Sporlan tev problem

[monkey spanners]

I've got a sporlan INE-4-GA-B10 expansion valve that i need to adjust the superheat on. The system is running with about 3C superheat at the moment which i feel is a bit too low, i suspect this is due to the valve being R407c and the system is on R22....

Anyway, started to undo what i think is the adjusting stem cap to be met with a gush of leaking liquid, waited a bit just incase it was a bit of liquid that had built up over time in the cap, but it didn't stop.

Now to the question, do you need to pump the system down to adjust these? Or does the leaky liquid look worse than it is? Because i'll have to recover all the refrigerant if you do as theres no reciever or liquid line valve.

Just in case you are wondering the system is on R22 because it previously ran R502 before a compressor failure and the manufacturers replacement is R407C one.

There was i, a-diggin' this hole.....

Jon:D

[SteinarN]

You may try to stop the system and heat the TEV carefully with a heat gun to force any liquid from the valve and then open the stem cap. Eventually let the system equalize first. You might also help the equalizing by conecting your gauges to the HP and low side and let the system equalize through the gauges set. A small leakage of gas from the stem of the TEV while you are adjusting shouldnt be any big problem.

[monkey spanners]

Cheers Steinar,

I'm much more familiar with danfoss valves which don't generaly leak from the superheat adjuster.
I've never had to adjust a sporlan valve like this one before, they make so many different types and i don't usually fit them unless they are original equipment on specialist equipment.
I was a bit concerned that if i take the cap off, the pressure of the escaping refrigerant could prevent it going back on again :eek:

Its got two choices i guess:D

Jon

[wambat]

Sounds like a pumpdown is in order until you find why it's leaking

[monkey spanners]

It leaked when i loosened the superheat adjusting cap to get at the adjuster. Theres no leak with the cap done up.
What i wanted to know was with this make and model of valve if this is normal and then decide if i should recover the refrigerant before attempting an adjustment again.
Its going to take all day if i have to recover, adjust, recover, adjust until its working with a safe superheat.
Pumpdown is not an option on this equipment as there are no shut off valves in the system.

Jon

[Grizzly]

I've got a sporlan INE-4-GA-B10 expansion valve that i need to adjust the superheat on. The system is running with about 3C superheat at the moment which i feel is a bit too low, i suspect this is due to the valve being R407c and the system is on R22....

Anyway, started to undo what i think is the adjusting stem cap to be met with a gush of leaking liquid, waited a bit just in case it was a bit of liquid that had built up over time in the cap, but it didn't stop.

Now to the question, do you need to pump the system down to adjust these? Or does the leaky liquid look worse than it is? Because I'll have to recover all the refrigerant if you do as theres no receiver or liquid line valve.

Just in case you are wondering the system is on R22 because it previously ran R502 before a compressor failure and the manufacturers replacement is R407C one.

There was i, a-diggin' this hole.....

Jon:D
Hello M.S.

Please follow the link below and scroll down the page to Anatomy of a TEV. ( Lots of good info for anyone interested)
You will notice that around the adjuster spindle there is a gland nut, with gland packing behind it.

Which provided you have a relevant sized (2 pronged adjuster). I don't know what their proper name is?
Can be tightened in the usual manner!


Sorry I must learn to read properly
If the leak is as bad as you say M.S.
Then only you can decide which is the best cause of action.


Hopefully you should be able to reseal the valve quick enough to negate the small amount of refrigerant lost in doing so!

http://www.parker.com/portal/site/PARKER/menuitem.734d2913eb3c11da13576f849420d1ca/?vgnextoid=d195f87357e28110VgnVCM10000048021dacRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&division=528d84aa40701110VgnVCM10000048021dacRCRD&literaturetype=Technical%20/%20Service&searchAttr=searchResult&languages=EN&parentCh=Division#results

Grizzly

[Sridhar1312]

TXV adjustment should never be attempted until all other reasons / causes are ruled out.Most of the TXV's are factory set and should not be tampered with.

[monkey spanners]

Cheers Grizzly,

I think i'll be having a play with it tomorrow.
My dad used to have a nice little Britool socket set with all the special gland nut sockets in it for fridgidair, prestcold etc its long gone now.
I think i might pick up a one of those ball valves with a schraeder, that way once fitted i can pump it down into a recovery bottle if needs be.

Thanks for the comment Sridhar, the problem is its a R407C valve in a system running R22, this is due to the fact the equimnet is 20yo and getting the correct parts is difficult, the manufacturer seems to remove all the labels from the parts, presumably so you can't identify them and buy them elsewhere.

