When using a system-dependent recovery system on an appliance with an operating compressor, the technician should

• A. Run the compressor and recover from the high side of the system only.
• B. Recover from the low side of the system only.
• C. Recover from both sides simultaneously.
• D. Let the system depressurize before recovery.

Answer: (A)

In system-dependent recovery, the recovery equipment relies on the appliance’s operating compressor to move refrigerant into the recovery cylinder. Connecting to the high-pressure side while the compressor is running lets vapor be pulled from the high side through the recovery machine efficiently, without forcing liquid into the compressor or recovery unit. Recovering from the low side would pull refrigerant at a much lower pressure and can introduce liquid into the compressor or recovery equipment, which is both inefficient and unsafe. Letting the system depressurize would defeat the purpose of using the system-dependent approach during operation. So, you run the compressor and recover from the high side only.