RECOVER, RECYCLE AND RECLAIM
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Three important terms used in the refrigerant industry and by government regulators are recover, recycle, and reclaim. The definitions of these terms when applied to the refrigeration industry are somewhat different to the definitions in other fields. The definitions of these words are as follows:-

Recover
To remove refrigerant in any condition from an appliance and store it in an external container without necessarily testing or processing it in any way.

Recycle
To clean and filter refrigerant gas for reuse without meeting all of the requirements of reclamation, most commonly by using oil separation and single or multiple passes through devices, such as replaceable core filter dryers, to reduce moisture, acidity, and particulate matter. Some reasonably priced recovery machines have the capability to recycle refrigerants.

Recycled refrigerant can be re-introduced into the same refrigerant equipment or other refrigerant equipment under the same ownership as the original equipment. Recovered refrigerant may not be sold or re-used in any other owners equipment unless it has been reclaimed.

Reclaim
To reprocess used refrigerant to new product specifications according to standards developed by the American Refrigerant Institute Standard 700-1988, Specifications for Fluorocarbon Refrigerants (known as ARI 700), and to have this purity verified by an independent source using the analytical methodology prescribed in the Standard.

This term implies the use of a process or prodedures available only through reprocessing or manufacturing facility. Reclaimed refrigerants can be resold in the same manner as new product. Compressor manufacturers accept ARI 700 tested refrigerants as meeting the terms of new equipment warranties.