Transferring Refrigerant Using A Supercooled Recycling Bottle

WARNING: Overfilled recycling bottle

Danger of bursting due to insufficient gas cushion
→ Use a recycling bottle with a pressure relief valve.

→ Maximum filling weight: 9.5 kg.

→ Weigh recycling bottle on a calibrated weighing scales during filling.

All required tools, equipment and the dry ice must be ready.

Remove the seal from the recycling bottle and unscrew the cap from the connection.
Information
- Sealed and generally already evacuated recycling bottles are available from your gas supplier.
- If the recycling bottle is not evacuated, evacuate it using a vacuum pump or air conditioning servicing equipment if necessary.
- Recycling bottles are clearly marked as such - unlike refrigerant supply bottles, they have no check valve and can therefore be filled.
- If an absolute pressure greater than 100 mbar but less than 900 mbar is measured in the recycling bottle, evacuate the recycling bottle using a vacuum pump (or air conditioning servicing equipment) (residual pressure less than 50 mbar).
If an absolute pressure greater than 900 mbar is measured in the recycling bottle, there can be a number of different reasons for this:
- The manual shut-off valve was opened and not closed again correctly. The recycling bottle is leaking (return the recycling bottle to the supplier).
- The recycling bottle was already used for interim storage of refrigerant and was not evacuated correctly afterwards (evacuate recycling bottle).
- The recycling bottle is leaking (return the recycling bottle to the supplier).
Connect a vacuum gauge (or air conditioning servicing equipment) to the recycling bottle.
Carefully open the manual shut-off valve on the recycling bottle for checking the vacuum and check the vacuum in the bottle.
Information
- Recycling bottles are already pre-evacuated by the gas supplier, but it is not always possible to ensure that the vacuum will be maintained during storage.
- In order to get a clear indication of the type and extent of contamination of the transferred refrigerant when analyzing the contaminated refrigerant, the recycling bottle must be evacuated to a residual pressure of less than 50 mbar before starting to transfer the refrigerant.
If necessary, evacuate the recycling bottle using the air conditioning servicing equipment (residual pressure in the recycling bottle is less than 10 mbar absolute pressure).
Perform routine for draining refrigerant using the PIWIS Tester.
1. 5.1 Connect the PIWIS Tester to the vehicle and switch on the PIWIS Tester.
  Information
  
  The terms "Ignition on" and "Starting engine" are re-defined for fully electric vehicles (battery electric vehicles - BEV).
  
  Establishing operational readiness/Ignition on:
  
  Prerequisites for establishing operational readiness: High-voltage battery is sufficiently charged, remove vehicle charging cable from the vehicle charge port, put driver's key in the emergency start tray.
  
  Establishing operational readiness automatically: Get into the vehicle and close the driver's door. The driver's key is recognized inside the vehicle. Operational readiness is established.
  
  Establishing operational readiness manually: Press Start/Stop switch. The driver's key is recognized inside the vehicle. Operational readiness is established.
  
  Establishing operational readiness/Starting engine:
  
  Establish operational readiness and engage transmission range. The vehicle is now ready to drive and can be moved.
  
  Ending operational readiness/Switching off ignition
  
  Ending operational readiness automatically: Get out of the vehicle with the driver's key and close the driver door. The driver's key is no longer detected outside the vehicle. Operational readiness ends.
  
  Ending operational readiness manually: Press Start/Stop switch until the instrument cluster is switched off.
  
