EPA regulations require the capture of at least 80% of the refrigerant from a small appliance with a non-operating compressor when the technician is using:

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The key idea is that there is an 80% refrigerant capture requirement for small appliances when the compressor isn’t operating, and this performance standard applies to both main types of recovery devices. Whether you use a system-dependent (passive) recovery unit or a self-contained (active) recovery unit, the goal is to remove at least 80% of the refrigerant from the appliance. The type of recovery device doesn’t dictate the standard—the device just has to meet that 80% capture rate.

In practice, a system-dependent unit relies on the appliance’s own pressures to pull refrigerant into the recovery system, while a self-contained unit uses its own power to do the work. For non-operating systems, either type can meet the requirement as long as the 80% threshold is achieved. The other ideas—that only one type is acceptable, or that recovery isn’t required for inoperable systems—don’t align with the regulation.