
The relationship between airflow and static pressure
Sales process integration of technical measurements
Common issues with oversized equipment
The importance of envelope assessment
Methods for reducing system loads
Proper duct sizing and modification strategies
The role of proper filter sizing and selection
The benefits of flat-rate pricing for duct modifications
Training resources and support available for TrueFlow users

Check out TEC’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@energyconservatory, and you can visit TEC’s website at https://energyconservatory.com/.

Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.