Ask the Expert: Has the contamination of refrigerants gotten better or worse?

May 2, 2018

One of the best ways to safely recover contaminated refrigerant is with the use of a recovery only unit.

Unfortunately, the contamination of refrigerants has recently gotten worse. As a result, taking preventative steps to preserve the life of your A/C machines is imperative.

Refrigerant identification tools are the best line of defense against counterfeit or contaminated refrigerants. The options range from external hand-held units to internal/embedded options included in the A/C machine. The price of an identifier varies in price and in the detail of data collected.

One of the best ways to safely recover contaminated refrigerant is the use of a recovery only unit (ROU). A unit such as the MAHLE Service Solutions ArcticPRO ROU250 is a recovery only unit designed to safely remove the new mildly flammable R1234yf refrigerant even if it is contaminated. It will also safely recover R134a refrigerant. It is a portable unit that can be used anywhere, and the contaminated refrigerant is conveniently recovered to a tank for proper disposal.

Information provided by: Mahle Service Solutions