What is the primary purpose of refrigerant recovery?

The primary purpose of refrigerant recovery is centered on ensuring proper environmental disposal. Refrigerants can be harmful to the environment, particularly to the ozone layer and as greenhouse gases. When a system is serviced or decommissioned, recovering the refrigerant prevents it from being released into the atmosphere, where it could contribute to global warming or ozone depletion.

This process is essential for compliance with regulatory requirements set by the EPA, which aim to protect the environment from harmful refrigerants. The recovery process involves capturing and storing the refrigerant for either recycling or proper disposal, ensuring that it does not contribute to environmental harm.

In terms of context about the other options, while preventing system leaks is important for maintaining efficiency and performance, it is not the primary focus of refrigerant recovery. Similarly, while cleaning the AC unit and reducing maintenance costs can be beneficial, they do not address the fundamental environmental concerns that refrigerant recovery directly targets. Thus, the emphasis on ecological responsibility highlights why the correct response focuses on environmental disposal.