Aircon compressor relocation - closing valve

[carlyai]

An aircon compressor, mounted on the outside concrete, needs to be moved for some tiling.

 

I watched a U tube video of how to turn of the valves for the gas.

 

In the video, on the compressor, the thin pipe nut is removed first, then an alan key is inserted and turned to close the valve.

 

I insert the alan key but I can't budge the valve either cw or acw. I don't want to apply too much force as I may break something.

 

Is it normal for the valve to be very tight?

 

Is it Ok to put some Sonic down the valve to losen it, or will this cause a problem with the gas when I reconnect it?

 

All I'm doing is moving the compressor unit out of the way, the aircon guy will do the reconnection, but he doesn't want to drive the 69 km out here at the moment because busy.☺

[carlyai]

I rounded up the aircon man and he said don't use sonic ......etc....so sent his offsider out to do it.

 

I came back from a swim and the compressors were all disconnected, but, but, he had turned off the main circuit breakers in the CU, good, but left all the compressors wiring from the CU bare and exposed. The tiler is not too happy, me neither. ? Just about to tape up the exposed wires.

 

Anyway, compressors removed and special gas saved.

[Anythingleft?]

For reference and this may save you some money in the future by the way, all hermetically sealed compressors need to be recovered with a vacuum pump to remove the refrigerant which can be reused. The lines opened need to be purged with nitrogen to remove all debris and air/water and when they reconnect the system it should be pressure tested first with an inert gas then be vacuumed for  a set period and hold a vacuum of 500 microns

The gas should be weighed in and out of the system

Any water or air the lines retain will destroy the compressor as it turns the compressor oil into an acidic solution bear in mind that these units are made to have a life of 15 years most units seem to last maybe 5 years at best in Thailand because of the way they are installed and repaired

Don't want to be the bearer of bad thoughts but it may pay to be around and ask a few questions when the units are reinstalled as it could save you a lot of money in the near future

[carlyai]

For reference and this may save you some money in the future by the way, all hermetically sealed compressors need to be recovered with a vacuum pump to remove the refrigerant which can be reused. The lines opened need to be purged with nitrogen to remove all debris and air/water and when they reconnect the system it should be pressure tested first with an inert gas then be vacuumed for  a set period and hold a vacuum of 500 microns

The gas should be weighed in and out of the system

Any water or air the lines retain will destroy the compressor as it turns the compressor oil into an acidic solution bear in mind that these units are made to have a life of 15 years most units seem to last maybe 5 years at best in Thailand because of the way they are installed and repaired

Don't want to be the bearer of bad thoughts but it may pay to be around and ask a few questions when the units are reinstalled as it could save you a lot of money in the near future

Thank's for that.

I will try, but out here in the Isaan back blocks, I may be out of luck.

I thought that they may have known what they were doing when they disconnected the compressors, but there was still coolant leaking out of the disconnected pipes when I checked.

Should an aircon guy out here have the nitrogen etc and know what to do....correctly?

I have found that most of the trades people know what to do if pressed, they just don't do it.

Just getting used to tapatalk and did not see your reply.

Thanks again.



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[Anythingleft?]

Understandable It's not always easy to accomplish things here, at a minimum have the guy reconnect all the fittings and lines then continue to draw a vacuum for at least 2  hours from when he gets the negative reading he is after before he recharges  the refrigerant. Likely the old "no need" will be said multiple times but I doubt very much he will have either the nitrogen or a digital micron gauge so this at the very least will probably be as good as you can get using mechanical gauges

If you have a look at the ID plate you will / should find a value for the weight of refrigerant that is supplied from the factory, this will vary if you have extended the lines but the amount should be pretty close, a lot of these fitters will just hold the lines and feel the evaporator until they get a satisfactory cold effect this is no way a true reflection of what is going on inside the equipment

 

[carlyai]

Understandable It's not always easy to accomplish things here, at a minimum have the guy reconnect all the fittings and lines then continue to draw a vacuum for at least 2  hours from when he gets the negative reading he is after before he recharges  the refrigerant. Likely the old "no need" will be said multiple times but I doubt very much he will have either the nitrogen or a digital micron gauge so this at the very least will probably be as good as you can get using mechanical gauges

If you have a look at the ID plate you will / should find a value for the weight of refrigerant that is supplied from the factory, this will vary if you have extended the lines but the amount should be pretty close, a lot of these fitters will just hold the lines and feel the evaporator until they get a satisfactory cold effect this is no way a true reflection of what is going on inside the equipment

 

Fantastic. Think I can manage the 2 hour per compressor thing, with Thai grumbles.

In Thailand, probably only your aircon, and now mine, will have been vacuumed for 2 hr each.

How many people know this?

Regards

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[carlyai]

The builder's aircon guys were supposed to come next week but came today....we did not end up on a happy note....

They didn't want to run the pipes and power in the floor. It would have meant cutting 3 channels in the concrete for the 3 aircon. Yesterday the builder agreed to get a concrete saw....for next week...but I guess he forgot to tell the aircon guys.

So what they want to do is move the inside blower units higher ...to help with the drainage...and take it all through the outside ceiling.

If the drainage pipe is at the bottom of the blower unit, I feel that the evaporation drainage pipe will have to go up (vertical) for about 1 ft before the 3 m horizontal sloping run to the outside wall.

I can see drainage problems if the drainage pipe doesn't slope down but has a rise in it. How can it drain properly?

To me this would mean some water always lays in the aircon blower...and over time will probably leak inside the house.

Also the mess of moving the 3 blowers...repainting etc.

They kept saying that it would look better in the ceiling as no ducking down the wall(I agree). But can't see how you can not have the drainage pipe sloping down all the way.

What do you think?



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[carlyai]

Anythingleft? you also mentioned about the weight of the refrigerant, I can see this in the plate as you said....but what does this mean to me when the aircon guys are stuffing around with regarding etc?

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[carlyai]

Hi

The aircon guy is here and reinstalling the units outside....I'll have a closer watch today.

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