HELP!!! Sporlan TXV capillary system (power head)

[daveca]

Am working on a heat pump that had low pressure cutout due to low inlet pressure.

A high side Schrader core went 'volcano' in my face and lost the system charge, which was clearly already low due to poor performance.

Fixed that and it heats very well, but no AC. Low pressure cutout.

Found a broken indoor TXV capillary where it enters the bulb. The long cap tube had been improperly coiled and placed and the airflow and vibration broke it.

Sporlan 45 ZGA power assembly, 3 ton heat pump, 410A.

R/R the 'power head' either requires evacuation or losing charge during replacement.
Both options are poor IMO.

I really dont want to have to recover this sytem because thats, in part, embarassing...I ShOULD have caught the failure before recharging the system.

Sporlans tech data, and info on this site, suggest that for 410A, the thermo fluid might be put in a liquid phase by cooling and (mostly) confined to the bulb.

The capillary is 0.110 in. O.D., a common brass compression fitting size.

I have bought two new TXVs for other systems but that have the correct thermostatic assembly (45 ZGA)

Is it possible to freeze the new bulb in a freezer while leaving the head outside and elevated to cause a large delta T, to possibly freeze the bulb in a small block of ice, then take it to the unit, cut the cap tube and bulb from the new unit and connect it to the old power head cap tube (shortened) using a in line brass compression coupler?

Someone PLEASE say "yes"45zga.jpg