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Originally Posted by Piwoslaw
Thanks AC 
You're right about starting with something simple, so I'll look for small, single phase units, maybe a freezer compressor. |
For this kind of experimenting, a compressor from an air conditioner or de-humidifier would probably work better because they are designed with the assumption that they will be running a high percentage of the time. If you have a freezer compressor or can get one free or cheap, use that of course. This is experimenting, after all.
Keeping the cap tube with the compressor will really save you a lot of heart ache and hassle. The cap tube will be balanced to the compressor's output and also the type of refrigerant.
The older refrigerants, R-12 and R-22 used mineral oil as a lubricant, which would be compatible with Iso-Butane and Propane, respectively. Mineral oil would not be compatible with R-134a, and the cap tube would probably be mis-sized for R-134a, also. However, the cap tube would be just about perfect for Propane (due to the similarity in the PT curves for both gasses). I'm not sure if the PT curves are similar for Iso-Butane and R-12.
So, the short story is that compressors meant for R-22 can be very easily switched to Propane, which is cheap and available. But great caution must be used when working with the stuff.
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I'll add that European law forbids taking appliances apart. Not only A/C's or refrigerators, but even washing machines and toaster ovens I'll just have to keep quiet about any heat pump projects I dive into...
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Quietness is next to Godliness...
-AC_Hacker