En-3
3.Repairstosealedcomponents
• Duringrepairstosealedcomponents,allelectricalsuppliesshallbedisconnected
fromtheequipmentbeingworkeduponpriortoanyremovalofsealedcovers,etc.
• Ifitisabsolutelynecessarytohaveanelectricalsupplytoequipmentduringservic-
ing,thenapermanentlyoperatingformofleakdetectionshallbelocatedatthemost
criticalpointtowarnofapotentiallyhazardoussituation.
• Particularattentionshallbepaidtothefollowingtoensurethatbyworkingonelec-
tricalcomponents,thecasingisnotalteredinsuchawaythatthelevelofprotection
isaffected.
• Thisshallincludedamagetocables,excessivenumberofconnections,terminals
notmadetooriginalspecication,damagetoseals,incorrectttingofglands,etc.
• Ensurethatapparatusismountedsecurely.
• Ensurethatsealsorsealingmaterialshavenotdegradedsuchthattheynolonger
servethepurposeofpreventingtheingressofammableatmospheres.
• Replacementpartsshallbeinaccordancewiththemanufacturer’sspecications.
NOTE:Theuseofsiliconsealantmayinhibittheeffectivenessofsometypesofleak
detectionequipment.
Intrinsicallysafecomponentsdonothavetobeisolatedpriortoworkingonthem.
4.Repairtointrinsicallysafecomponents
• Donotapplyanypermanentinductiveorcapacitanceloadstothecircuitwithout
ensuringthatthiswillnotexceedthepermissiblevoltageandcurrentpermittedfor
theequipmentinuse.
• Intrinsicallysafecomponentsaretheonlytypesthatcanbeworkedonwhilelivein
thepresenceofaammableatmosphere.
• Thetestapparatusshallbeatthecorrectrating.
• Replacecomponentsonlywithpartsspeciedbythemanufacturer.
• Otherpartsmayresultintheignitionofrefrigerantintheatmospherefromaleak.
5.Cabling
• Checkthatcablingwillnotbesubjecttowear,corrosion,excessivepressure,vibra-
tion,sharpedgesoranyotheradverseenvironmentaleffects.
• Thecheckshallalsotakeintoaccounttheeffectsofagingorcontinualvibration
fromsourcessuchascompressorsorfans.
6.Detectionofammablerefrigerants
• Undernocircumstancesshallpotentialsourcesofignitionbeusedinthesearching
forordetectionofrefrigerantleaks.
• Ahalidetorch(oranyotherdetectorusinganakedame)shallnotbeused.
7.Leakdetectionmethods
• Electronicleakdetectorsshallbeusedtodetectammablerefrigerants,butthe
sensitivitymaynotbeadequate,ormayneedre-calibration.(Detectionequipment
shallbecalibratedinarefrigerant-freearea.)
• Ensurethatthedetectorisnotapotentialsourceofignitionandissuitableforthe
refrigerantused.
• LeakdetectionequipmentshallbesetatapercentageoftheLFLoftherefrigerant
andshallbecalibratedtotherefrigerantemployedandtheappropriatepercentage
ofgas(25%maximum)isconrmed.
• Leakdetectionuidsaresuitableforusewithmostrefrigerantsbuttheuseof
detergentscontainingchlorineshallbeavoidedasthechlorinemayreactwiththe
refrigerantandcorrodethecopperpipe-work.
• Ifaleakissuspected,allnakedamesshallberemoved/extinguished.
• Ifaleakageofrefrigerantisfoundwhichrequiresbrazing,alloftherefrigerantshall
berecoveredfromthesystem,orisolated(bymeansofshutoffvalves)inapartof
thesystemremotefromtheleak.
Oxygenfreenitrogen(OFN)shallthenbepurgedthroughthesystembothbefore
andduringthebrazingprocess.
8.Removalandevacuation
• Whenbreakingintotherefrigerantcircuittomakerepairs–orforanyother
purpose–conventionalproceduresshallbeused.
However,itisimportantthatbestpracticeisfollowedsinceammabilityisaconsid-
eration.
Thefollowingprocedureshallbeadheredto:
• removerefrigerant
• purgethecircuitwithinertgas
• evacuate
• purgeagainwithinertgas
• openthecircuitbycuttingorbrazing
• Therefrigerantchargeshallberecoveredintothecorrectrecoverycylinders.
• Thesystemshallbe“ushed”withOFNtorendertheunitsafe.
• Thisprocessmayneedtoberepeatedseveraltimes.
• Compressedairoroxygenshallnotbeusedforthistask.
• FlushingshallbeachievedbybreakingthevacuuminthesystemwithOFNand
continuingtolluntiltheworkingpressureisachieved,thenventingtoatmosphere,
andnallypullingdowntoavacuum.
• Thisprocessshallberepeateduntilnorefrigerantiswithinthesystem.
• WhenthenalOFNchargeisused,thesystemshallbeventeddowntoatmos-
phericpressuretoenableworktotakeplace.
• Thisoperationisabsolutelyvitalifbrazingoperationsonthepipeworkaretotakeplace.
• Ensurethattheoutletforthevacuumpumpisnotclosetoanyignitionsourcesand
thereisventilationavailable.
