HELP PLEASE,,,THANKS

[Huang]

Hi everyone,,Can someone help me with this,,,,,,My vaccum pump is not the best so when I vaccum the evaporator side of the split system and did not have any nitrogen,,instead i used R22 to purge the system,,,I presurise with r22 vacumm for 10 minutes,,,I do this 3 times and the last time i vacumm for one hour,,Can you tell me am i doing a big sin to purge with r22 instead of Nitrogen,,,please tell me cause if it is a very bad practice i will not do again,,,,Thanks Jocelyn

[2old2rock]

Might want to check the EPA rules for this question. You do have an EPA card, right?
But hey, a lot of folks don't think we need that pesky ozone layer anyway.

[cartercrew]

Nitrogen and a regulator are much cheaper than an EPA fine! While a fine is probably not a reality for a small offence, it is still the wrong way to handle refrigerant. Do you have an EPA certification to handle refrigerant? If so, go read the book again!

Seriously though, nitrogen is cheaper than refrigerant, and legal too. While you are at it, buy a micron gauge also. How long you run the pump is irrelevant, measure the results.

[Huang]

Hi 2old2rock,,,Yes i have my card and i do recover the R22,,,I am just wondering,,is it a bad practice for the equipment,,,Thanks 2old2rock ,,,Jocelyn

[Huang]

Thanks cartercrew,,sure appreciate your answer,,,now you have convinced and help me,,I am just a rooky,,I will learn,,,I real appreciate you helping me,,Your help is worth a fortune to me,,Thanks and have a good day,,,Jocelyn from Canada

[Rcb2875]

I think you may be defeating the purpose of triple evacuation by purging with the r22 because now you have moisture in your recovery tank with your r22.
If you are recovering the refrigerant you are spending way too much time and wear on your recovery machine anyway and would be better off just pulling to 500 microns or below until you can maintain a 500/700 micron level for a while with the valves closed. N2 is cheap and the bottle and regulator aren't expensive either and you can just vent the N2 into the air before you start the vacuum process again.

[Keith73]

Hi everyone,,Can someone help me with this,,,,,,My vaccum pump is not the best so when I vaccum the evaporator side of the split system and did not have any nitrogen,,instead i used R22 to purge the system,,,I presurise with r22 vacumm for 10 minutes,,,I do this 3 times and the last time i vacumm for one hour,,Can you tell me am i doing a big sin to purge with r22 instead of Nitrogen,,,please tell me cause if it is a very bad practice i will not do again,,,,Thanks Jocelyn

EPA says yes, It's a big sin.

[Doug Lockhart]

Hi everyone,,Can someone help me with this,,,,,,My vaccum pump is not the best so when I vaccum the evaporator side of the split system and did not have any nitrogen,,instead i used R22 to purge the system,,,I presurise with r22 vacumm for 10 minutes,,,I do this 3 times and the last time i vacumm for one hour,,Can you tell me am i doing a big sin to purge with r22 instead of Nitrogen,,,please tell me cause if it is a very bad practice i will not do again,,,,Thanks Jocelyn

Jocelyn,
The Canadian ODS act forbids you from 'venting' any CFC/HCFC refrigerant to atmosphere......it's a $200,000.00 fine if you get caught. A decent vacuum pump is only $300-400. It's not an option....get one or you should not be in the industry.

[timebuilder]

Yes. As Doug pointed out, it is a BIG no-no, whether in Canada or here in the states.

Use a micron gauge AND a vacuum pump to dehydrate your system first.

You might want to break down and get a tank of N and a regulator so when you need to purge a system, you can use nitrogen instead of R22!!!!

[Huang]

I think you may be defeating the purpose of triple evacuation by purging with the r22 because now you have moisture in your recovery tank with your r22.
If you are recovering the refrigerant you are spending way too much time and wear on your recovery machine anyway and would be better off just pulling to 500 microns or below until you can maintain a 500/700 micron level for a while with the valves closed. N2 is cheap and the bottle and regulator aren't expensive either and you can just vent the N2 into the air before you start the vacuum process again.

Thanks George,,I am getting N2 tomorrow,,all you said makes sense,,this is my priority tomorrow,,Thanks Jocelyn and have a good day

[Rcb2875]

He stated that he does recover the refrigerant each time in post #4 so I can't see any environmental violation in purging with refrigerant.. Bringing a system to just above atmospheric pressure and recovering is not a violation. Venting into the atmosphere is a different story.

[Doug Lockhart]

He stated that he does recover the refrigerant each time in post #4 so I can't see any environmental violation in purging with refrigerant.. Bringing a system to just above atmospheric pressure and recovering is not a violation. Venting into the atmosphere is a different story.

Using a CFC or HCFC in Canada for leak testing is illegal......you can pressurize with N2 and an HF to lower the quantity of HF in a larger system.....but no CFC or HCFCs allowed for leak testing.
The only case where it is allowed is if it's the original HCFC that was used in the system and is now being used; ie released from the receiver, to the rest of the system....

[Rcb2875]

Using a CFC or HCFC in Canada for leak testing is illegal......you can pressurize with N2 and an HF to lower the quantity of HF in a larger system.....but no CFC or HCFCs allowed for leak testing.
The only case where it is allowed is if it's the original HCFC that was used in the system and is now being used; ie released from the receiver, to the rest of the system....

He is just attempting to triple evacuate the system with R22 rather than N2, no mention of leak testing.

[Doug Lockhart]

He is just attempting to triple evacuate the system with R22 rather than N2, no mention of leak testing.

I agree with you .... Only explaining in Canada the only time it's legal to put in an HCFC into a system then blow it back out intentionally through a vacuum pump.

[Keith73]

I missed the Canada part, OOOOPPSS!!!

[Doug Lockhart]

I missed the Canada part, OOOOPPSS!!!

Yah .... you remember the country that hands you guys your lunch every Olympics in Hockey.....that'd be us Canada...EH!!

Say, listen, just to help bury the hatchet on that......in 3 years when the Olympics are in Russia and your flights are heading out over us to Russia, why don't you guys have your men's hockey team drop into Canada and we'll get a couple of shinny games with our girls team to help you bring your game up a bit....

[Keith73]

Yah .... you remember the country that hands you guys your lunch every Olympics in Hockey.....that'd be us Canada...EH!!

Say, listen, just to help bury the hatchet on that......in 3 years when the Olympics are in Russia and your flights are heading out over us to Russia, why don't you guys have your men's hockey team drop into Canada and we'll get a couple of shinny games with our girls team to help you bring your game up a bit....

Ok, we let you guys win a couple of games so don't get all cocky and all.

[Rcb2875]

Since when was a bunch of grown men figure skating a real sport anyway..

[Huang]

Using a CFC or HCFC in Canada for leak testing is illegal......you can pressurize with N2 and an HF to lower the quantity of HF in a larger system.....but no CFC or HCFCs allowed for leak testing.
The only case where it is allowed is if it's the original HCFC that was used in the system and is now being used; ie released from the receiver, to the rest of the system....

Yes now i know i was not doing things right,,,I am buying nitrogen from now on,,it is better to do things the right way