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Clearing wax from small cap tube on 134A system
I have a Bev Air prep table that waxed up its second cap tube due to 2 leaks and 2 compressor failures. It was a royal pain to replace the cap on this box and I have heard there is a tool that pumps a piece of lead wire through a cap tube with a bottle jack type thing to clear blockages. If I can get the cap clear would it make sense to size the drier up to a C-052-HH from the C-032 I put in there originally to get the rest of the wax out and change to R414B. By the way, the failed compressor was installed by others and improperly evacuated and the old drier left in so I inherited this mess. I am trying to fix this economically so we don't have to just trash a unit with a new compressor. Is there some chemical cure or some magic that can be done?
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Originally Posted by
1ton3800chevy
I have a Bev Air prep table that waxed up its second cap tube due to 2 leaks and 2 compressor failures. It was a royal pain to replace the cap on this box and I have heard there is a tool that pumps a piece of lead wire through a cap tube with a bottle jack type thing to clear blockages. If I can get the cap clear would it make sense to size the drier up to a C-052-HH from the C-032 I put in there originally to get the rest of the wax out and change to //////////R414B. ////////////////By the way, the failed compressor was installed by others and improperly evacuated and the old drier left in so I inherited this mess. I am trying to fix this economically so we don't have to just trash a unit with a new compressor. Is there some chemical cure or some magic that can be done?
copeland did not list 414b for there pump
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Originally Posted by
1ton3800chevy
I have a Bev Air prep table that waxed up its second cap tube due to 2 leaks and 2 compressor failures. It was a royal pain to replace the cap on this box and I have heard there is a tool that pumps a piece of lead wire through a cap tube with a bottle jack type thing to clear blockages. If I can get the cap clear would it make sense to size the drier up to a C-052-HH from the C-032 I put in there originally to get the rest of the wax out and change to R414B. By the way, the failed compressor was installed by others and improperly evacuated and the old drier left in so I inherited this mess. I am trying to fix this economically so we don't have to just trash a unit with a new compressor. Is there some chemical cure or some magic that can be done?
I think you are talking about the "cap check". I have one but i still haven't used it yet. I did fill it full of POE oil a couple weeks ago but the last restriction i had that cutting a few inches off the tube didn't fix , was a r-22unit. So it's still sitting here unused. Seems like its gonna make a oil mess anyways.
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If the problem is wax, the pig will compact the wax into a solid jam. I have only had success with small pieces of debri being pushed. .03c
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Would a Rx-11 flush disolve wax?
Anyone ever try it.
Or what about backblowing with nitrogen.
Just some ideas
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Not wax
It is my understanding there is no wax in POE oils. Suggest it is Crap from previous poor service work.
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Had a similar problem. Went through about three caps on a reach in freezer. Finally got pi**ed and snatched out cap and replaced with txv and a sight glass. new driers. Unit ran about five more years until the evaporater coil started leaking. Customer ordered new box. Unit was 15 years old anyway.
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Originally Posted by
kiwireeferman
Suggest it is Crap from previous poor service work.
That's a bit unkind kiwi
Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from. Al Franken, "Oh, the Things I Know", 2002
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Originally Posted by
meoberry
Had a similar problem. Went through about three caps on a reach in freezer. Finally got pi**ed and snatched out cap and replaced with txv and a sight glass. new driers. Unit ran about five more years until the evaporater coil started leaking. Customer ordered new box. Unit was 15 years old anyway.
I did this as well on an old case. Installed an oversized liquid drier in the vertical down flow position, this compensates for no receiver tank. .04c
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when a cap tube plugs in a system with poe oil in it i think its just smarter to change the compressor along with it. 1 reason being the compressor has seen extreme heat and 2 the oil is broken down.
its a win win for the customer and you
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Originally Posted by
refrigekid
when a cap tube plugs in a system with poe oil in it i think its just smarter to change the compressor along with it. 1 reason being the compressor has seen extreme heat and 2 the oil is broken down.
its a win win for the customer and you
kid, you got expensive habits.
if you're worried about the oil, pull the compressor out, tip out the oil and pour in new stuff
Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from. Al Franken, "Oh, the Things I Know", 2002
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Originally Posted by
refrigekid
when a cap tube plugs in a system with poe oil in it i think its just smarter to change the compressor along with it. 1 reason being the compressor has seen extreme heat and 2 the oil is broken down.
its a win win for the customer and you
Do you also change the compressor when you have a condenser fan motor failure? What if your condenser it matted closed? These are the same type of issues relating to compressor heating too much. Changing the compressor because of the cap tube is quite silly. Good luck......
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Oil change.
Originally Posted by
ckone180
Do you also change the compressor when you have a condenser fan motor failure? What if your condenser it matted closed? These are the same type of issues relating to compressor heating too much. Changing the compressor because of the cap tube is quite silly. Good luck......
I agree, pretty simple to disconnect compressor and just change the oil.
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Originally Posted by
Slatts
kid, you got expensive habits.
if you're worried about the oil, pull the compressor out, tip out the oil and pour in new stuff
Slatts
yes if semi boy otherwise i don,t realy worry about it
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Originally Posted by
sarpanch2001
Slatts
yes if semi boy otherwise i don,t realy worry about it
I'd only do it if the system had a gut full of moisture myself.
Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from. Al Franken, "Oh, the Things I Know", 2002
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maybe its just me but it seems like after a cap tube plugs once it most likely will plug again especially if its an older pos. personally i think the root of the problem is the cooked oil due to the dirty condenser or high ambient conditions. maybe im just lazy but i really dont feel like taking a fractional hp comp out and draining the oil. I wont change the comp every time i see a plugged cap tube but sometimes i feel it makes more sense depending on the age of unit.
someone correct me if im wrong but mineral oil causes wax and poe oil will cause carboxylic salts
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Originally Posted by
refrigekid
maybe its just me but it seems like after a cap tube plugs once it most likely will plug again especially if its an older pos. personally i think the root of the problem is the cooked oil due to the dirty condenser or high ambient conditions. maybe im just lazy but i really dont feel like taking a fractional hp comp out and draining the oil. I wont change the comp every time i see a plugged cap tube but sometimes i feel it makes more sense depending on the age of unit.
someone correct me if im wrong but mineral oil causes wax and poe oil will cause carboxylic salts
Has someone mixed the oils in the system. I do know if you mix minereal and poe it will plug up a cap tube.
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JMO;
replace all of the refrigeration circuits, or
change the cap tube (ya i know it's difficult)
change oil in compressor
use new liquid drier
slap a suction filter in
check every 24 hours to see if suction filter is clogged
pullout suction filter after one week
i am sure wax is coated in the condeser coil as well
and it's gonna get washed out slowly but surely
the job sounds like a callback waiting to happen!
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do you guys usually change the oil on hermetic comps?
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R134a and cap tubes can be a real pain. We work on a lot of True equipment- warranty. When the unit overheats enough to breakdown compressor oil, they usually recomend a new compressor and captube. I don't think your going to clear that crap from the captube, we tried RX11. It works well for cleaning the cond and evap tubing for oil residue, but the captube still had to be changed. Also make sure to drain the accumulator if it has one.