Glossary · 16 terms

The vocabulary

The words the authority, the course and the exam all assume you know.

The working fluid that absorbs and releases heat as it cycles between liquid and vapor inside a refrigeration system.

An early family of refrigerants containing chlorine, fluorine, and carbon, with severe ozone depletion effects.

A transitional refrigerant family that added hydrogen to reduce, but not eliminate, ozone depletion.

A chlorine free refrigerant family that spares the ozone layer but can strongly trap heat in the atmosphere.

The destruction of stratospheric ozone by chlorine bearing chemicals, and the original reason refrigerant venting is prohibited.

A measure of how much heat a substance traps in the atmosphere relative to carbon dioxide.

Removing refrigerant from an appliance and storing it in an external container, without necessarily processing it.

Cleaning recovered refrigerant with oil separation and filtration so it can be returned to service without meeting a purity standard.

Reprocessing recovered refrigerant to a certified purity standard, verified by analysis, so it is equivalent to new product.

Pulling an appliance down to a specified vacuum to demonstrate that its recoverable refrigerant has been removed.

Pressure below atmospheric, measured in inches or millimeters of mercury, used as the yardstick for refrigerant removal.

The annualized rate at which an appliance loses refrigerant, expressed as a percentage of full charge and computed on a rolling basis.

The quantity of refrigerant an appliance contains when properly charged, and the denominator of every leak rate calculation.

A factory sealed product containing 5 pounds or less of refrigerant, the equipment class covered by Type I certification.

An appliance whose refrigerant operates below atmospheric pressure, covered by Type III certification.

Recovery equipment with its own means of moving refrigerant, requiring no help from the appliance being serviced.