Another angle to consider...
Quote:
Originally Posted by RB855
To your question of piping, Oil return on long runs can usually be assisted by using traps and inclining the return line in favor of the compressor. The pipe size is directly related to both pumping capacity and length of run. Ill have a look around and see if I can find a suitable loss chart that can help select the correct size for your installation. There is a (small) efficiency hit due to frictional losses in the pipe, but unless its a very long run, you'll never see it.
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Another angle to consider is that there seems to be a critical inside diameter for the refrigerant tubing. The tubing needs to be sized so that the velocity of the refrigerant/oil is high enough to sustain turbulence and to keep the lubricant circulating along with the refrigerant... too large a diameter (lower velocity) and the lubricant may be left behind... too small (higher velocity) and friction of circulation takes its toll.
There are probably enough key terms there for you to find more authoritative information on the principle.
BTW, nice copper craft!
Best,
-AC
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Last edited by AC_Hacker; 09-23-12 at 10:26 PM..
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