compresser oil
 

i have a r134a compresser, which i want to charge with r290 (propane). i lost alot of oil when removing it from the system, so where do i get it from, and how to i fill it?

Propane is compatible with all oils, so if you wan't to use the same oil (ester oil) then you can usually just get that at an automotive place.

can you then use, say condensers from a r12-22 systems, will the tiny bit of oil still make acid without the refrigerants?
exactly how much oil does it need?

humm. I thought Mineral Oil is the standard oil for compressors. At least i know it is for R-22 compressors.
You have to realize how risky propane is before you start using it. It'd be sad to lose someone because they dared to turn on their computer.
Flush the condensor and it should be fine.

Boom... Huge mushroom cloud - 5 o'clock news " A man turning on his computer was the cause....":p

Uh yeah here come the propane nazi's.Just don't be a fool when dealing with propane.
R134a uses POE(Polyol Ester) oil, R12 and R22 use mineral oil.

Yes you can use a condenser from those system and you shouldn't have a problem if there is a small ammount of oil in the condenser.

ah well, ill run a extention cord across the road, and test it over there, with me on my side (it is already vacant).
anyways, there shouldnt be to much of a risk in using propane :( ;)

you can get propane without any oil(gas grill cans, blowtorch cans). Generally all systems use mineral oil, unless it is a r134a system. I would say just use it since propane and ester oil should work fine, but since u lost alot of oil, it may be best to

A) add some ester oil, then fill with propane

B) flush the whole thing thoroughly, add mineral oil, fill with propane.

As for it exploding, the threat would be a leak, and a potential short in the electrical system...


keep in mind I am not a refrigerant expert. I myself am working on building a phase change system for my computer, and I know only from what I have read about phase change systems(ive read alot though).

Please, always stick with the same oil as was in the system. Yes, you can probably get away with it if you flush the system with copious quantities of dry propane, but do you really want to run the risk? Just buy some POE at the auto store and keep your compressor safe from acid.

Propane danger is inversely proportional to the stupidity of the user. With normal precautions taken (like not smoking while filling the system, not using an oxy-acetylene torch to test the heat moving capacity of a finished system, etc...) the 2-6 ounces of propane is not very dangerous. Your standard oxy-acetelene torch is more dangerous. Sure, an accident could happen, but it would take a wild set of rare events to occur in synchronization for anything to blow up. You could get hit by a lightning too (or win the lottery, which is 10-100 times less likely!).

Hydrogen18, it sounds like you know more than it sounded like in your other thread. Good luck with the system!

what exactly do u mean?

The other thread seemed to imply you didn't know much about HVAC. For instance, asking about whether you needed to use a vacuum pump is an odd question if you have a background in phase change. It's kind of like an overclocker asking if he should clean off the HSF base before applying thermal paste.