A holder of a refrigerant trading authorisation (RTA) must have and maintain equipment that is adequate for the activities they perform under that RTA. For most RTAs this will include having a recovery/pump down and/or a reclaim cylinder to ensure refrigerant is recovered correctly.

However, sometimes there is confusion about the difference between a ‘recovery/pump down cylinder’ and a ‘reclaim cylinder’. Both cylinders may be appropriate to the RTA holder, depending on the activities they perform.

A recovery/pump down cylinder can be used to remove refrigerant from a system, store it within the cylinder and return the refrigerant to the system. These cylinders are used during service and repairs of equipment, allowing the technician to put the refrigerant back into the equipment after the completion of work.

A reclaim cylinder is for a single purpose, to capture and store refrigerant that is to be returned to a refrigerant wholesaler for destruction or (in some cases) to reprocess the recovered refrigerant to new product specifications.

Note: Technicians using these types of cylinders are to check the MPa rating of the cylinder against the refrigerant being recovered/pumped down or reclaimed for compatibility. Refer to your cylinder supplier or relevant material safety data sheets for this information.