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Dragon_Engineer2
Guest
Let me get this straight there are people using Propane as a coolant?How dangerous is this cooling method?
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Propane?!
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- Joined
- May 9, 2001
- Location
- portland,or
if there are no leaks i suppose it would be fine, compressed gasses get very cold upon decompression, butane, nitrogen, oxygen, argon. would all work too. of course they would need to be recompressed via a pump. basically its just another refridgerant.
OP
Dragon_Engineer2
Guest
- Thread Starter
- #3
To me over clocking isn't fun when I risk more than the hardware.
- Joined
- May 9, 2001
- Location
- portland,or
heh, i personally wouldnt use propane myself,but to each his own i guess
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2001
- Location
- Bakersfield,CA
hehe unless you have a open flame theres really nothing to be conserned of. When the propane in the system there is no air, there for it cant ignite. If theres a leak you most likely be able to smell it before it gets too dense and just put a fan on it so it doesnt reach the waterheater
People are using propane as a substitute for the refrigerant R22
I believe. It's properties are close enough to R22 that it works
pretty good in an exiting pre-EPA banned system when peole are
not able to use this CFC.
If used one properly sealed system it will work, but if there is a
leak you could have a major fire/explosion.
Why risk it?
I believe. It's properties are close enough to R22 that it works
pretty good in an exiting pre-EPA banned system when peole are
not able to use this CFC.
If used one properly sealed system it will work, but if there is a
leak you could have a major fire/explosion.
Why risk it?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2001
- Location
- Bakersfield,CA
well thats why you test it before you bring it inside I never heard of a leak forming after 2 days of letting the compressor run with no problems, also thats why you braze, the compressor will never be able to break a brazed seal if brazed right. Why risk it? well for one I cant even buy 134a here in california without a license and it would be super expensive if I could.
I never heard of a leak forming after 2 days of letting the compressor run with no problems, also thats why you braze, the compressor will never be able to break a brazed seal if brazed right. Why risk it? well for one I cant even buy 134a here in california without a license and it would be super expensive if I could.Well, my parents whole-house air conditioner leaked all the
freon out something like 4 years in a row. It was under
warantee and a "professional" fixed it each year before they
decided that that was enough and got a new unit.
The problem was pinhole leaks. You could have a well sealed
unit with brazed connections and all, but what happens of there
is a pinhole leak inside?
freon out something like 4 years in a row. It was under
warantee and a "professional" fixed it each year before they
decided that that was enough and got a new unit.
The problem was pinhole leaks. You could have a well sealed
unit with brazed connections and all, but what happens of there
is a pinhole leak inside?
Yeah just don't be a wimp
I fill my systems indoors using propane, and the only way to start a fire is by doing it on purpose.R290 isn't really a substitute for R22, but just a cheap easy to get refrigerant that performs exceptionally well for the price.
Small pin-hole leaks don't happen if you do a good job, and even if they do you still wont get a fire unless you go prodding around with a blow torch....
I fill my systems indoors using propane, and the only way to start a fire is by doing it on purpose.R290 isn't really a substitute for R22, but just a cheap easy to get refrigerant that performs exceptionally well for the price.
Small pin-hole leaks don't happen if you do a good job, and even if they do you still wont get a fire unless you go prodding around with a blow torch....
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2002
- Location
- Bellevue, WA
The propane used, if I am correct, is about the equivalent one or two bic lighters. And remember, propane needs certain gas/air mixtures to ignite. So unless you hold a flame right up to a leak, it will not ignite. Propane is very safe, most of the western European countries use it for fridges, but with DuPont having a virtual refrigerant monopoly in the States, they were able to lobby the government to outlaw propane...
Futura
Futura
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2002
- Location
- Bellevue, WA
because a grill is made to burn propane, a fridge isn't.
If your compressor system were in an enclosed box, and you thrust in a flaming lighter, then yes, you would get a fire. It's very difficult to get an explosion, because the gas-air mix needs to be nearly perfect, and the enclosure needs to be very tight. It also doesn't help that a grill has a manifold to properly mix the air with the gas before the burner. I should hope your compressor doesn't. You can't really enclose a compressor system that much because you must vent/cool the condenser coils...no gas build-up.
