Refrigerant Handling Precautions
R-134a refrigerant is highly volatile. Contact with a drop of refrigerant on the skin can cause local frostbite. Wear goggles to protect your eyes and gloves to protect your hands when handling refrigerant. If refrigerant gets into your eyes, rinse immediately with water.
The R-134a refrigerant tank is under high pressure. Do not store the container in places where it can be exposed to high temperatures. The storage temperature should not exceed 52°C.
Check the tightness of the system with an electronic leak detector. Remember that R-134a refrigerant releases highly toxic phosgene gas when exposed to an open flame.
To charge the R-134a refrigerant circuit, use only the specified brand of oil. The use of other brands of oils may cause system failure.
Because PAG oil strongly absorbs moisture from the surrounding air, the following precautions should be observed:
- when removing any parts of the refrigeration circuit, immediately plug the openings to protect against moisture ingress;
- when installing parts of the refrigeration circuit, remove the plugs of the holes immediately before installing the parts;
- connect all pipelines and hoses as soon as possible to prevent moisture from entering the air conditioning system;
- Use only the specified brand of compressor oil from a sealed container.
In the event of accidental refrigerant leakage from the system, ventilate the work area before continuing work.
Precautions for Replacing Air Conditioning Parts
It is forbidden to loosen the connections of parts before draining the refrigerant from the system.
To prevent the ingress of moisture, immediately close the open openings of the parts with caps or plugs.
Remove the protective plugs only immediately before installing the part.
When connecting fittings of parts, be sure to install new sealing rings, having previously applied refrigerant to the fitting and seal.