9.Chargingprocedures
• Inadditiontoconventionalchargingprocedures,thefollowingrequirementsshallbe
followed.
-Ensurethatcontaminationofdifferentrefrigerantsdoesnotoccurwhenusing
chargingequipment.
-Hosesorlinesshallbeasshortaspossibletominimizetheamountofrefrigerant
containedinthem.
-Cylindersshallbekeptupright.
-Ensurethattherefrigerationsystemisearthedpriortochargingthesystemwith
refrigerant.
-Labelthesystemwhenchargingiscomplete(ifnotalready).
-Extremecareshallbetakennottooverlltherefrigerationsystem.
• PriortorechargingthesystemitshallbepressuretestedwithOFN.
• Thesystemshallbeleaktestedoncompletionofchargingbutpriortocommissioning.
• Afollowupleaktestshallbecarriedoutpriortoleavingthesite.
10.Decommissioning
• Beforecarryingoutthisprocedure,itisessentialthatthetechnicianiscompletely
familiarwiththeequipmentandallitsdetails.
• Itisrecommendedgoodpracticethatallrefrigerantsarerecoveredsafely.
• Priortothetaskbeingcarriedout,anoilandrefrigerantsampleshallbetakenin
caseanalysisisrequiredpriortore-useofreclaimedrefrigerant.
• Itisessentialthatelectricalpowerisavailablebeforethetaskiscommenced.
a)Becomefamiliarwiththeequipmentanditsoperation.
b)Isolatesystemelectrically.
c)Beforeattemptingtheprocedureensurethat:
• mechanicalhandlingequipmentisavailable,ifrequired,forhandlingrefriger-
antcylinders;
• allpersonalprotectiveequipmentisavailableandbeingusedcorrectly;
• therecoveryprocessissupervisedatalltimesbyacompetentperson;
• recoveryequipmentandcylindersconformtotheappropriatestandards.
d)Pumpdownrefrigerantsystem,ifpossible.
e)Ifavacuumisnotpossible,makeamanifoldsothatrefrigerantcanberemoved
fromvariouspartsofthesystem.
f)Makesurethatcylinderissituatedonthescalesbeforerecoverytakesplace.
g)Starttherecoverymachineandoperateinaccordancewithmanufacturer’s
instructions.
h)Donotoverllcylinders.(Nomorethan80%volumeliquidcharge).
i)Donotexceedthemaximumworkingpressureofthecylinder,eventemporarily.
j)Whenthecylindershavebeenlledcorrectlyandtheprocesscompleted,make
surethatthecylindersandtheequipmentareremovedfromsitepromptlyand
allisolationvalvesontheequipmentareclosedoff.
k)Recoveredrefrigerantshallnotbechargedintoanotherrefrigerationsystem
unlessithasbeencleanedandchecked.
11.Labelling
• Equipmentshallbelabelledstatingthatithasbeende-commissionedandemptied
ofrefrigerant.
• Thelabelshallbedatedandsigned.
• Ensurethattherearelabelsontheequipmentstatingtheequipmentcontainsam-
mablerefrigerant.
12.Recovery
• Whenremovingrefrigerantfromasystem,eitherforservicingordecommissioning,
itisrecommendedgoodpracticethatallrefrigerantsareremovedsafely.
• Whentransferringrefrigerantintocylinders,ensurethatonlyappropriaterefrigerant
recoverycylindersareemployed.
• Ensurethatthecorrectnumberofcylindersforholdingthetotalsystemchargeare
available.
• Allcylinderstobeusedaredesignatedfortherecoveredrefrigerantandlabelledfor
thatrefrigerant(i.e.specialcylindersfortherecoveryofrefrigerant).
• Cylindersshallbecompletewithpressurereliefvalveandassociatedshut-offvalves
ingoodworkingorder.
• Emptyrecoverycylindersareevacuatedand,ifpossible,cooledbeforerecovery
occurs.
• Therecoveryequipmentshallbeingoodworkingorderwithasetofinstructions
concerningtheequipmentthatisathandandshallbesuitablefortherecoveryof
ammablerefrigerants.
• Inaddition,asetofcalibratedweighingscalesshallbeavailableandingoodwork-
ingorder.
• Hosesshallbecompletewithleak-freedisconnectcouplingsandingoodcondition.
• Beforeusingtherecoverymachine,checkthatitisinsatisfactoryworkingorder,has
beenproperlymaintainedandthatanyassociatedelectricalcomponentsaresealed
topreventignitionintheeventofarefrigerantrelease.
Consultmanufacturerifindoubt.
• Therecoveredrefrigerantshallbereturnedtotherefrigerantsupplierinthecorrect
recoverycylinder,andtherelevantWasteTransferNotearranged.
• Donotmixrefrigerantsinrecoveryunitsandespeciallynotincylinders.
• Ifcompressorsorcompressoroilsaretoberemoved,ensurethattheyhavebeen
evacuatedtoanacceptableleveltomakecertainthatammablerefrigerantdoes
notremainwithinthelubricant.
• Theevacuationprocessshallbecarriedoutpriortoreturningthecompressortothe
suppliers.
• Onlyelectricheatingtothecompressorbodyshallbeemployedtoacceleratethis
process.
• Whenoilisdrainedfromasystem,itshallbecarriedoutsafely.
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