Contaminated Refrigerant, Filling In A Recycling Bottle, Using Technical Devices
Devices may be offered as accessories (vacuum and disposal units) that are approved to extract gases with an unknown composition, based on the manufacturer instructions. These devices have not been approved and specified for this reason no statements can be made about their suitability and function.
So that contaminated refrigerant can drain without a corresponding device in a suction recycling bottle it must be strongly cooled, these procedures have been checked and their use is described. Refer to CONTAMINATED REFRIGERANT, FILLING IN THE RECYCLING BOTTLE BY COOLING .
Risk of explosion by using unsuitable devices.
Refrigerant of an unknown composition can expand due to a chemical reaction or overheating and the device used can explode.
- Only use devices and accessories which meet the corresponding laws and regulations for operation from the manufacturer which are certified and approved for working with gases of an unknown composition.
- Read the corresponding Owner's Manual before using these devices.
- When using these devices pay attention to the instructions and their corresponding Owner's Manual.
Risk of explosion due to overfilling the refrigerant vessels.
Refrigerant can expand and the refrigerant vessel can explode due to overfilling.
- Use a refrigerant vessel with safety valve.
- Never exceed the permitted capacity of the refrigerant vessel.
Chemical reaction due to contaminated refrigerant. When mixing gases of unknown composition different chemical reactions can occur.
Injury is possible.
- Never mix refrigerant of different origins.
Fill refrigerant of an unknown composition from the refrigerant circuit in a recycling bottle.
-- Connect the device and a recycling bottle to fill according to the Owner's Manual belonging to it on the vehicle refrigerant circuit.
-- Start the filling device according to the corresponding instructions.
-- Pay attrition to the emptying of the refrigerant circuit via a suitable pressure gauge.
When discharging the refrigerant circuit you can for example use a pressure gauge or the A/C Service Station pressure display.
Completely emptying contaminated refrigerant from the refrigerant circuit takes a certain period of time, only switch off the device with which you are filling once the entire refrigerant is extracted from the refrigerant. Pay attention to the respective pressure indicator and the corresponding Owner's Manual.
After the contaminated refrigerant is completely emptied:
-- Switch off the device.
-- Close the recycling bottle hand shut-off valves.
-- Wait a certain period of time (for example 20 minutes) and then check if pressure builds again in the vehicle refrigerant circuit.
If the refrigerant circuit pressure builds by refrigerant evaporation, fill the refrigerant whose pressure builds in an additional step in the recycling bottle.
-- Remove the filler hose and connection piece from the recycling bottle and close the recycling bottle connection with the closure cap.
-- Completely fill out the required paper (instructions for disposal, acceptance certificate etc.) for analysis, processing (or disposal) of contaminated refrigerant.
All of the information and documents about the analysis, processing (or disposal) can be received from the gas preparator / gas disposer.
The recycling bottle has a form fill this out accordingly and affix it to the recycling bottle.
If it is not possible weigh the recycling bottle before and after filling with contaminated refrigerant, for the applicable vehicle mark the specified capacity for the refrigerant as the refrigerant quantity, which can be filled in the recycling bottle. Only the refrigerant quantity from one vehicle may be filled in the recycling bottle.
-- Place the recycling bottle at a suitable location until picked up by the gas preparator / gas disposer.
-- Fill out the supplement data sheet for the recycling bottle (R bottle) with contaminated refrigerant and secure on the recycling bottle.
In the field "Miscellaneous notes" it can be for example indicated who receives the gas analysis and in which form this should be done.
Example of a recycling bottle (R bottle) supplement sheet. Refer to CONTAMINATED REFRIGERANT, FILLING IN THE RECYCLING BOTTLE BY COOLING => Example of a recycling bottle (R bottle) supplement sheet .
-- Evacuate the refrigerant circuit with the A/C Service Station for at least one hour. Refer to REFRIGERANT CIRCUIT, EVACUATING .
Then by evacuating the rest of the contaminated refrigerant, which could be attached to the refrigerant oil can be removed at an absolute pressure of less than 10 mbar.
If after switching off the device for filling a refrigerant circuit, pressure builds which is larger than the permitted pressure for starting the "Evacuating" function on the A/C Service Station, then discharge this pressure (this refrigerant) for example in the workshop ventilation systems.
The following procedures depend on the concern on the refrigerant circuit. Refer to REFRIGERANT GAS ANALYSIS, PERFORMING .