Carrier compressor

[devilsfood]

I have a Carrier chiller mod. # 30gt-050---510ka. Earlier this year, we had a water leak in the chill water barrel. It has been repaired. The compressor on this unit did have a large amount of water in the oil site glass. My biggest question is, is it worth trying to repair. I get different answers depending on the tech. I have not had alot of experience with chillers. Iam refrigerant certified and have 20 years of experience with pumps and comp. out side of refrigerant systems. What problems do I face breaking it open and trying to rebuild it. Is it better to just replace it. Your experience is appreciated.

[thor7000]

You need to give a little more info...did the compressor actually run for any amount of time with the water in the pan?? have you ohmed out the windings??

[fat eddy]

I think that the type of question is baest answered by the person that needs to pay for it, if the owner has ever planned to replace the chiller now owuld be a good time to place an order,I don't think trying to clean that compressor and system up is a good idea for you or the customer I would condemn the whole thing and let the customer tell you to make it run if he doesn't want to reoplace it.

[gordondemarko]

If the compresser is a herm and you see water in the line replace it, have liquid slug

[wolfdog]

You don't rebuild an 06E in the field. It just isn't worth the aggravation. You buy a rebuild from Carrier or a rebuilder.

The 30GT -050 has two 06E compressors. If only one was wet, bid for a replacement and a good clean up/ dry out and be safe rather than sorry. If you dry it out and lose that old compressor on bearing trouble, it is all to be done over anyway and you are holding the bag.


If both compressors were wet it may be time to rethink the value of the chiller.

[git-r-dun]

I agree with wolfdog. If it's the same where you're at Trane sells rebuilt Carlyle O6E cheaper than Carrier

[wasp]

Change the compressor, change driers, dry the system out, check microns (try to achieve 500 or less). Make sure flow switch is not stuck shut and that freeze protection works, and if it is a pump down system make sure it shuts off on low pressure switch.

[chillerguru]

Remember anytime you have water on the refrigerant system, that mean you have to properly drain all the water , especially on the condensers. I recommend making holes on the headers at the lowest point and pressurizing the system with nitrogen a couple of times then prperly dehydrate the system, using a cold trap with dry ice. Monitor vacuum and change oil at your discretion.

[absrbrtek]

On a 50 ton chiller if it was floodeded chuck it. The time you spend trying to dehydrate it and the future failures youll have will pay for a new chiller.

[firstmech]

The bottom line is if the dehydration procedure is not performed completly and additional means of cleanup is not performed after the start up your customer is in for costly learning expierence.

Moisture combined with refrigerant equals acid. Acid in a system equals compressor failure. Compressor failure creates more system acid which equals additional compressor failures.

What we are saying is this type of system repair is extesive, expensive and should be considered very carefully, be performed by a qualified tech using the proper equipment.(No waranty)

GB

[docholiday]

Id say at the minimum, flush the system well, install a new compressor, tripple evacuate, install Liquid and suction driers, and start it up slowly, monitor for moisture, acid and change the driers a few times. Drain the oil and replace it along with the driers and you should be ok.

[joeywpittman]

is it in a plant?
i had this happen to me 5 times in one year. (cw condensers busting because of bad water treatment)
i didn't replace the compressors, cut the liquid lines right before the txvs then blew (plant supplied) dry nitrogen through it for two days, pulled a good vacuum, checking the oil for milkiness unless you use a knock-out pot, 500 mircons then your ready to go. after it has ran for a day change the dryers do the same after a week.

[buzze]

If you decide to evacuate the system be forewarned that water in the system that has a cap of refrigerant oil over it may not have enough vapor pressure to force its way throught the oil and you can achieve a 500 micron vac. and still have water - not just moisture - in the system. Options are:
(1)Make sure you can add enough heat to any low points to raise the vapor pressure enough to force the moisture through the oil. Hot water may be one option for the chiller barrel or condenser, but may not be practical in your case.
(2)Flush the system with several gallons of The solvent of your choice since R-11 is no longer an option. Nu-calgon has a flush that they recommend for many applications that is basically just a degreaser, but will evaporate with no residue. State Chemicals make a material called DRI that is pretty expensive, but does absorb moisture. I hesitate to mention alcohol due to the various hazards of handing it.
(3) Drain any and all low points. The chiller barrel should have a drain plug at the low point, as should the condenser, but the refrigerant lines may have a loop or trap that could be a different problem. Even the body of a horizontal liquid line filter could trap some water.
I mention this because a good friend of mine took a long cold financial bath because he evacuated to the proper level and yet had a slug of water come in and short out the compressor terminals shortly after start-up. I did not witness the vac. but he had a competent and reliabele tech.
on the job. I did witness the water that poured out of the compressor when we opened it a month later up prior to returning it for rebuild.
Good luck.