Final answer:
Recovering refrigerant in vapor phase minimizes the loss of refrigerant, as it allows for better control and containment during the process. The correct option is 4).
Step-by-step explanation:
Recovering refrigerant from a system in the vapor phase will minimize the loss of refrigerant. When recovering refrigerant in its gaseous form, there is less risk of losing refrigerant because it is easier to control and contain gases, and there is a reduced risk of refrigerant leakage during the process.
Moreover, vapor-phase recovery generally involves lower pressures and temperatures, which can improve the efficiency of the recovery process and means there is less work required by the recovery machine, making it less likely that refrigerant will be lost. Option 4) is the correct one.