Cleaning a refrigeration system after a compressor burnout

1. Cleaning the System
After a Compressor Burnout
Gildardo Yañez
ASHRAE
Distinguished Lecturer
www.gildardoyanez.com

2. What are the refrigeration system
contaminants?
The refrigeration system enemies

3. What are the refrigeration system
contaminants?
The disease of the refrigeration system

4. Refrigerant
Flood Back
Flooded
Start
Oil
Loss
Slugging Electrical
Failure
Mechanical
Failures
High
Temperature

5. High temperatures will make refrigerants lose
their thermal stability
• Refrigerant combustion, oil
combustion, crankcase heaters, etc.
– Organic Acids
– Phosgene
– Carbon Monoxide
– Carbon Dioxide
– Chlorine

6. The oil is a scavenger in the system

7. Contaminants in the system are a:

8. Until compressor dies

9. Recover the refrigerant
Push and pull connection is recommended
if you are going to recover more than 6 kg

10. Refrigerant Recovery Vapor Connection

11. Bad Practice
Recover the refrigerant in a non refillable cylinder

12. Effects of recovering refrigerant in a
non refillable cylinder

13. Effects of recovering refrigerant in a
non refillable cylinder

14. Refrigerant Recovery Cylinder
30 or 50 lbs

15. Recovering Refrigerant
• The compressor burnout will not
damage the refrigerant.
• The refrigerant can be recovered if the
contaminants are removed.
• Reference:
Cleaning Procedures
Page 26 B Exp (S1) 40-10
Sporlan

19. Blend Fractionation Test
1.Recover the refrigerant

20. Blend Fractionation Test
2. Cool down the recovery cylinder with ice

21. Blend Fractionation Test
If the pressure has a
5% up or down
variation the blend is
OK.
21 21.8 44.2 19.2 19.7 60.7 57.0 53.7 60.1
22 22.5 45.3 19.9 20.4 62.1 58.3 54.9 61.5
23 23.2 46.5 20.6 21.1 63.5 59.7 56.2 62.9
24 23.9 47.6 21.4 21.9 65.0 61.1 57.5 64.3
25 24.6 48.8 22.1 22.6 66.5 62.4 58.8 65.8
26 25.4 50.0 22.9 23.4 67.9 63.9 60.1 67.2
27 26.2 51.2 23.7 24.2 69.4 65.3 61.5 68.7
28 26.9 52.4 24.5 25.0 71.0 66.7 62.8 70.2
29 27.7 53.7 25.3 25.8 72.5 68.2 64.2 71.7
30 28.5 54.9 26.1 26.6 74.1 69.7 65.6 73.3
31 29.3 56.2 26.9 27.5 75.6 71.2 67.0 74.8
32 30.1 57.5 27.8 28.3 77.3 72.7 68.4 76.4
33 30.9 58.8 28.6 29.2 78.9 74.3 69.9 78.0
34 31.8 60.2 29.5 30.0 80.5 75.9 71.3 79.6
35 32.6 61.5 30.4 30.9 82.2 77.4 72.8 81.3
36 33.5 62.9 31.3 31.8 83.9 79.1 74.3 82.9
37 34.3 64.3 32.2 32.7 85.6 80.7 75.9 84.6
38 35.2 65.7 33.1 33.7 87.3 82.4 77.4 86.3
39 36.1 67.1 34.1 34.6 89.1 84.0 79.0 88.1
40 37.0 68.6 35.0 35.5 90.9 85.7 80.5 89.8
42 38.9 71.5 37.0 37.5 94.5 89.2 83.8 93.4
44 40.8 74.5 39.0 39.5 98.2 92.7 87.0 97.0
46 42.7 77.6 41.1 41.6 102.1 96.4 90.4 100.8
48 44.7 80.8 43.2 43.7 106.0 100.1 93.9 104.6
50 46.7 84.1 45.4 45.9 110.0 104.0 97.4 108.6
52 48.8 87.4 47.7 60.2 118.3 109.5 101.1 112.6
54 51.0 90.8 50.0 62.7 122.6 113.5 104.8 116.7
56 53.2 94.4 52.4 65.4 127.0 117.7 108.6 121.0
58 55.5 98.0 54.9 68.1 131.4 121.9 112.4 125.3
60 57.8 101.6 57.4 70.9 136.0 126.3 116.4 129.8
62 60.1 105.4 60.0 73.7 140.7 130.7 120.5 134.3
REFRIGERANTE (Código de letras Sporlan)
TEMP.
ºF CFC
12 (F)
HCFC
22 (V)
HFC
134a
(J)
HCFC
401A
(X)
HCFC
402A
(L)
HFC
404A
(S)
CFC
502 (R)
HFC
507 (P)
-60 19 .0 11.9 2 1.6 2 1.3 5 .6 6 .8 7 .2 5 .8
-55 17 .3 9 .2 2 0 .2 19 .9 1.9 3 .4 3 .9 2 .2
-50 15 .4 6 .1 18 .6 18 .2 1.0 0.2 0 .2 0.9
-45 13 .3 2 .7 16 .7 16 .3 3.2 2.3 1.9 3.1
-40 11.0 0.6 14 .7 14 .2 5.6 4.6 4.1 5.5
-38 10 .0 1.4 13 .8 13 .2 6.7 5.6 5.1 6.5
-36 8 .9 2.2 12 .8 12 .3 7.8 6.6 6.0 7.6
-34 7 .8 3.1 11.8 11.3 8.9 7.7 7.0 8.7
-32 6 .7 4.0 10 .8 10 .2 10.0 8.8 8.1 9.9
-30 5 .5 4.9 9 .7 9 .1 11.3 9.9 9.2 11.1
-28 4 .3 5.9 8 .6 7 .9 12.5 11.1 10.3 12.4
-26 3 .0 6.9 7 .4 6 .7 13.8 12.4 11.5 13.7
-24 1.6 8.0 6 .2 5 .5 15.2 13.6 12.7 15.0
-22 0 .3 9.1 4 .9 4 .2 16.6 15.0 14.0 16.4
-20 0.6 10.2 3 .6 2 .8 18.0 16.3 15.3 17.8
-18 1.3 11.4 2 .2 1.4 19.5 17.8 16.7 19.3
-16 2.1 12.6 0 .7 0.0 21.1 19.2 18.1 20.9
-14 2.8 13.9 0.4 0.8 22.7 20.8 19.5 22.5
-12 3.7 15.2 1.2 1.6 24.3 22.3 21.0 24.1
-10 4.5 16.5 2.0 2.4 26.0 24.0 22.6 25.8
40° F

