water and refrigerant mix

[DLR_LWT]

hi guys

any ideas on recovering water and refrigerant mix, The HX failed and filled the system with water.
I ve already broke one recovery machine, its a 20 ton Carrier with 40 lbs of R22.

[Octopus]

Your gonna need a cold trap.

[wolfdog]

If it is full of water the refrigerant is gone already. Refrigerant goes out the same place the water comes in.

Drain the water out and pressurize with nitrogen to blow all you can out. Then the fun begins.
You really have to decide if the effort is worth it or a new chiller is the better idea.

[jayguy]

Refrigerant molecules are bigger than water molecules. Get a done mesh strainer and pour the mix through the strainer and BOOM. Separated chemicals.

[JCN]

If it is full of water the refrigerant is gone already. Refrigerant goes out the same place the water comes in.

Drain the water out and pressurize with nitrogen to blow all you can out. Then the fun begins.
You really have to decide if the effort is worth it or a new chiller is the better idea.

What he said.

[CHILLERSVCMAN]

Watch vacuum pump oil ; it will get diluted quick . Pump may fail / lock-up. You may want to consider a cradle of nitrogen if access allows. Heat lamps or other heat sources applied to non-insulated sections. If possible valve off sections and place vacuum pumps on each isolated section. Welch 3cfm belt driven vacuum pumps come in handy . Be cautious when pulling vacuum ; too fast is not beneficial for complete moisture removal . Prior to placing in operation suggest Sporlan high moisture capacity cores . Refrigerant and oil samples be taken and sent to a lab to monitor clean-up. It has the possibility to be a long process. Machine will probably start to rust from the inside. Have customer start budgeting for replacement .

[BennyD]

Watch vacuum pump oil ; it will get diluted quick . Pump may fail / lock-up. You may want to consider a cradle of nitrogen if access allows. Heat lamps or other heat sources applied to non-insulated sections. If possible valve off sections and place vacuum pumps on each isolated section. Welch 3cfm belt driven vacuum pumps come in handy . Be cautious when pulling vacuum ; too fast is not beneficial for complete moisture removal . Prior to placing in operation suggest Sporlan high moisture capacity cores . Refrigerant and oil samples be taken and sent to a lab to monitor clean-up. It has the possibility to be a long process. Machine will probably start to rust from the inside. Have customer start budgeting for replacement .

X2
Sublimation is not a myth if you have standing water. I've drilled low spots in everything from castings to shells. Tap for 1/8" pipe plug and use brass. I drill low spots in lines with a small bit. Braze up hole when done. You WILL need to babysit your vacuum pump. Plan on 10 gallons of oil plus. You won't be able to let your pump run overnight for at least a few days. Welch pumps deal with water better than most. At least use a pump that holds the most oil. Look into a cold trap to minimize moisture getting to pump. Wash, wash, wash with nitrogen. Like stated, once it's dry, there's already rust.

[wolfdog]

Refrigerant molecules are bigger than water molecules. Get a done mesh strainer and pour the mix through the strainer and BOOM. Separated chemicals.

Can you recommend a source for a couple of them there strainers?

[jayguy]

Can you recommend a source for a couple of them there strainers?

Probably find some at Ace Hardware. Got to be REALLY small
holes though!

[BennyD]

Can you recommend a source for a couple of them there strainers?

I find coffee filters work well.

[duckman373]

Yeah, i used my wifes spaghetti strainer once. She's still pissed

[hvacker]

I remember a chiller failure like yours where a tech ran a vacuum pump for days w/o good results.
To get rid of water in a flooded system I once bought a couple gallons of denatured alcohol. Reasoning that alcohol displaces water. Like putting the product Heat in a gas tank. I was a bit lucky as the compressor valves were closed. (don't know why)
I blew out what I could with nitro then introduced the alcohol and blew it through the system with nitro. (lots of nitro)Alcohol is a fire hazard so I used hoses to blow outside. I used the nitro until my trusty noes test said the alcohol was gone. Then all the other required vacuum, oil change, driers etc. The system worked and was still on line some years later.
The products available today used with a burnout might do the same thing but would cost a bunch more. R11 used to be used as it has an affinity for moisture but not as great as alcohol.

[brett2008]

hi guys

any ideas on recovering water and refrigerant mix, The HX failed and filled the system with water.
I ve already broke one recovery machine, its a 20 ton Carrier with 40 lbs of R22.

Sounds like you are in for an enjoyable time

I have Just finished a York centrifugal which had a condenser tube fail lost 900kg of refrigerant and condenser/ Evap vessel had water in it.

6 weeks later and a lot of nitrogen,vac pumps,oil and patience the chiller is now back up and operating.


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