Many servicemen experience service calls where the compressor has both a low head pressure and a high suction pressure. There are three main reasons why a reciprocating compressor will simultaneously have a low head pressure and a high suction pressure.

Oil safety controllers often come in two types: bellows (mechanical) and transducer (electronic). Bellows-type controllers sense crankcase pressure and oil pump discharge pressure, usually through some type of tubing, and then transmit the pressure to flexible bellows. Transducer-type controllers use a pressure transducer.

Many larger compressors in the refrigeration and air conditioning field have forced-oiling systems. These compressors are usually over 5 hp. They contain an oil pump located at the end of the compressor’s crankshaft. The crankshaft is actually connected to the oil pump and supplies power, which turns the oil pump.

The problem we are going to deal with here pertains to a restricted liquid line after the receiver. Provided is a service checklist. Assume that the refrigeration system is a TXV/receiver system, employing a filter drier and sight-glass. The system has R-134a as the working refrigerant.

There is an estimated 900 million pounds of HCFC-22 installed in refrigeration and air conditioning systems in the United States. This article covers one of the leading refrigerant blend candidates for retrofitting R-22 systems for both a/c and refrigeration applications.

The HVACR industry is one where both centrifugal pumps and fans are used on an ongoing basis. Because of this, HVACR systems are huge energy consumers. Creating higher-efficiency systems offers a tremendous opportunity for great electrical and monetary savings. Many of these savings can be achieved through the use of variable-frequency drives.

As mentioned earlier, most new systems will be manufactured with R-410A. However, the question of what is the best retrofit refrigerant blend for existing R-22 systems is often asked by technicians and equipment owners. There is no one quick-fix solution or answer to this question. The answer depends on several key factors.

With so much talk these days about HCFC-22, I thought I’d offer a back-to-basics look at this refrigerant that has been so popular for so long - but now is facing phaseout.

HFC-134a is the alternative refrigerant of choice to replace CFC-12 in many medium- and high-temperature stationary refrigeration and air conditioning applications. However, R-134a is not a direct drop-in refrigerant for R-12. Retrofit guidelines must be followed carefully when converting a system from R-12 to R-134a.

This article is the first in a series focusing on refrigerants and refrigerant blends. This month’s article will concentrate on the HCFC-22 air conditioning replacement refrigerant blend HFC-410A, better known as R-410A.