R600a system with ?

[aircon50]

Hi all.
I've been to a bottle cooler that was reported as not cooling. The unit is marked up as R600a (66grams), but has had an evaporator repair and a line tap valve.
According to bar owner the last guy had a cylinder that was definitely NOT R600. As most of the older types of these coolers used R134a, I think that is what the system has been charged with.
Is this going to be a future problem? Even if I recover what is in there now (for disposal), and recharge with R600a, are there likely to be any long lasting problems? I'm thinking of compressor and oil.....
Thanks
Graham

[Rob White]

Hi all.
I've been to a bottle cooler that was reported as not cooling. The unit is marked up as R600a (66grams), but has had an evaporator repair and a line tap valve.
According to bar owner the last guy had a cylinder that was definitely NOT R600. As most of the older types of these coolers used R134a, I think that is what the system has been charged with.
Is this going to be a future problem? Even if I recover what is in there now (for disposal), and recharge with R600a, are there likely to be any long lasting problems? I'm thinking of compressor and oil.....
Thanks
Graham

Yes.

If the last guy put 134a into a 600a compressor it won't work
very well because of the different types of gas.

The volume of 134a is completely different to that of 600a and
that is why 600a has it's own designed compressor (the volume
of 600a is almost half that of 134a).

Plus line tap valves should never be left on a system, it is bad
practice as they can and do leak.

Remove the refrigerant, replace the line tap valve for a schrader
fitting and weigh the correct refrigerant in.

Regards

Rob

.

[tonashp]

I have seen engineers in the past use r134a instead of r600a and end with no end of problems. The system is designed for HC refrigerants.

As suggested above, I would recover if anything is left, fit a new drier and shrader and add r600. If your lucky it will all work well.

I have seen units when r134a has been used instead of r600 and the compressor just goes out on klixon.