Compressor changes-heads up

[will smith]

Thought I'd chime in on something I've been seeing more and more of recently. I've run across R-22 systems that have had compressors replaced, and the compressor had POE in it instead of mineral. So far, none I've seen had been drained and refilled with mineral. One case in particular involved a Liebert I was working on-lost a compressor, and my supplier sent one out with POE-I thought maybe they gave me the wrong compressor, but I found out Copeland doesn't offer that particular compressor with mineral oil anymore, so you have to remove the oil and add mineral for that application. In this instance, I had to literally turn the compressor upside down to drain it, and pour the mineral oil in the suction port-no shrader port on the bottom of the tincan. You'd think they'd have to give us a port to drain/add oil...
Even though POE can be used with R-22, it's not recommended because POE is such a good solvent-and tends to scour the piping-with the wee little bits ending up in strainers/cap tubes Not to mention the fact that it's so much more hydroscopic.
Anyway-just one more thing to look for!

[ryan1088]

Where did you come up with it's not recommended? We have machines that come from the factory with that setup. In that instance, I'd keep the poe and flush the mineral.

[chaard]

Thought I'd chime in on something I've been seeing more and more of recently. I've run across R-22 systems that have had compressors replaced, and the compressor had POE in it instead of mineral. POE oil and mineral oil are miscible.So far, none I've seen had been drained and refilled with mineral. One case in particular involved a Liebert I was working on-lost a compressor, and my supplier sent one out with POE-I thought maybe they gave me the wrong compressor, but I found out Copeland doesn't offer that particular compressor with mineral oil anymore, so you have to remove the oil and add mineral for that application. In this instance, I had to literally turn the compressor upside down to drain it, and pour the mineral oil in the suction port-no shrader port on the bottom of the tincan. You'd think they'd have to give us a port to drain/add oil...
Even though POE can be used with R-22, it's not recommendedDid you miss the part where the MFR's are putting in POE oil. because POE is such a good solvent-and tends to scour the piping-So all of the R410A units are going to fail soon cause of this ? First I've heard of it.with the wee little bits ending up in strainers/cap tubes Not to mention the fact that it's so much more hydroscopic.
Anyway-just one more thing to look for!

read this thread. http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=1066861

[powell]

Even though POE can be used with R-22, it's not recommended????

Here's a link to Copelands AE bulletin concerning oils. Check out 17-1248

http://www.hvacrinfo.com/ae_index.htm

[koolkahuna]

Where did you come up with it's not recommended? We have machines that come from the factory with that setup. In that instance, I'd keep the poe and flush the mineral.

ditto.
Save the time and effort, stay POE, haven't seen a system yet that plugged from freeing up the bits and pieces. You can always change driers and clean strainers if it did. That's their function along with moisture entrapment for the drier...cap tubes I could see plugging up easier, hasn't happened to me yet.
And just for accuracy, the term is "hygroscopic".

[monkeyspanners]

I do mostly dairy stuff, milk tanks etc. When i get a failed copeland scroll on R22 i get a R404A one as a replacement, they will run with R22 fine for now and we will be one step ahead when they finally ban R22 here (UK) in 2014.

I do the same with L'unite/Tecumseh comps too.

But Maneurop ones would need the poe oil swapping for mineral as their poe oil goes foamy with R22 (or so i'm told by their tech guy here) Last Maneurop i had go a replaced it with a L'unite as they are cheaper and a better compressor in my experience.

[BillDuffy]

Liebert is shipping out compressors without oil in them, you have to add either mineral or poe.

[ryan1088]

Liebert is shipping out compressors without oil in them, you have to add either mineral or poe.

That's long as everyone knows that it doesn't have oil in it and puts some in....otherwise that would be a BFD in waiting.

[sdt1104]

As a rule R22 does not care what oil is in the system, even when retrofitting from R22 to 407C a residual of 5 % mineral oil is allowable. You may have to replace the driers once or twice, otherwise some mixing of oils is OK.