R410a filter drier dissolving (?)

[FluoroC]

5kW Ductless split system inverter charged with 1.13kg R410a, outdoor unit has filter + muffler with filter

Installation note:

• Never install a drier to this R410A unit in order to guarantee its lifetime.
• The drying material may dissolve and damage the system.

Would appreciate any further info / experience.
Thank you!

[Brian_UK]

Manufacturer does not require additional filtration according to those instructions.

You can fit filter/driers to R410a system but they must be suitable for that refrigerant.

If the system has been installed correctly then filter/driers should not be required.

[FluoroC]

Thank you that is understood.
To clarify, I am more interested in the dissolving of filtering media comment.
Is it possible that filtering material actually dissolves?

[Glenn Moore]

There are many variants of filter driers . 3 main desiccants are commonly used in the manufacture of filter driers. Silica gel, molecular sieve and activated oxides. Some filter driers are made using loose beads of one or more of these desiccants . Others use these desiccants which are then bonded into a solid core using a bonding agent inside a hot oven .
The problem with loose fill filters is that the desiccant is vibrated as the refrigerant flows through the drier, this causes the desiccant to start to decompose and allows small powder particles to be washed through the drier into the expansion device and into the compressor oil. Solid core driers do not have this problem as they are a solid mass and the refrigerant simply permeates its way through the core without damaging the core.
So the answer to your question is driers do not dissolve but if they are loose fill “ such as copper spun driers used in domestic fridges and freezers or loose fill driers “ then these can slowly disintegrate as the desiccant beads are bounced around inside the drier and start to break up into small particles. These particles will slowly escape through the mesh gauze filter and around the system causing wear and blockages.
To make sure the system charge is as clean and dry as possible fit a solid core drier into your charging pipe , this will remove any moisture that is in the refrigerant being used to charge the system, therefore the system charge will have clean and dry refrigerant to enhance the systems performance

[FluoroC]

Thank you!
That explains a lot.