22. Blend Fractionation Test
If the pressure is above 5%
of the expected pressure
you have non
condensable gases
40° F
21 21.8 44.2 19.2 19.7 60.7 57.0 53.7 60.1
22 22.5 45.3 19.9 20.4 62.1 58.3 54.9 61.5
23 23.2 46.5 20.6 21.1 63.5 59.7 56.2 62.9
24 23.9 47.6 21.4 21.9 65.0 61.1 57.5 64.3
25 24.6 48.8 22.1 22.6 66.5 62.4 58.8 65.8
26 25.4 50.0 22.9 23.4 67.9 63.9 60.1 67.2
27 26.2 51.2 23.7 24.2 69.4 65.3 61.5 68.7
28 26.9 52.4 24.5 25.0 71.0 66.7 62.8 70.2
29 27.7 53.7 25.3 25.8 72.5 68.2 64.2 71.7
30 28.5 54.9 26.1 26.6 74.1 69.7 65.6 73.3
31 29.3 56.2 26.9 27.5 75.6 71.2 67.0 74.8
32 30.1 57.5 27.8 28.3 77.3 72.7 68.4 76.4
33 30.9 58.8 28.6 29.2 78.9 74.3 69.9 78.0
34 31.8 60.2 29.5 30.0 80.5 75.9 71.3 79.6
35 32.6 61.5 30.4 30.9 82.2 77.4 72.8 81.3
36 33.5 62.9 31.3 31.8 83.9 79.1 74.3 82.9
37 34.3 64.3 32.2 32.7 85.6 80.7 75.9 84.6
38 35.2 65.7 33.1 33.7 87.3 82.4 77.4 86.3
39 36.1 67.1 34.1 34.6 89.1 84.0 79.0 88.1
40 37.0 68.6 35.0 35.5 90.9 85.7 80.5 89.8
42 38.9 71.5 37.0 37.5 94.5 89.2 83.8 93.4
44 40.8 74.5 39.0 39.5 98.2 92.7 87.0 97.0
46 42.7 77.6 41.1 41.6 102.1 96.4 90.4 100.8
48 44.7 80.8 43.2 43.7 106.0 100.1 93.9 104.6
50 46.7 84.1 45.4 45.9 110.0 104.0 97.4 108.6
52 48.8 87.4 47.7 60.2 118.3 109.5 101.1 112.6
54 51.0 90.8 50.0 62.7 122.6 113.5 104.8 116.7
56 53.2 94.4 52.4 65.4 127.0 117.7 108.6 121.0
58 55.5 98.0 54.9 68.1 131.4 121.9 112.4 125.3
60 57.8 101.6 57.4 70.9 136.0 126.3 116.4 129.8
62 60.1 105.4 60.0 73.7 140.7 130.7 120.5 134.3
REFRIGERANTE (Código de letras Sporlan)
TEMP.
ºF CFC
12 (F)
HCFC
22 (V)
HFC
134a
(J)
HCFC
401A
(X)
HCFC
402A
(L)
HFC
404A
(S)
CFC
502 (R)
HFC
507 (P)
-60 19 .0 11.9 2 1.6 2 1.3 5 .6 6 .8 7 .2 5 .8
-55 17 .3 9 .2 2 0 .2 19 .9 1.9 3 .4 3 .9 2 .2
-50 15 .4 6 .1 18 .6 18 .2 1.0 0.2 0 .2 0.9
-45 13 .3 2 .7 16 .7 16 .3 3.2 2.3 1.9 3.1
-40 11.0 0.6 14 .7 14 .2 5.6 4.6 4.1 5.5
-38 10 .0 1.4 13 .8 13 .2 6.7 5.6 5.1 6.5
-36 8 .9 2.2 12 .8 12 .3 7.8 6.6 6.0 7.6
-34 7 .8 3.1 11.8 11.3 8.9 7.7 7.0 8.7
-32 6 .7 4.0 10 .8 10 .2 10.0 8.8 8.1 9.9
-30 5 .5 4.9 9 .7 9 .1 11.3 9.9 9.2 11.1
-28 4 .3 5.9 8 .6 7 .9 12.5 11.1 10.3 12.4
-26 3 .0 6.9 7 .4 6 .7 13.8 12.4 11.5 13.7
-24 1.6 8.0 6 .2 5 .5 15.2 13.6 12.7 15.0
-22 0 .3 9.1 4 .9 4 .2 16.6 15.0 14.0 16.4
-20 0.6 10.2 3 .6 2 .8 18.0 16.3 15.3 17.8
-18 1.3 11.4 2 .2 1.4 19.5 17.8 16.7 19.3
-16 2.1 12.6 0 .7 0.0 21.1 19.2 18.1 20.9
-14 2.8 13.9 0.4 0.8 22.7 20.8 19.5 22.5
-12 3.7 15.2 1.2 1.6 24.3 22.3 21.0 24.1
-10 4.5 16.5 2.0 2.4 26.0 24.0 22.6 25.8

