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Adding and Managing Cylinders

Published on 11/9/2025
by RefriTrak Team
cylindersinventorygetting-started

Learn how to add refrigerant cylinders to your inventory and manage cylinder information in RefriTrak.

Adding a New Cylinder

Navigate to Cylinders

  1. Click Cylinders in the left sidebar
  2. Click the Add Cylinder button

Enter Cylinder Information

Add Cylinder Wizard Type:

  • Choosing a type changes available options during creation
  • Recovery/Refillable - Used to recover refrigerant from equipment
  • New - Contains virgin refrigerant from manufacturer
  • Bulk - add cylinders using a spreadsheet

Refrigerant Type and Amount:

  • Select refrigerant type
  • Current quantity in the cylinder (default: lbs)
  • Optional checkbox to denote that cylinder is empty

Serial Number (Recommended):

  • Unique identifier stamped on the cylinder
  • Helps track specific cylinders
  • Use QR or Barcode number for easy scanning

Capacity:

  • Total weight the cylinder can hold (in pounds)
  • Common sizes: 30 lb, 50 lb, 125 lb

Description:

  • Quick identifier like "30 lb Recovery" or "Blue 50 lb"

Owner:

  • Optionally set who the owner of the cylinder is

Tare Weight (Recommended):

  • Weight of the empty cylinder
  • Used to calculate refrigerant weight

Status:

  • EMPTY - No refrigerant
  • PARTIAL - Some refrigerant
  • FULL - At or near capacity
  • IN_USE - Currently being used on a job
  • FOR_SALE - Available for sale to customers
  • NEEDS_SERVICE - Requires maintenance or inspection

Aliases:

  • Add aliases to a cylinder
  • May be additional serial number, identifier, etc.

Assign Location

Choose where the cylinder is stored:

  • Select any saved location or add a new one

Save the Cylinder

Click Create Cylinder to add it to your inventory.

Editing Cylinder Information

  1. Go to Cylinders
  2. Click on the cylinder you want to edit
  3. Click Edit
  4. Update the information
  5. Click Save Changes

Understanding Cylinder Fields

Calculated Fields

Some fields are automatically calculated:

Current Refrigerant Type:

  • Determined by transfer records
  • Shows what type of refrigerant is currently in the cylinder

Current Quantity:

  • Calculated from all transfers
  • Updates automatically when you add or remove refrigerant

Last Transfer Date:

  • Date of the most recent refrigerant transfer
  • Updates automatically

Cylinder Types Explained

Recovery Cylinders

Used to remove refrigerant from equipment during service:

  • Must be DOT-approved for recovered refrigerant
  • Typically gray with yellow top
  • Track what refrigerant types have been recovered
  • May be sent off or exchanged to reclaimation companies

New/Virgin Cylinders

Contain factory-fresh refrigerant:

  • Purchased from suppliers
  • Single refrigerant type
  • Track for inventory and cost

Best Practices

Complete Cylinder Records

Always Include:

  • Serial number (if available)
  • Capacity
  • Cylinder type
  • Current location
  • Tare weight

Accurate Status

Update cylinder status when:

  • In some cases, cylinder statuses are automatically updated.
  • If a cylinder refrigerant quantity hits 0, cylinder will be updated to 'empty'
  • A cylinder can be udpated to any status as needed

Organize by Location

Keep cylinder locations current:

  • Update when cylinders move
  • Assign to vehicles for mobile inventory
  • Makes finding cylinders easier

Common Questions

Q: Do I need to enter the refrigerant type when creating a cylinder?
A: No, the refrigerant type is calculated automatically when you record transfers.

Q: Can I track cylinders I don't own?
A: Yes, use the Owner field to note vendor or rental company names.

Q: What if my cylinder doesn't have a serial number?
A: You can leave it blank. Use the description field to create your own identifier like "Shop Recovery #1".

Q: How do I know how much refrigerant is in a cylinder?
A: The system calculates current quantity from all transfer records. View the cylinder detail page to see the current amount.

Q: Can I have multiple cylinders with the same serial number?
A: Yes, the system will allow duplicate entries. You can use aliases or photos to identify the cylinders.

Next Steps

After adding cylinders:

  1. Record Transfers: Add refrigerant to or remove from cylinders
  2. Track Movements: Move cylinders between locations or vehicles
  3. Set DOT Dates: Record inspection dates for compliance

Related Guides: