Diagnosing and bulletproofing you A/C

[Rissy]

(19 Jun 2017, 20:36)Chris Williams Wrote: Chris, I know you and I spoke about this before and I know we don't always agree! However since I swapped my system over to R134, draining all the oil out of the system and replacing the condenser & Accumulator (both were broke) I know you told me the gas would leak out through the OE hoses (and you were probably right) but it did last three years before I have had to have the gas topped up.
Not a perfect situation but if I can get 3 years between top-ups then that will do.

Chris, It's not that you and I disagree, it's just that because the two systems are not chemically compliant, it means you have to do a thorough job at boiling off and removing ALL traces of the old oil and stuff embedded in the hose from years of R32 and oil exposure. The reason being that mixing those with the Esther oil (I think it is - i'm a bit rusty) and the R134a makes an acidic formula which then proceeds to eat away at your A/C components from the inside out. Maybe your system was flushed pretty well, and that's why it seems to be ok. The reason you're having to regas every few years is down to the old R32 compliant hoses not fully holding the R134a gas, so it escapes over time due to the molecules in R134a being smaller than R32. As you've been doing, that's just something you have to deal with, even if you're system isn't eating itself.

(20 Jun 2017, 08:12)Reinsch Wrote: Hi Rissy,
It will be rather hard now to get R32.

I'm aware of this, but when I say stick to my old R32 system, I'm meaning flushing it through, and using the R32 drop in replacement, RS34, which should still work with the hoses and the compressor etc (without them being eaten from the inside out). As you say though, i'd probably still need a new orifice tube, and dryer (accumulator) to make the whole lot work again since mine has been open to atmosphere for years (i've close it off now, but i'm sure it's too late - the initial damage will already be done). It's be a good opportunity to swap my old V1 dryer for the later, better, V2 dryer anyway...