System Contaminants; General Information; P Re Ca U Tio N S In H A N D Lin G R E F R Ig E R A N; P Re Cau Tio N S In H A N D Lin G R E Frig E Ra N T L I N E - Chevrolet CHEVY VAN G10 SERIES Service Manual

A IR C O N D ITIO N I IMG 1A 12
In any vocation or trade, th ere are established procedures
and practices th a t have been developed after m any years of
experience. In addition, occupation hazards m ay be present
th a t require the observation o f certain precautions or use of
special tools and equipm ent.
practices and precautions o f servicing refrigeration equipm ent
will greatly reduce th e
custom ers' equipm ent as well as virtually elim inate the
elem ent o f hazard to the serviceman.
PRECAUTIONS IN H A N D LIN G REFRIG ERANT-12
R efrigerant—12 is tran sp aren t and colorless in b o th the
gaseous and liquid state. It has a boiling point o f 2 1 .7°F below
zero and, therefore, at all norm al tem peratures and pressures it
will be a vapor. The vapor is heavier th an air and is non-
inflam m able, nonexplosive, nonpoisonous (except w hen in
co n tact w ith an open flam e) and noncorrosive (except w hen in
contact w ith w ater).
W A R N IN G : The follow ing precautions in handling
R -1 2 should be observed at all times.
• I f it is ever necessary to transp ort or carry a cylinder or
can o f refrigerant in a car, keep it in th e luggage
com partm ent. R efrigerant should n o t be exposed to the
radiant heat from th e sun since th e resulting increase in
pressure m ay cause the safety valve to release o r the
cylinder or can to burst.
• Cylinders or disposable cans should never be subjected to
high tem perature w hen adding refrigerant to the system.
In m ost instances, heating th e cylinder or can is required
to raise the pressure in the container higher th a n the
pressure in the system during the operation. It w ould be
unwise to place the cylinder on a gas stove, radiator or
use a blow to rch while preparing for th e charging
o peration, since a serious accident could result. D o n 't
depend on the safety valve — m any cylinders have burst
w hen the safety valve failed. Rem em ber, high pressure
m eans th a t great forces are being exerted against the
walls o f the container. A bucket o f w arm w ater, n o t over
125°F , or warm w et rags around the container is all the
h ea t th a t is required.
• Do n o t weld or steam clean on or near the system.
W elding o r steam cleaning can result in a dangerous
pressure buildup in th e system .
• Discharging large quantities o f R -12 in to a room can
usually be done safely as th e vapor w ould produce no ill
effects; how ever, in th e event o f an accidental rapid
discharge o f the system , it is recom m ended th a t inhala­
tio n o f large quantities o f R -12 be avoided. This caution
is especially im portant if the area contains a flame
producing device such as a gas heater. While R-12
n orm ally is nonpoisonous, heavy concentrations o f it in
co n tac t w ith a live flame will produce a to xic gas. The
same gas will also attack all bright m etal surfaces.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Observing th e procedures,
possibilities o f damage to
• P rotection o f th e eyes is o f vital im portance! When
w orking around a refrigerating system , an accident m ay
cause liquid refrigerant to h it the face. I f th e eyes are
p ro tected w ith goggles or glasses, no serious damage can
result. Ju st rem em ber, any R-12 liquid th a t you can
to u c h or th a t touches you is a t least 21.7UF, below zero.
the
I f a R-12 liquid should strike the eyes, here is w hat to
d o :
1. K eep calm.
2. Do n o t rub the eyes! Splash the affected area w ith
q uantities o f cold w ater to gradually get th e tem perature
above the freezing p o in t. The use o f m ineral, cod liver or
an antiseptic oil is im p o rta n t in providing a protective
film to reduce the possibility o f infection.
3. As soon as possible, call or consult an eye specialist for
im m ediate and future treatm ent.
PRECAUTIONS IN HAN DLING
REFR IG ER A N T LINES
C A U T IO N : The follow ing precautions should be
observed when handling refrigerant lines:
• All m etal tubing lines should be free o f kinks, because of
th e restriction th a t kinks will offer to the flow o f
refrigerant. The refrigeration capacity o f the entire
system can be greatly reduced by a single kink.
• The flexible hose lines should never be b en t to a radius
o f less than 10 tim es the diam eter o f the hose.
• The flexible hose lines should never be allowed to come
w ithin a distance o f 2 -1/2" o f the exhaust m anifold.
• Flexible hose lines should be inspected at least once a
year for leaks or brittleness. I f found brittle or leaking
th ey should be replaced w ith new lines.
• Use only new lines th at have been sealed during storing.
• When disconnecting any fitting in the refrigeration
system , the system m ust first be discharged o f all
refrigerant. However, proceed very cautiously regardless
Fig. 1 9 —System Contam inants
C H E V Y V A N S H O P M A N U A L