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24-22
AIR CONDITIONING
SERVICE PROCEDURES
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
The refrigerant used in all 1965 air-conditioning
installations is refrigerant 12. It is transparent and
colorless in both the liquid and vapor state. Since it
has
a
boiling point of 21.7 degrees F. below zero, it
will be a vapor at all normal temperatures and pres-
sures. The vapor is heavier than air, non-flammable
and nonexplosive. It is nonpoisonous except when it
is in direct contact with open flame. It is noncorrosive
except when combined with water. It is a safe refrig-
erant. The following precautions, however must be
observed when handling refrigerant 12.
CAUTION: Wear safety goggles when servicing the
refrigeration system.
Refrigerant 12 evaporates
so
rapidly at normal at-
mospheric pressures and temperatures that it tends
to freeze anything it contacts. For this reason, ex-
treme care must be taken to prevent any liquid re-
frigerant from contacting the skin and especially the
eyes.
Always wear safety goggles Tool C-3355 when serv-
icing the refrigeration part of the air-conditioning
system. Keep a bottle of sterile mineral oil and a
weak solution of boric acid handy when working on
the refrigeration system. Should any liquid refriger-
ant get into the eyes, use a few drops of mineral oil
to wash them out. Refrigerant 12 is rapidly absorbed
by the oil. Next, wash the eyes with the weak solution
of boric acid. Call your doctor immediately even
though irritation has ceased after first aid treatment.
CAUTION:
Do not heat refrigerant 12 above
125
degrees
F.
In most instances, moderate heat is required to
bring the pressure of the refrigerant in its container
above the pressure of the system when charging or
adding refrigerant. A bucket or large pan of hot wa-
ter not over 125 degrees F. is all the heat required
for this purpose. Do not heat the refrigerant contain-
er with a blow torch or any other means that would
raise temperature and pressure above this tempera-
ture. Do not weld or steam clean on or near the sys-
tem components or refrigerant lines.
CAUTION: Keep refrigerant
12
containers upright
when charging the system.
When metering refrigerant 12 into the refrigera-
tion system, keep the supply tank or cans in an up-
right position. If the refrigerant container is on its
side or upside down, liquid refrigerant wll enter the
system and damage the compressor.
CAUTION: Always work in a well-ventilated room.
Always maintain good ventilation in the working
area. Always discharge the refrigerant into the serv-
ice bay exhaust system or outside the building. Large
quantities of refrigerant vapor in a small, poorly ven-
tilated room can displace the air and cause suffoca-
tion.
Although refrigerant 12 vapor is normally non-poi-
sonous, it can be changed into a very poisonous gas
if allowed to come in contact with an open flame. Do
not discharge large quantities of refrigerant in an
area having an open flame. A poisonous gas is pro-
duced when using the flame-type leak detector. Avoid
inhaling the fumes from the leak detector.
CAUTION: Do not allow liquid refrigerant to touch
bright metal.
Refrigerant will tarnish bright metal and chrome
surfaces. Avoid splashing refrigerant on any surface.
Refrigerant in combination with moisture is very cor-
rosive and can cause great damage to all metal sur-
faces.
HANDLING TUBING AND FITTINGS
Kinks in the refrigerant tubing
or
sharp bends in
the refrigerant hose lines will greatly reduce the ca-
pacity of the entire system. High pressures are pro-
duced in the system when it is operating. Extreme
care must be exercised to make sure that all con-
nections are pressure tight. Dirt and moisture can en-
ter the system when it is opened for repair
or
re-
placement of lines or components. The following pre-
cautions must be observed.
R
/
L
\\I
C O M P R E S S I O N N U T
/
N E O P R E N E
"0"
R I N G
\
NY884B
Fig. 23-Lubricate
with Refrigerant Oil
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