23. Better safe than sorry
Remove the compressor carefully
• Remove the burned compressor
• Be aware that the system can be acid contaminated
• Do not touch oil with your bare hands
• Avoid breathing the acid vapors

24. You need to know what went wrong?
Before you install the new compressor
1.- Refrigerant Floodback
2.- Flooded Starts
3.- Slugging
4.- Compressor Overheating
5.- Electrical Failure

30. Any Ideas?Refrigerant Flooback / Moisture in the System

31. Remove the accesories from the
system
• Such as:
• Liquid Line and
Suction Filters
• Liquid indicators
• Metering devices
• Solenoid Valves
• Manual Valves
• Oil Separator

32. Purge the system with nitrogen
Open
Open
Open
2 to 3
psig

33. Bad Practice
Avoid the use of R-141b & R-22 as a cleaning agent

34. Install a new thermostatic valve
Clean all the accessories
Install a new thermostatic valve
Or install a new metering device

35. Install a big liquid line filter
• This should be the
largest you can
install.

36. Activated Carbon Filter
If the system is above 40 tons
This filter removes:
Oil Sludge, neutralizes
acid in the system, and
also removes debriefs
from the motor burnout.
The carbon activated
filter or core is the one
you should install

38. Permanent Suction Line Filter / Drier-Filter
If the system is up to 40 tons
This filter is made of a
blended mixture of activaded alumina and molecular sieves
Brazing type
suction filter

39. Liquid line sight glass
(Moisture Indicator)
• This accessory will help us know when we need
to change the cores filters.

40. Oil Separator
Install a new oil separator
It is very possible that you will find debriefs of compressor in it

43. Oil Separator
Compressor debriefs at the bottom

45. Contaminated Oil with metal

49. Non condensable gases effects
• If you leave non condensable
gases in the system they will cause:
1. High temperature in the high side
pressure.
2. The high pressure valve will become
very hot
3. Organic acids will form.
4. They will cause a early compressor
failure.

