Glycol leaked into Liebert A/C system

[acrefrig]

Found a Liebert Mini Mate (1.5 ton) that was tripped out. Self contained unit with glycol cooled condenser. When testing system pressures got a lot of oil coming out of the hoses, then found glycol coming out too. Turns out the scroll compressor is filled with glycol. Found the 3-way valve for the glycol cooled condenser had a leaking belows. When blowing some nitrogen through the evaporator and condenser I can hear gurgling sounds.
Planning on replacing the compressor, txv, filter drier (plus add a suction filter). Has anyone experienced this problem before and if so what are the chances of cleaning up the evaporator and condenser using a flush kit? Any other suggestions to clean it up??
Thanks

[darter1]

I had a water cooled unit do the same thing and we were able to get it flushed. However I think with the glycol the whole unit should probably be replaced. In addition the the parts mentioned you need to replace the condenser coil also. Good Luck

[jpsmith1cm]

The glycol portion of this equation is what bothers me.

I KNOW that water can be removed from a system. Driers and evacuation along with blowing lines out with nitrogen will do that quite handily.

What I DON'T know is what will happen to the glycol portion of the solution. Will that remain as a contaminant in the system? or will it be removed by the driers/evac/purging process?

[dudeabides]

I'll bet once glycol is in the system, it's there in some form forever. Just think about when you work with glycol how quickly your hands dry out. Think about what it does to pump seals. Think about what a pain it is to get a soldered joint repair to take that had glycol running through it. I'd replace the unit.

[RichardL]

I cannot begin to imagine the end result of the glycol, ref., ref. oil and elevated temperatures is going to produce in the long run. I have seen some nasty mixes of a contaminated ref. system from clorine, Hydrocloric acid, chromic acid, sulpuric acid and even a phosgene condenser in Baton-Rouge @ the BASF plant where tank cars of phosgene were produced. But Glycol?? I hope whatever the outcome is on this one that the poster shares the end result with us...Might be very interesting.(Might even be explosive also)

[jackpiner]

Found a Liebert Mini Mate (1.5 ton) that was tripped out. Self contained unit with glycol cooled condenser. When testing system pressures got a lot of oil coming out of the hoses, then found glycol coming out too. Turns out the scroll compressor is filled with glycol. Found the 3-way valve for the glycol cooled condenser had a leaking belows. When blowing some nitrogen through the evaporator and condenser I can hear gurgling sounds.
Planning on replacing the compressor, txv, filter drier (plus add a suction filter). Has anyone experienced this problem before and if so what are the chances of cleaning up the evaporator and condenser using a flush kit? Any other suggestions to clean it up??
Thanks

Clean up as you are planning, with the flush, use a canister type suction filter replacing the core daily. Then plan on replacing the compressor a second time, the first replacement will clean up the system and then die unless your real lucky.

[madhat]

Replace the entire unit, it will never work right again. Also if it should fail and crash Servers or a small computer room the loss could be much greater than a replacement.

[Phisher]

Well you wouldn't have to worry about moister in the system freezing at the TXV. Really though 1-1/2 ton unit? Replace it and be done with it.

[trouble time]

The cost of the work envolved to get this unit working properly, is much more that the replacement of the unit...

Replace the unit and be done with it....

[MUNC]

Agree, dont waste your time or customers money. By the time you do everything under the sun and have to go back repeatedly ( who's payin?) just replace the whole thing and be done with it. Too many times wanted to be a nice guy and try to save the customer some coin just to be bit in the a$$

[DeltaT]

Had a dot.com customer hire me to start a factory rebuilt one. Went to check the pressures and they were low so I cracked my hose to smell the refrigerant and got a face full of glycol......will never make that mistake again.

Contacted the factory and they said fix it. I said no and told the customer to make them give him another one pre-tested before it gets out of the factory this time.

[milkyway]

i would give the option to the customer., that you can do both., leave it up to them!

[acrefrig]

Thanks for all the input on this problem. To update, I priced out a new compressor, evap, txv etc etc and we are going to rebuild the whole thing- anything that glycol got into basically. With labor it will be about half the cost of a new one.

[Phisher]

Good luck to ya... Hope all goes well.