Your dad's grill was getting a flame, not an explosion. The grill is still working, eh?
In a compressor system, you'd only use about 6 or 8 ounces of the stuff (1/3 of a torches tank), and since the compressor is a sealed, air-tight system under pressure, there's no chance of the flame 'chasing' inside to cause problems, and at best, if you really tried, you might get a flame from the smallest of pinholes. Most leaks would blow out a flame.
Many other 'approved' refrigerants are flammable or toxic, or both.
Let's put it this way, If I were Dow Chemical, would I want you paying $400+ per gallon to me only, or would I want you running down to the hardware store and spending $4 for 3 refills....hmmm. That's why they pay so much money to congress' election funds, and support PAC's (cause they have money to burn at $400 a gallon).
Your dad's grill was getting a flame, not an explosion. The grill is still working, eh?
In a compressor system, you'd only use about 6 or 8 ounces of the stuff (1/3 of a torches tank), and since the compressor is a sealed, air-tight system under pressure, there's no chance of the flame 'chasing' inside to cause problems, and at best, if you really tried, you might get a flame from the smallest of pinholes. Most leaks would blow out a flame.
Many other 'approved' refrigerants are flammable or toxic, or both.
Let's put it this way, If I were Dow Chemical, would I want you paying $400+ per gallon to me only, or would I want you running down to the hardware store and spending $4 for 3 refills....hmmm. That's why they pay so much money to congress' election funds, and support PAC's (cause they have money to burn at $400 a gallon).
Re: HAHAHA
I wish. I was in a perfect position a couple of times to get great
home movies, but missed my chance. It really was pretty funny
bacause nobody ever got hurt, but Wooffff big yellow flame ball
and all... Mom, always wanted to know what was going on.
skinart said:
I wish. I was in a perfect position a couple of times to get great
home movies, but missed my chance. It really was pretty funny
bacause nobody ever got hurt, but Wooffff big yellow flame ball
and all... Mom, always wanted to know what was going on.
Yep DuPont sucks, that is why R12 is phased out.Their patent ran out so they went and whined to teh goverment.
My system will hold a ton of propane, I haven't had any problems yet.But don't think propane is impossible to ignite, it is just hard.
If you have a leak on your system, you can light it and it will burn like a lighter.(I have done it)
Then I was really stupid and took a blow torch to a maze3 that was leaking like a *****.Well, good thing I was outside.I just let the propane out while it was catching stuff on fire then just blew it out when the pressure was low enough.
It turned into a big fire because I kind of freaked out and opened the gauges to equalize the system and let propane out, well because I did that it turned into a flame thrower, if I would have just blew on it in the first place it would have been fine...
Just don't go taking a blow torch to any thing that leaks and you will be fine, but the same goes for R22 R12 etc. because they make a deadly gas when exposed to a flame.
My system will hold a ton of propane, I haven't had any problems yet.But don't think propane is impossible to ignite, it is just hard.
If you have a leak on your system, you can light it and it will burn like a lighter.(I have done it)
Then I was really stupid and took a blow torch to a maze3 that was leaking like a *****.Well, good thing I was outside.I just let the propane out while it was catching stuff on fire then just blew it out when the pressure was low enough.
It turned into a big fire because I kind of freaked out and opened the gauges to equalize the system and let propane out, well because I did that it turned into a flame thrower, if I would have just blew on it in the first place it would have been fine...
Just don't go taking a blow torch to any thing that leaks and you will be fine, but the same goes for R22 R12 etc. because they make a deadly gas when exposed to a flame.
- Joined
- May 26, 2002
- Location
- Buenos Aires , Argentina
I do not know much about gasses but I´d call the fridge techie nad ask him to use freon. Why try something so exotical as r548922 or whatever when you know that certain gasses asr the standard in cooling?
