Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In this live episode of the HVAC School podcast, host Bryan Orr sits down with Jim Bergmann (MeasureQuick), Jesse Stewart, and Zane Stewart for an conversation on Advanced Refrigerant Recovery. The crew covers Best Practices for Diverse Systems and Environments and pushes into more advanced territory that separates a fast, clean recovery from a frustrating, stalled-out one.
Topics include vapor vs. liquid recovery, when to switch to a push-pull method, why core depressors and hose sizing are the biggest overlooked bottlenecks, and how to properly evacuate and prep a recovery cylinder before you start. The panel also digs into recovery cylinder valve quirks, protecting your machine with a dryer, checking for moisture and fractionation before reusing refrigerant, and the surprisingly diverse environments techs actually work in — from residential splits to centrifugal chillers with hundreds of pounds of charge.
The group wraps with a candid, sometimes heated discussion on cold-weather recovery, EPA-required levels, and why a system can still be holding a "heck ton" of refrigerant even after you've pulled it down to zero. Whether you're brand new to the trade or you've been doing this for decades, these best practices apply across diverse systems and every environment you'll encounter in the field.
In this live episode of the HVAC School podcast, host Bryan Orr sits down with Jim Bergmann (MeasureQuick), Jesse Stewart, and Zane Stewart for an conversation on Advanced Refrigerant Recovery. The crew covers Best Practices for Diverse Systems and Environments and pushes into more advanced territory that separates a fast, clean recovery from a frustrating, stalled-out one.
Topics include vapor vs. liquid recovery, when to switch to a push-pull method, why core depressors and hose sizing are the biggest overlooked bottlenecks, and how to properly evacuate and prep a recovery cylinder before you start. The panel also digs into recovery cylinder valve quirks, protecting your machine with a dryer, checking for moisture and fractionation before reusing refrigerant, and the surprisingly diverse environments techs actually work in — from residential splits to centrifugal chillers with hundreds of pounds of charge.
The group wraps with a candid, sometimes heated discussion on cold-weather recovery, EPA-required levels, and why a system can still be holding a "heck ton" of refrigerant even after you've pulled it down to zero. Whether you're brand new to the trade or you've been doing this for decades, these best practices apply across diverse systems and every environment you'll encounter in the field.
