Patent ID: 8752396

Claim:
An air conditioning (AC) recovery unit, comprising: a display of the AC recovery unit configured to prompt a user to replace an AC filter in need of replacement; a memory of the AC recovery unit configured to store a first list of one or more identifiers for each AC filter that was previously used in the AC recovery unit, and a second list of identifiers associated with approved replacement AC filters; an input device of the AC recovery unit configured to receive an identifier of a replacement AC filter; and a processor configured to compare a portion of the identifier of the replacement AC filter with the second list of identifiers associated with the approved replacement AC filters and with the first list of one or more stored identifiers for each AC filter that was previously used in the AC recovery unit, wherein the replacement AC filter is acceptable when the portion of the identifier of the replacement AC filter differs from the one or more stored identifiers on the first list of each AC filter that was previously used in the AC recovery unit and the portion of the identifier of the replacement AC filter matches one of the identifiers stored on the second list indicating that the replacement AC filter is approved and when the replacement component is acceptable, the processor causes the accepted identifier to be stored in the first list, and the replacement AC filter is unacceptable when the portion of the identifier of the replacement AC filter corresponds to one or more stored identifiers on the first list of each AC filter that was previously used in the AC recovery unit or the portion of the identifier of the replacement AC filter does not match one of the identifiers stored on the second list, and when the replacement component is unacceptable, the processor causes the display to indicate that the replacement AC filter is not accepted, wherein the processor is further configured to allow reentry of the identifier of the replacement AC filter when the identifier was initially entered incorrectly.