[inspectorhammer]

Im kicking myself for not bookmarking it now, but just a few days ago i saw an article about a propane cooling setup. It was on the front page of a pretty big hardware site. But now i cant find it!! Does anyone know of the one im talking about?

thanks

[[EG]~NaTz~]

was it www.phase-change.com

[Napoleon]

id be too afraid it blow up

[Diggrr]

Originally posted by Napoleon
id be too afraid it blow up

From what? freon burns too, but some release chlorine gas as it does.
Propane needs to be mixed with air in a very narrow ratio to burn, your AC system don't have air in it, so no boom. It's also under pressure, so no flame could possibly chase inside the system (or in your house's gas pipes either) contrary to myth.
That craps done for the movies, just like night rider taking on the bikers.

[lclark2074]

I like propane because you do not need a licensee to work with it and its colder then moist common refrigerants like r12 r134a and r22

[aenigma]

Propane is not colder than R22.
Diggr is right, it won't blow up, if anything it will just burn.Just make sure you dont have any leaks and keep blow torches away from it.

[Warlord2]

hmm that just gave me an idea. Maybe I can just fill this thing up with propane and then torch everything and find my leak that way.

[Diggrr]

Why not pump it up and use soapy water? A match would work fine too cause the flame is so light (weight wise) that the slightest leak would blow it all over, though not necessarily lighting the leak.

[Warlord2]

I have tryed soap and last weekend I tryed BLU leak detector wich foams when it finds a leak. Ive been getting the psi up to 350 and it drops done to 300 in like 10 mins but for the life of me I cant find any leak

[Redwolf]

Are you only checking the piping.. Coils can leak too
The most comon spot is on the U bends or right were the metal braces are on the ends. The expantion of the different metals were small holes in the tubing

Funny thing is you say you pump the system up to 350psi and it drops 50psi in 10mins.. well bubbles may not show up with that big of a leak.. There is no way you couldnt hear a leak that big. Its no more than a whistle sound.. then feel around the area to pin pont it

[Warlord2]

lol yeah you would think I could hear it but I swear I looked all over the place and couldnt hear anything. I did find one leak that way and that was in my pressure gauge connection, once I tightend it a little it stopped. I will time it today to really get a accurate measurement of how fast its going down but Im sure it wasnt much longer than 10mins, I mean it went down before I could get all the leak detector even on
there are no leaks in my evap or my gauges now sense I would easly see them once I stick them in water.

[Diggrr]

I know this is a no brainer, but did you check the schraeder valve you're filling it from...those will leak easily if you get it too hot soldering it in. Even a speck of dust in it would leak at 350psi...

[Warlord2]

Im just filling it with air to get it up to 350psi then on the schrader valves I screw there cap back on, I dont think they are leaking from those. Im thinking of just dumping this whole thing in my pool, I mean everything is closed isnt it? so it shouldnt hurt anything if I dry it off afterwords. I havent had time to look at it yet but I wish I had a stethacope(sp?) (the thing doctors use to listen to you breath). That would make it much easier

[Redwolf]

Air eww.. CO2 would work just fine and is drier. I know its hard to get dry N2 if you dont have a supply.
Ya can dump the hole unit in the water with pressure.. np

You are filling up both sides at the same time so pressure settleing shouldn't be much of an issue... Not sure why your taking your gauges off after you pressurize if you are.
Just keep on.. you'll find it.

[BOWMAN1964]

yea i am lucky and have nitrogen.
but i have a nice little 500 psi liquid fill gauge i use to test with.i test the evap seperate and then the condensor seperate with 300psi and i wait overnight with it sumerged under water.two reasons i leave it overnight.one i have seen such small leaks before that it will only start to form bubbles after a few hours (these are the leaks that takes weeks to even know you have one after the unit is running.)and two if my gauge is still sitting on 300 the next morning i will not have any problems.
i know it is a pain,but i dont have problems because of it.

put it under water you will find it.

[Warlord2]

can I put the compressor under water too? everything is already hooked up so I cant really test them separate like you.

[BOWMAN1964]

yes you can remove all the wire connections from the compressor.and it wont hurt it at all.make sure you remove the relay from the compressor.shouldnt be nothing left showing but 3 terminals sticking out the back of the compressor when you are finished,they are sealed.

[johnnyw]

talking about compressors....... I have a pre-made phase change unit. The fact is that it does not have r12 ( the recommended refrigent for this compressor). Is there any way to lubricate it or make any type of service , as I got if for free and I doubt about the compressor´s state.

[Redwolf]

Seal Hermetics arn't made to be serviced...
But that doesn't mean that you couldn't grind off the weld and open it up and do what you think you need to do. If thats what your asking.
Good luck finding parts.. seeing they don't sell them. If your thinking that too.

[couchpotato]

A little off topic - inspectorhammer did mention propane and
cooling in the same sentence

http://www.asciimation.co.nz/beer/

- this guy uses a jet engine and a gas bottle to cool his beer.