Komatsu 830E-AC Shop Manual page 941

SERVICE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
Recovery/Recycle Station
Whenever refrigerant must be removed from the sys-
tem, a dual purpose station as shown in Figure 4-6,
performs both recovery and recycle procedures
which follows the new guidelines for handling used
refrigerant. The recovered refrigerant is recycled to
reduce contaminants, and can then be reused in the
same machine or fleet.
To accomplish this, the recovery/recycle station sep-
arates the oil from the refrigerant and filters the
refrigerant multiple times to reduce moisture, acidity,
and particulate matter found in a used refrigerant.
NOTE: To be re-sold, the gas must be "reclaimed"
which leaves it as pure as new, but requires
equipment normally too expensive for all but the
largest refrigeration shops.
Equipment is also available to just remove or extract
the refrigerant. Extraction equipment does not clean
the refrigerant - it is used to recover the refrigerant
from an A/C system prior to servicing.
FIGURE 4-6. RECOVERY/RECYCLE STATION
N04031 10/06
Mixing different types of refrigerant will damage
equipment. Dedicate one recovery/recycle sta-
tion to each type of refrigerant processing to
avoid equipment damage. DISPOSAL of the gas
removed requires laboratory or manufacturing
facilities.
Test equipment is available to confirm the refrigerant
in the system is actually the type intended for the
system and has not been contaminated by a mixture
of refrigerant types.
Recycling equipment must meet certain standards as
published by the Society of Automotive Engineers
(SAE) and carry a UL approved label. The basic prin-
cipals of operation remain the same for all machines,
even if the details of operation differ somewhat.
Leak Detector
The electronic detector (Figure 4-7) is very accurate
and safe. It is a small hand-held device with a flexible
probe used to seek refrigerant leaks. A buzzer, alarm
or light will announce the presence of even the small-
est leak.
Some leak detectors are only applicable to one type
of refrigerant. Ensure the leak detector being used
applies to the refrigerant in the system.
FIGURE 4-7. TYPICAL ELECTRONIC LEAK
Operator Comfort
DETECTOR
N4-15