A dirty term in our industry is “call back,” meaning a system that a technician just repaired is not working, and it becomes necessary to go back and repair the problem again. This is especially true after changing out a compressor. Replacing a compressor is typically a major investment for a customer and a time-consuming job for a technician, so having to return and repair the same issue, or an additional issue, should be avoided. It is not possible to prevent all call backs, but here are some common mistakes to avoid.
It is a good practice to check for an acidic refrigerant before and after replacing a compressor. If the refrigerant is found to be acidic, it will be necessary to clean up the system during the repair. Do not allow the new compressor to operate with a contaminated refrigerant. In addition, always replace the liquid line filter/drier during the repair. This helps to safeguard the system from circulating unwanted containments that may have been left in the system.