Refrigerant Tracer; Leak Test Chiller; Standing Vacuum Test - Carrier AquaEdge 19DV Series Start-Up, Operation And Maintenance Instructions Manual

Refrigerant Tracer

Carrier recommends the use of an environmentally acceptable
refrigerant tracer for leak testing with an electronic refrigerant
detector.
Ultrasonic leak detectors can also be used if the chiller is under
pressure.
WARNING
Do not use air or oxygen as a means of pressurizing the
chiller. Mixtures of HFO R-1233zd(E) and air at elevated
pressure can undergo combustion, resulting in equipment
damage and possible personal injury.

Leak Test Chiller

Due to regulations regarding refrigerant emissions and the diffi-
culties associated with separating contaminants from the refrig-
erant, Carrier recommends the following leak test procedure.
Refer to Table 5 for refrigerant pressure/temperature values.
1. If the pressure readings are normal for the chiller condition:
a. Evacuate the charge from the vessels, if present.
b. Raise the chiller pressure, if necessary, by adding
refrigerant until pressure is at the equivalent saturated
pressure for the surrounding temperature.
CAUTION
Never charge liquid refrigerant into the chiller if the pres-
sure in the chiller is less than 15 in. Hg (vac) / 380 mm Hg
(vac) for HFO R-1233zd(E). Charge as a gas only, with the
evaporator and condenser pumps running, until this pres-
sure is reached, using PUMPDOWN/LOCKOUT (located
in the Maintenance menu) and END LOCKOUT mode on
the PIC6 control interface. Flashing of liquid refrigerant at
low pressures can cause tube freeze-up and considerable
damage.
c. Leak test chiller as outlined in Steps 3 to 7.
2. If the pressure readings are abnormal for the chiller condition:
a. Prepare to leak test chiller.
b. For cooling machines, check for leaks by connecting a
nitrogen bottle with added tracer to allow for elec-
tronic leak detection if possible; otherwise, soap bub-
ble solution is to be used. Raise the pressure to
20 psig (138 kPa). If electronic leak detector is avail-
able, ensure small amount of tracer material is added.
c. Plainly mark any leaks that are found.
d. Release the pressure in the system.
e. Repair all leaks.
f. Retest the joints that were repaired.
NOTE: Suggested test pressure is 20 psig (138 kPa); maximum al-
lowable test pressure 45 psig (310 kPa).
3. Check the chiller carefully with an electronic leak detector
or soap bubble solution.
4. Leak Determination — If an electronic leak detector indi-
cates a leak, use a soap bubble solution, if possible, to con-
firm. Total all leak rates for the entire chiller. Leakage at
rates greater than 0.1% of the total charge per year should
be repaired. Local regulation governs the requirements for
when repair of leaks become mandatory. Note the total
chiller leak rate as well as the full charge amount on the
start-up report.
5. If no leak is found during the initial start-up procedures,
complete the transfer of refrigerant gas from the storage
tank to the chiller. Recover any gas used for leak detection
purposes as required per local jurisdiction.
6. If no leak is found after a retest:
a. Perform a standing vacuum test as outlined in the
Standing Vacuum Test section, below.
b. If the chiller fails the standing vacuum test, repeat
leak test and repair.
c. If the chiller passes the standing vacuum test, dehy-
drate the chiller. Follow the procedure in the Chiller
Dehydration section, page 20. Charge the chiller with
refrigerant.
7. If the chiller is opened to the atmosphere for an extended
period, evacuate it before repeating the leak test. A nitro-
gen purge should be maintained to reduce the potential for
corrosion when open to the atmosphere.
NOTE: Alternate optional leak testing method is to isolate the wa-
ter circuits and use a portable water heater to raise the temperature
of the evaporator and condenser water circuits to approximately
100°F (38°C) which corresponds to a pressure of approximately
14.40 psig (99.3 kPag).

Standing Vacuum Test

When performing the standing vacuum test or chiller dehydra-
tion, use a manometer or a wet bulb indicator. Dial gages can-
not indicate the small amount of acceptable leakage during a
short period of time.
1. Attach an absolute pressure manometer or wet bulb indica-
tor to the chiller.
2. Evacuate the vessel to at least 18 in. Hg vac (41 kPa [abs]),
using a vacuum pump or a pumpout unit.
3. Valve off the pump to hold the vacuum and record the
manometer or indicator reading.
a. If the leakage rate is less than 0.05 in. Hg (0.17 kPa)
in 24 hours, the chiller is sufficiently tight.
b. If the leakage rate exceeds 0.05 in. Hg (0.17 kPa) in
24 hours, re-pressurize the vessel and test for leaks.
4. Repair the leak, retest, and proceed with dehydration.
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