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Thread: Compressor Oil for Household Refrigerator

  1. #1
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    Question Compressor Oil for Household Refrigerator

    I would like to know what would be the implications for the following:
    I removed a compressor from a R-134a household refrigerator and replaced it with a used one, but before installing it I noticed it had just a little bit of oil and somebody advised to add vacuum pump oil and I did. Now I remember that I did read in a book in the past that the pump oil is mineral oil and the oil for HFC in this case R-134a is synthetic oil and also that mineral and synthetic oils are not compatible, but unfortunately I remembered this after the fact. Can anybody tell me what can happen to the refrigerator if I leave it like that? Is there any solution to this?

  2. #2
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    oil logging in evap reducing heat transfer.

  3. #3
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    My guess is you will be shopping for a new refrigerator soon.

  4. #4
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    Thread Starter
    Hello Phase Loss: I am thinking about installing another R-134a compressor tomorrow morning, but this time I will not add any mineral oil. Is there anything I can do prior to installing the compressor? Is there any way to remove the oil from the system before installing the other compressor? If I install it with the system as is will it have any oil-related issues or heat transfer issues later on? I am trying not only to save money, but mainly to save the refrigerator because it is a very nice spacious stainless steel refrigerator. Thank you very much in advance for your advice.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by MIPAR View Post
    Hello Phase Loss: I am thinking about installing another R-134a compressor tomorrow morning, but this time I will not add any mineral oil. Is there anything I can do prior to installing the compressor? Is there any way to remove the oil from the system before installing the other compressor? If I install it with the system as is will it have any oil-related issues or heat transfer issues later on? I am trying not only to save money, but mainly to save the refrigerator because it is a very nice spacious stainless steel refrigerator. Thank you very much in advance for your advice.
    You could try Rx11-flush

    http://www.nucalgon.com/products/tot..._rx11flush.htm

  6. #6
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    We have a ton of close coupled refrigeration units with 134 and mineral oil in them. Work just fine for years. Not saying it is right, just saying.
    If you really know how it works, you have an execellent chance of fixin' er up!

    Tomorrow is promised to no one...

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by rayr View Post
    We have a ton of close coupled refrigeration units with 134 and mineral oil in them. Work just fine for years. Not saying it is right, just saying.
    Wonder if it's only a real issue on larger systems that have to return oil vertically and across many of feet of suction line.

    Smaller systems that only have a few feet of suction line probably have enough velocity to push the oil along without being miscible with the refrigerant.

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