Recording Refrigerant Transfers Step-by-Step

This guide walks you through recording refrigerant transfers in RefriTrak. Whether you're charging a circuit, recovering refrigerant, or documenting a loss, you'll follow a guided wizard that ensures accurate EPA-compliant records.

Accessing the Transfer Sheet

From Equipment Details:

Navigate to the customer's equipment
Select the circuit you're working on
Click "Record Transfer" button

From Jobs:

Open the job in progress
Select the circuit from the job's equipment list
Click "Record Transfer" on the circuit

From QR Code:

Scan the equipment QR code label
Select the circuit
Click "Record Transfer"

The 5-Step Transfer Wizard

All transfers follow a consistent workflow:

Choose Direction - Select transfer type
Select Cylinders - Pick source/target cylinders (if applicable)
Transfer Details - Amount, purity, job, notes
Gross Weight Update - Log cylinder weights for de minimis tracking (optional)
Review & Submit - Confirm and create transfer

The wizard adapts based on your choices - some steps are skipped for certain transfer types.

Transfer In (Charging a Circuit)

Use this when adding refrigerant from cylinders to a circuit. This is the most common transfer type.

Step 1: Choose Direction

Select "Transfer In (Charging)"
Continue to next step

Step 2: Select Source Cylinders

Option A: Manual Selection

Search for cylinders by name, serial, or refrigerant type
Click "Add Cylinder" for each cylinder you'll use
Cylinders appear in your selection list

Option B: QR Code Scan

Click "Scan QR Code"
Use your device camera to scan cylinder QR labels
Cylinder is automatically added after scan

Multi-Cylinder Support:

Add multiple cylinders if you need more refrigerant than one cylinder contains
Each cylinder shows its current refrigerant quantity
Set the amount to take from each cylinder

Refrigerant Compatibility:

System automatically checks if cylinder refrigerant matches circuit refrigerant
Warning appears if types don't match (unless you're doing a retrofit)
You can create a new cylinder on-the-fly if needed

Setting Transfer Amounts:

For each cylinder, enter the amount (in lbs) you're transferring
Available quantity shows how much is in the cylinder
Total transfer amount displays at the top

Continue when all cylinders and amounts are set.

Step 3: Transfer Details

Purity Selection:

Untested (default) - No purity test performed
95% - Tested at 95% purity
99% - Tested at 99% purity
99.5%+ - Virgin or high-purity refrigerant

Link to Job (Optional):

Select active job from dropdown
Links transfer to customer billing and work order
Helps with reporting and job documentation

Replacement Charge (Optional):

Check "Replacing a documented loss" if you previously reported a loss
Select the loss transfer from recent losses, OR
Enter the loss amount if you didn't record it yet
System will create/link both loss and replacement transfer

Notes (Optional but Recommended):

Document why refrigerant was added
Note any leak repairs performed
Include customer observations
Invoice or PO numbers

Full Charge Warning: If the circuit is already at full charge, you'll see a warning:

"Warning: This circuit is already at full charge. Transferring more refrigerant will result in an overcharge."

You can still proceed, but verify this is intentional.

Continue to next step.

Step 4: Gross Weight Update (Conditional)

This step only appears if you're partially emptying at least one cylinder.

Why This Matters: EPA allows excluding "de minimis" losses (refrigerant left in hoses/fittings) from leak rate calculations. By recording actual cylinder weight after transfer, RefriTrak can automatically detect and document these normal service losses.

For each partially-emptied cylinder:

Weigh the cylinder after transferring refrigerant
Enter the gross weight (cylinder + remaining refrigerant)
Leave blank if you don't have a scale

What RefriTrak Does:

Calculates expected weight (initial weight - transfer amount - tare weight)
Compares to actual weight you entered
Difference = de minimis loss
Creates automatic DE_MINIMIS transfer (excluded from EPA leak rate)

Skip this step if:

You don't have a scale available
All cylinders were completely emptied
You want to record transfer without de minimis tracking

Continue to final step.

Step 5: Review & Submit

Review shows:

Direction: Transfer In (Charging)
Circuit: Equipment name and circuit details
Source cylinders: List with amounts from each
Total amount: Sum of all cylinder contributions
Purity, job, and notes
Current charge before and estimated after
EPA impact: "This transfer will count toward leak rate calculations"

Actions:

Back - Return to previous step to make changes
Cancel - Discard transfer and close wizard
Create Transfer - Submit and create permanent record

After submitting:

Success message appears
Transfer is recorded in circuit history
Cylinder quantities automatically update
Circuit current charge recalculates
Linked job shows the transfer
You're returned to the circuit details page

Transfer Out (Recovering Refrigerant)

Use this when removing refrigerant from a circuit into recovery cylinders.

Step 1: Choose Direction

Select "Transfer Out (Recovery)"
Continue to next step

Step 2: Choose Recovery Type

You'll see three options:

A. To Cylinder (Standard Recovery)

Removing refrigerant and storing it in recovery cylinders
Most common recovery scenario
Select this option

B. Report Loss Only

Refrigerant escaped without recovery (leak, accident)
No cylinder involved
Jumps straight to Step 5 (summary)

C. Reclamation

Refrigerant being sent to EPA-certified reclamation facility
For decommissioning or contaminated refrigerant
See "Advanced Transfer Scenarios" guide

For standard recovery, continue with To Cylinder.

Step 3: Select Target Cylinders

Important: For recovery, you're selecting where the refrigerant is GOING (target cylinders).

