4
Chapter 1
IV.
Refrigerants and Other
Chemicals
Contact with refrigerant, mixtures of refrigerant and
oil, or other chemicals can cause a variety of injuries
including burns and frostbite. For example, if refrig-
erant contacts skin or eyes it can cause severe frost-
bite. Also, in the event of a compressor motor
failure, some refrigerant and oil mixtures can be
acidic and cause chemical burns.
To avoid injury, wear appropriate protective eye-
wear, gloves, and clothing when servicing an air con-
ditioning or refrigeration system. Refer to your
refrigerant supplier for more information.
If refrigerant or mixtures of refrigerant and oil come
in contact with skin or eyes, flush the exposed area
with water and get medical attention immediately.
V.
Compressor Removal
Failure to properly remove the compressor can result
in serious injury or death from electrocution, fire, or
sudden release of refrigerant and oil.
Follow these precautions when removing a compres-
sor from a system:
➤
Disconnect ALL electrical power.
Disconnect all electrical power supplies to the
system, making sure that all power legs are
open. (NOTE: The system may have more
than one power supply.)
➤
Be sure refrigerant is recovered before
removing compressor.
Attempting to remove the compressor before
removing all refrigerant from the system can
cause a sudden release of refrigerant and oil.
Among other things, this can:
•
Cause a variety of injuries including
burns and frostbite.
•
Cause a fire if a torch is used to discon-
nect tubing.
•
Expose the service person to toxic gas.
To avoid serious injury or death, be sure to
remove and recover all refrigerant before
removing the compressor.
➤
Use a tubing cutter, not a torch.
Use a tubing cutter to remove the
compressor. A torch can cause
even trace amounts of refrigerant
to decompose and release toxic
fumes. In addition, using a torch
to remove the compressor can cause a fire. If
you ignore this recommendation and use a
torch, be prepared to extinguish a fire.
VI.
System Flushing, Purging,
and Pressure Testing for
Leaks
Failure to properly flush, purge, or pressure test a
system for leaks can result in serious injury or death
from explosion, fire, or contact with acid-saturated
refrigerant or oil mists.
Follow these precautions when flushing/purging a
system or pressure testing a system for leaks:
➤
Use flushing products according to the man-
ufacturer’s instructions.
➤
To purge a system, use only dry nitrogen.
➤
When pressure testing for leaks, use only
regulated dry nitrogen or dry nitrogen plus
trace amounts of the serial label refrigerant.
➤
When purging or pressure testing any refrig-
eration or air conditioning system for leaks,
never use air, oxygen or acetylene.
•
Oxygen can explode on contact with oil.
•
Acetylene can decompose and explode
when exposed to pressures greater than
approximately 15 PSIG.
•
Combining an oxidizing gas, such as oxy-
gen or air, with an HCFC or HFC refrig-
erant under pressure can result in a fire or
explosion.