Quote:
Originally Posted by ecomodded
Food for thought Wyrtwister , I know next to nothing about refrigerants , are you being cautious or is this a educated guess ?
I like the Price of canned air and watched a few videos of it in action , by all accounts it works great
If your on to something I could use the canned air for leak testing (and Proof of concept ? ) before I spend real money on R123a or what ever refrigerant the New to me compressor uses.
I have a kit for refilling automotive AC that should work for me if I braze on a matching port for filling.
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Last time I checked ( this last summer ) a 12 or 14 ounce can of R134a at WallyWorld was less than $ 10 , not including state sales tax . But I have not purchased any in a year or two . I bought a 25 or 30 pound jug .
R12 and R22 used mineral oil ( a petroleum product , I am pretty sure ) . I do not know if they used the same oil or different formulations ?
R134a uses PAG oil or POE oil . Both of these are synthetic oils .
R410a ( household A/C and other applications ) use POE oil or another that I can not remember right now . Both of these are synthetic oils .
I am told , if you mix mineral and synthetic , they do not play well with each other . I am not sure , at all if you can mix the synthetics . Compressors are not cheap , so I do not want to take the chance .
I do not know the price of the dust off spray , but I would not use it .
I would use the refrigerant and oil the compressor was made for . Or , at least , what it originally came with .
Remember , keep everything CLEAN . And , all refrigeration oil absorbs moisture from the air , if you let it come in contact with air . I think the synthetics are much worse about absorbing moisture . ( Moisture is the enemy of refrigeration systems .)
This is one of the things filter dryers are for . Vacuum the system down to a very low vacuum & shut the valves off . Come back a couple of hours latter . Or come back a day latter . If the vacuum has not leaked down , you have a good chance you have no leaks . But this is not conclusive .
To leak test , put enough dry nitrogen in to equal the " normal " low side operating pressure for the refrigerant you will be using . You can use soapy water in a spray bottle to find / track down leaks . Look for bubbles .
God bless
Wyr