Search for recovery cylinders (usually yellow/gray)
Add one or more target cylinders
Set recovery amount for each cylinder

Recovery Cylinder Requirements:

Must have adequate capacity remaining
Typically dedicated recovery cylinders (don't mix with virgin refrigerant)
RefriTrak doesn't enforce refrigerant type matching (recovery can be mixed)

Multi-Cylinder Recovery: If recovering more than one cylinder can hold:

Add multiple target cylinders
Distribute recovery amount across cylinders
Total shows complete recovery amount

Continue when cylinders and amounts are set.

Step 4: Transfer Details

Amount:

How much refrigerant you're recovering
Cannot exceed circuit's current charge
System shows circuit current charge for reference

Purity:

Typically "Untested" for recoveries
Select tested purity if you've verified it

Link to Job:

Select associated job if this recovery is part of service work

Notes:

Document reason for recovery (repair, decommission, service)
Include any leak information
Note if refrigerant is contaminated

Continue to final step.

Step 5: Review & Submit

Review shows:

Direction: Transfer Out (Recovery)
Circuit details
Target cylinders and amounts
Total recovery amount
Current charge before and estimated after
EPA impact: "This transfer reduces circuit charge but does not affect leak rate"

Submit to create the transfer.

Result:

Circuit current charge decreases
Target cylinder quantities increase
Transfer recorded in history for both circuit and cylinders

Report Loss Only

Use this when refrigerant was lost without recovery (escaped to atmosphere).

Step 1: Choose Direction

Select "Transfer Out (Recovery)"
Continue to next step

Step 2: Choose Recovery Type

Select "Report Loss Only"
Skips cylinder selection (no cylinders involved)

Step 3: Loss Details

Loss Amount:

How much refrigerant was lost (in lbs)
Required field
Use your best estimate if exact amount unknown

Link to Job:

Select job if loss occurred during service

Notes:

Document thoroughly - EPA compliance requires detailed loss documentation
Include when leak was discovered
Note circumstances (catastrophic failure, service accident, slow leak)
Reference any repair work performed or planned

Continue to summary (skips Steps 3 and 4).

Step 4: Review & Submit

Review shows:

Type: Refrigerant Loss
Loss amount
Circuit details
Current charge before and after
EPA Impact: "This loss will count toward leak rate calculations and may trigger compliance thresholds"

Submit to create the loss transfer.

Important: Large losses may push your equipment over EPA thresholds, triggering mandatory repairs within 30 days.

Creating Cylinders During Transfer

If you don't have the cylinder you need in the system:

During cylinder selection, click "Create New Cylinder"
Quick-create form appears as an overlay
Fill in cylinder details:
- Type (Disposable, Recovery, Refillable)
- Capacity
- Serial number (for recovery cylinders)
- Location
- Initial refrigerant quantity and type (if pre-filled)
Click "Create"
New cylinder is automatically added to your transfer
Continue with transfer workflow

The cylinder is immediately available system-wide after creation.

Common Warnings and What They Mean

"Cylinder refrigerant does not match circuit refrigerant"

You're trying to add R-410A to an R-22 circuit (or similar)
Verify cylinder information is correct
If intentional, use Retrofit transfer type instead
If cylinder data is wrong, cancel and correct the cylinder record

"Circuit is already at full charge"

Current charge meets or exceeds the circuit's full charge setting
Adding more refrigerant will overcharge the system
Verify this is intentional (maybe full charge setting is wrong?)
Document reason in notes

"No capacity set on this cylinder"

Cylinder doesn't have capacity configured
Can't validate if transfer amount exceeds cylinder capacity
Verify transfer amount manually
Update cylinder capacity after transfer

"Cylinder may not have enough refrigerant"

Transfer amount exceeds cylinder's recorded current quantity
Either reduce transfer amount or verify cylinder quantity is correct
System won't prevent the transfer (data may be out of sync)

Tips for Accurate Transfers

Weigh cylinders before and after - Most accurate method for transfer amounts
Use multi-cylinder selection - More accurate than estimating from one partially-filled cylinder
Link to jobs - Keeps work organized and helps with billing
Add detailed notes - Future-you during an EPA inspection will appreciate it
Verify refrigerant types - Double-check cylinder labels match what you expect
Review before submitting - Transfer records are permanent
Record immediately - Don't wait until end of day when details are fuzzy

Troubleshooting

Can't find the cylinder I'm looking for:

Use search filters (refrigerant type, status, location)
Scan QR code instead of searching
Cylinder may be in different location or organization
Create new cylinder if it's not in the system

Transfer won't submit:

Check for error messages at top of form
Verify all required fields are filled
Ensure amounts are positive numbers
Check that total transfer amount makes sense (not negative charge)

Made a mistake in a transfer:

Transfer records are permanent (EPA requirement)
You can add a CORRECTION transfer to adjust current charge
Add notes explaining the correction
Contact support for severe errors requiring database changes

Related Resources

Understanding Circuit Transfers and EPA Tracking
Advanced Transfer Scenarios (Retrofits, Reclamation, Manual Entry)
Cylinder Management Best Practices
Understanding EPA Compliance Thresholds

Quick Reference:

Charging: Transfer In → Select source cylinders → Enter amounts → Submit
Recovery: Transfer Out → To Cylinder → Select target cylinders → Enter amounts → Submit
Loss: Transfer Out → Report Loss Only → Enter amount and notes → Submit