  Ending driving readiness/Stopping engine
  
  Vehicle is stationary: Press the P button on the instrument cluster. The vehicle is parked.
2. 5.2 Establishing operational readiness/Ignition on.
3. 5.3 Start diagnostics.
4. 5.4 Select Thermal management control unit .
5. 5.5 Select Maintenance/repairs tab
6. 5.6 Select the menu item Drain and fill refrigerant circuit and press F12 to continue.
7. 5.7 Select Activate the mode for draining and filling the refrigerant and start with F8.
8. 5.8 Follow the instructions on the PIWIS Tester.
Make sure that the workplace is well ventilated and switch on additional workshop ventilation systems if available.
Information
- Since contaminated refrigerant is only filled from one vehicle into a recycling bottle in the next step, we can rule out the possibility of overfilling a recycling bottle with a filling capacity of more than 3.0 kg.
- If contaminated refrigerant is filled from the air conditioning servicing equipment into a recycling bottle, for example, the amount of refrigerant transferred is generally higher and it is important therefore to ensure that the recycling bottle is not overfilled. A recycling bottle with a sufficiently high permissible filling capacity should be used and it is necessary to ensure that the maximum permissible filling capacity is not exceeded by weighing it during the transfer process.
Connect the hose to the evacuated recycling bottle using a suitable adapter.
Connect the service coupling for refrigerant R1234yf to the hose.
Information
- Chemical reactions are possible when mixing gases of unknown composition.
- Gases of unknown composition (contaminated refrigerant) must never be mixed.
- Only use sealed and thus empty recycling bottles.
- Only use recycling bottles that are approved for use at low temperatures.
- Do not mix contaminated refrigerant from different sources.
- Always fill contaminated refrigerant from one vehicle (one air conditioning servicing equipment) into a separate recycling bottle.
- After filling the recycling bottle, complete the transfer form and store the recycling bottle in a suitable place until it is returned to the gas treatment/disposal company.
Connect the hose with service coupling to the recycling bottle.
Information
- Recycling bottles that are cooled to -78 °C can be sensitive to impact and can therefore be damaged if not handled correctly.
- After transferring refrigerant, recycling bottles should only be removed from the insulated container when all the dry ice has evaporated and the recycling bottle is at ambient temperature again.
- Evaporating the contaminated refrigerant fully from the refrigerant circuit takes a certain amount of time. After 60 minutes, you can assume that all the refrigerant has evaporated.
Place the recycling bottle in the insulated container.
Cool the insulated container with dry ice (for around 15 min.).
Connect the recycling bottle via the service coupling to the connection on the air conditioning servicing equipment (or the refrigerant circuit in the vehicle).
Open the manual shut-off valve on the recycling bottle.
Connect a pressure gauge to the refrigerant circuit (or use the pressure display on the air conditioning servicing equipment) and check the pressure in the refrigerant circuit.
Carefully open the service coupling on the hose going to the recycling bottle and let the refrigerant flow slowly into the recycling bottle.
Information
- You can use a separate pressure gauge or the pressure display on the air conditioning servicing equipment, for example, when draining a refrigerant circuit.
- If the displayed pressure is less than 0.3 bar after about 60 minutes, you can assume that all the refrigerant in the recycling bottle has liquefied.
Wait until the refrigerant in the recycling bottle has liquefied (check pressure display on the connected pressure gauge).
Close the service coupling and manual shut-off valve on the recycling bottle.
Information
- You can get all the information and documents you need for the analysis and treatment (or disposal) from your gas treatment/disposal company.
- If it is not possible to weigh the recycling bottle before and after filling it with contaminated refrigerant, the filling capacity for refrigerant prescribed for the affected vehicle can be specified as the amount of refrigerant that was filled into the recycling bottle. This is acceptable because only the refrigerant for one vehicle is filled into a recycling bottle.
Complete the accompanying data sheet required for the analysis and treatment (or disposal) of contaminated refrigerant fully. The accompanying data sheet for the R-bottle can be found under Standard forms and can be printed.
Move the insulated container with the recycling bottle and dry ice to a secure, well-ventilated area outside of a building.
Open or remove the cover of the insulated container and let the dry ice evaporate.
Take the recycling bottle out of the insulated container with dry ice.
Remove the hose and bottle connecting piece from the recycling bottle and close off the connection on the recycling bottle with the cap.
Store the recycling bottle and accompanying data sheet for the R-bottle in a suitable place until they are collected by the gas treatment/disposal company.