57. Moisture presence in the system
1. It will cause ice presence.
2. Ice will block the system metering
devices in the system such as:
• Cap tubes
• Thermostatic Expansion Valves
3. System problems.
4. It might damage internal compressor
parts.

58. When TEV is closed
• High temperature side very hot.
• High superheat at the compressor.
• Suction pressure lower than usual.

59. When TEV is wide open
• Cause Refrigerant Flood Back into to
the compressor crankase
• Low Super heat at the compressor.
• Suction pressure, unsual higher
suction pressure.

62. • These two contaminants will cause a
chemical reaction that will form:
1. Organic Acids
2. Oil Sludge
• Will cause early failures
in the compressors.

67. What happens if I pull the vacumm with the
compressor?
 The motor insulation will be damaged
since the start up.
1. The motor windings work with out cooling,
that will cause damage to the motor
insulation.
2. The windings will short because of heat and
because the motor is working in a vacuum
environment condition.

71. How to select the right vacuum pump?
1. You need to know the refrigeration
tons’ capacity of the system.
2. Thumb Rule: 1 cfm can dehydrate a 7
refrigeration tons system.
3. Now you are ready to select
the right vacuum capacity.

72. Example
• 30 R.T. Chiller
• The recomended
vacuum pump will
be:
– 6 CFM x 7 = 42 Tons
– 4 CFM x 7 = 28 Tons

73. Vacuum Meassuremt

74. Bad Refigeration Practice
Pull a deep vacuum, using the service manifold to measure it.

75. Copeland Application Engineering Bulletin
Process
» Connect your vacuum pump
to the system
» Start the vacuum pump
» We stop when reach 1500
microns
» Break the vacuum with
nitrogen and pressurize the
system up to 2 psig.
» Wait 30 minutes
Triple Evacuation Process
Step 1
2 psig

77. The vacuum pump must be connected to both the high
and low sides of the system through adequate
connections

78. Accelerate the speed of the vacuum

79. Purging with nitrogen dries the system
Open
Open
Open
2 to 3
psig

80. Better safe than sorry
The nitrogen tank must have a pressure-regulating valve
Never attempt to pressurize a system without first
installing an appropriate pressure-regulating valve.

81. • The vacuum pump oil will turn white
• Open the vacuum pump gas ballast
• Wait until the oil slowly restores to its
usual state
• Close the gas ballast valve

83. Copeland Application Engineering Bulletin
2 psig
Triple Evacuation Process
Step 2
» Vent the nitrogen from the
system
» Connect your vacuum pump to
the system
» Start the vacuum pump
» We stop when reach 1500
microns
» Break the vacuum with nitrogen
and pressurize the system up to
2 psig.
» We wait 30 minutes

84. Copeland Application Engineering Bulletin
» Vent the nitrogen from the
system
» Connect your vacuum pump to
the system
» Start the vacuum pump
» Stop your pump when you reach
500 or 250 microns, depending
the type of lubricant
» Break the vacuum with
refrigerant
Triple Evacuation Process
Step 3

85. Why the moisture is eliminated from the
system?
•The system pressure drops down
•The water boiling point changes
•The ambient temperature remains the same

86. For how long?
• You cannot measure vacuum with time
• External conditions that affect vacuum
time:
– Meters above the sea level
– System or equipment temperature
– Hose diameter
– Hose length
– Manifold location

87. Copeland Compressor Operation & Service
Semminar 1998
Deep Vacuum Level

88. Charge the system with refrigerant
• Decide if you are
reusing the recovered
refrigerant of the
system.
• Charging metods:
– By Superheat
– By Weight

89. Charging measuring Superheat
• Start the system
• Wait until the system
stabilizes
• Check the superheat
• Example:
• Suction Line Temp: 44°F
• Evaporating Temp: 34°F
• Superheat: 10°F

90. Check the system while is operating

91. An oil sample should be taken every
24 running hours
• Then the oil
• The filter-driers
• Or both may be
changed.
• Depending upon
results of the oil
test.

92. Blocked Filter-Drier

93. Blocked Filter-Drier

96. Keep taking oil samples every
24 running hours
• Until you are sure the
acid level dropped
down

97. Simultaneously you need to check:
1. Acid level
2. System pressure
3. Moisture level using the sight glass moisture indicator

98. Secure the running conditions

99. Be sure the running conditions are already
stabilized
After 2 weeks a visit to the system
is recommended

100. When you visit the system after 2
weeks check:

102. Cleaning the System
After a Compressor Burnout
Gildardo Yañez
ASHRAE
Distinguished Lecturer
www.gildardoyanez.com