will condenser condense nitrogen w/cap tube?

[grodan1]

Old lady's system next door apparently still has her system charged with nitrogen.psig's on both sides equeal at 150 with system running.First thought was bad valves until I found system was full of nitrogen.Does anyone know if a compressor with cap tupe metering device will condense nitrogen enough to get low and high pressure readings?I don't want to waste the effort if her valves are shot.Doin it for free, so any help is appreciated.

[Toolpusher]

I don't believe I've ever heard of nitrogen being able to change state,
It's an inert gas.

[NormChris]

Originally posted by Toolpusher
I don't believe I've ever heard of nitrogen being able to change state,
It's an inert gas.

Any gas can be liquified given enough pressure. Nitrogen will not condense in an air conditioning or refrigeration system. The system operates at pressures far below the condensing temperature-pressure (saturation) of nitrogen.

[johnl45]

Now how would the system get full of nitrogen?

[Toolpusher]

sorry I'll go back to my cornor now

[NormChris]

Originally posted by johnl45
Now how would the system get full of nitrogen?

1. If the system is full of air it already contains 78% nitrogen.

2. Nitrogen is often put in systems for purging during brazing at the time of installation and is also used for leak testing. All real technicians carry nitrogen with them.

[tinknocker service tech]

no
remove the nitrogen
evacuate the syatem and wiegh in the proper charge
look at the name plate and find out what kind of refrigerant is being used
if you run it with nitrogen you will blow the compressor

[kerndt]

grodan1

I can’t believe anyone would leave nitrogen in the system, without locking out the compressor circuit. How did you determine its nitrogen in the system?

With equal pressures hi and low with compressor actually running, would indicate a defective compressor, or if a heat pump maybe the reversing valve.
(are you sure the compressor was running and not just the fan operating)

[Chad711]

Coulda been worse and said oxygen!

[grodan1]

How did I determine it had nitrogen in it? I remembered what happened at school when students took their hoses off without first bleeding the liquid refrigerent in their red hose into the low system so only vapor was in hose.When that happened a bunch of liquid refrigerent came shooting out.So I purposely took my hoses off wrong in the way to make sure my red hose would still be full of liquid.When I opened it (slowly,so I could shut it off if it was refrig)my presssure went from 130 to nothing and it sounded weak as a pop-corn fart.Plus the old lady said "they"said they would return and put refrigerent in her system when they returned, but they never did.

[johnl45]

Originally posted by NormChris

Originally posted by johnl45
Now how would the system get full of nitrogen?

1. If the system is full of air it already contains 78% nitrogen.

2. Nitrogen is often put in systems for purging during brazing at the time of installation and is also used for leak testing. All real technicians carry nitrogen with them.

Where I'm from here we call air, air and nitrogen, nitrogen. All real technicians know this regardless if they carry nitrogen or some other inert gas.

[Wild Leg]

Originally posted by Toolpusher
I don't believe I've ever heard of nitrogen being able to change state,
It's an inert gas.

There are only six inert gases:
helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon.

Nitrogen is not inert.

Anything and everything will change state, with enough temperature and/or pressure change.

That being said, nitrogen is one of the things we refrigeration people call "non-condensables".

That just means it won't change state at the temperatures and pressures found in your normal, run-of-the-mill, air conditioner. (so you were right.)

(You have heard of liquid nitrogen, right? Same stuff. Doctors use it to freeze warts.)

[berad]

Originally posted by grodan1
Plus the old lady said "they"said they would return and put refrigerent in her system when they returned, but they never did.

Has she tried contacting them. If she hasn't even tried then how does she know whether they are willing to take care of her or not? Don't just assume they will not. Someties people fall through the cracks by accident.It's happened to all of us.

[beenthere]

Originally posted by bwal2

Originally posted by Toolpusher
I don't believe I've ever heard of nitrogen being able to change state,
It's an inert gas.

There are only six inert gases:
helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon.

Nitrogen is not inert.

If nitrogen is not inert, then what does it react to?

[duckman373]

Originally posted by beenthere

Originally posted by bwal2

Originally posted by Toolpusher
I don't believe I've ever heard of nitrogen being able to change state,
It's an inert gas.

There are only six inert gases:
helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon.

Nitrogen is not inert.

If nitrogen is not inert, then what does it react to?

Same with CO2. It is also an inert gas. I think I'll start using xenon or neon to purge and leak test. Wouldn't that look interesting on the invoice?

[Wild Leg]

from: http://legacystory.apps.em.doe.gov/t...ose/close8.htm

"Inert gas. A gas that does not react chemically with other substances. The inert gases are helium, neon, argon, xenon, and radon. Also occasionally used inaccurately to refer to nitrogen."

Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide are both acceptable for use as a purge and leak test gas in processing a refrigeration system.
However, neither are technically inert.
I don't know what material either gas is reactive to, but there are only six truely inert gases.

Google it up.

Post back with what you find.

[rfelectron]

Nitrogen is reacting with my St. Augustine grass right now!
It loves the stuff.

[beenthere]

I found it the other day.

The 1 site has a mpeg of that is cool to watch.

I was always told it was an inert gas, you taught me something.

[Wild Leg]

Originally posted by beenthere
I found it the other day.

The 1 site has a mpeg of that is cool to watch.

I was always told it was an inert gas, you taught me something.

That's what I do.

What site?
Post the url here.