gas used in fridge or hvac equip,ment

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washer10

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Jun 30, 2015
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3
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How can I tell if the fridge or an Hvac appliance is using the old sulfur dioxide r12 freon or the new hfc 134a puron and hydrocarbon based refrigerants?
 
In the six years I have been doing residential/commercial HVACR, I have never once run into a job where I couldn't find out what was charged into the sealed system. That is to say, I have never seen a refrigerator, freezer, heat pump, RTU or air conditioner that did not have the information listed on the manufacturer data plate.

If the equipment was originally charged with R12 or other refrigerants but was recharged with something else, or if the sealed system was replaced entirely (not common or cost effective in domestic fridges, but possible with central AC/heat pumps and virtually all commercial HVACR equipment), the technician is supposed to affix a label near the original data plate with the type of charge and maybe a date, or at minimum cross off the original specs and rewrite the changed ones in a Sharpie.

If the technician failed to do this, and I'm sure this is a problem because there are hacks out there, clues are the next best option. Look to your compressor and its data plate. This is not accurate if the equipment just had an evac/recharge, but simply if the compressor was replaced at some point. You won't be seeing barcodes on the data label of an OE compressor installed in, say a '60s Coldspot or '50s Vimco-Victory.
 
Forgot to add, Puron is R410a, not R134a, which you won't (or shouldn't find, if this is the right planet) in refrigerators and freezers. This is heat pumps and cool-only ACs. Puron is the trademark used by Bryant and Carrier, though 410a is also known by other trademakrks such as Forane and Suva-410a.
 
Sulfur Dioxide?

was used alone in R12 refrigerant? I thought that was the antique gas flame Servell's.

R22 is dichloridiflouromethane.

410A is tempermental to icing up if just the right amount isn't charged. At least thats what I've seen in low humidity moderate temps. Especially on the exterior condensor end.
 

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