Jon

[Grizzly]

Cheers Grizzly,

I think i'll be having a play with it tomorrow.
My dad used to have a nice little Britool socket set with all the special gland nut sockets in it for fridgidair, prestcold etc its long gone now.
I think i might pick up a one of those ball valves with a schraeder, that way once fitted i can pump it down into a recovery bottle if needs be.

Thanks for the comment Sridhar, the problem is its a R407C valve in a system running R22, this is due to the fact the equimnet is 20yo and getting the correct parts is difficult, the manufacturer seems to remove all the labels from the parts, presumably so you can't identify them and buy them elsewhere.

Jon

Cheers Jon.
Glad to be of help to one that contributes so much to the forum.
Yes mine also are Britool had a set of 3 different sizes probably 10 yrs or more, used them maybe 2 or 3 times.
Been looking through my old catalogues but can't identify where I got them from!
A pair of snipe nosed pliers may work as a substitue?
Good Luck Grizzlyhttp://www.refrigeration-engineer.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif

[monkey spanners]

Well i went back and had another look at it and as i unscrewed the cap a bit i couldn't see any threads. A closer look showed that where you would see threads for the cap to screw on to on a normal cap there where none and in fact where the threads weren't was turnning with the cap, showing that it was infact a plug.
After a quick call to Parker, who now own Sporlan, i found out that they do infact make non adjustable valves and supply them to the manufacture of this equipment.

So put the spanners away it can't be tweeked:D

I took some pictures for those that like that sort of thing but i'm over my limit for picture uploads and can't seem to edit my picture list, i just get an error code:confused:

Cheers Jon

[Grizzly]

Well i went back and had another look at it and as i unscrewed the cap a bit i couldn't see any threads. A closer look showed that where you would see threads for the cap to screw on to on a normal cap there where none and in fact where the threads weren't was turnning with the cap, showing that it was infact a plug.
After a quick call to Parker, who now own Sporlan, i found out that they do infact make non adjustable valves and supply them to the manufacture of this equipment.

So put the spanners away it can't be tweeked:D

I took some pictures for those that like that sort of thing but i'm over my limit for picture uploads and can't seem to edit my picture list, i just get an error code:confused:

Cheers Jon

Many thanks for the update Jon, especially as I said you could adjust the valve.

You are not alone with the upload limit.
I posted about the very same subject several weeks ago and as yet no-one has answered...
bummer isn't it.
Grizzly

[archibaldtuttle]

Hello M.S.


You will notice that around the adjuster spindle there is a gland nut, with gland packing behind it.

Which provided you have a relevant sized (2 pronged adjuster).


since I have the adjustable kind of Sporlan, I'm interested whether anyone knows where to find these 'gland nut sockets'.

In a wrench, I would call such a tool an 'arbor wrench' because they are often used for arbor nuts on various machine and wood tooling implements. As a socket, I don't what you call it.

I had low superheat (2 to 2.5 deg.) on a Sporlan XVE 5 while running a little over 12 deg. subcooling. (Readings below for the curious.) After replacing the head and after much other thinking and cleaning the condensor and the descaling chemistry in the evaporator and getting virtually identical results I decided to tweak the valve.
It definitely had a little bit of refrigerant trapped under the cap but wasn't noticeably leaking, i.e. this was built up over time. I probably could have gotten a show out of it if I used bubble check but I couldn't hear a thing (couldn't get me head over far enough to put my ear right on the valve, should have gone into the building and borrowed a stethoscope but anyway it wasn't anything I was particularly worried about but I was still more or less idly curious about whether there was what I would call a "stuffing box" nut. The valve bottom is so close to the sheet metal that it will take more light and an inspection mirror to get a look so I appreciate the "anatomy" posted.

Anyway, to hijack the thread - I actually believe there is no such thing as threadjacking, we're just talkin amongst ourselves boys -- and girls? -- I went one turn in the superheat direction (according to sporlan glyphics that came with the head and I think they are right) and my 2 deg. superheat became a hunting superheat gyrating between 5 deg. and 18 deg. at approx. 2 minute intervals. (I didn't hold a stopwatch too it, might have been slightly longer at high super heat, maybe 3 mins and then 1 minute at low).

But very distinct regime changes if you'll pardon my mixing in political metaphors.

The load is definitely on the low side, even after evaporator descale, I just can't get my delta T up much above 4 F. and my approach spread is varying between 15 and 25 deg.

don't know if the hunting represents liquid slugging, need heat transfer mastic on the bulb which is at 3:00 o'clock, or ???

Any ruminations appreciated.

Numbers:

ambient 74.5 deg.
discharge 160 psi liquid temp 75 (I get 12 deg. subcooling)
suction 42 psi temp 24 - 38 deg (or 5 to 19 deg. superheat)
water inlet 54.8 outlet 50.6

Brian