HFC-R-410A refrigerant is an azeotropic mixture between R-32 and R-132, which
started to be used as an alternative to R-22 because it was less aggressive to
environment. New split-type air conditioners have been developed to work with the R-410A.
Some characteristics should be emphasized, as they have a direct influence on
installation and maintenance procedures:
- R-410A is not miscible with mineral oil, so the compressors have been
developed to work with oil Polyolster;
- As a blend the R-410A can not be mixed with the other refrigerant;
These two characteristics make a system that works with R-22
can work with R-410A. Just as in pipes that have worked with R-22 there will be the presence of residues of this refrigerant and mineral oil.
- The R-410A has a higher pressure than the R-22 (approximately 60%), so care must be taken with the mechanical resistance of the system components. For example, at a saturated temperature of 50 ° C, the discharge pressure for R-22 is 276 psig and R-410 ° 429.3 psig. Therefore, it must be checked whether the thickness of the piping used is recommended to withstand the system pressure.
- The R-410A is a highly hygroscopic substance, that is, it has great power
of moisture absorption, so the vacuum process, becomes indispensable to the proper operation of the equipment using this refrigerant.
It is recommended to use a dedicated manifold for use in
R-410A, which have suitable saturated pressure and temperature scales, connections with different diameters (the service valves of the units working with R-410A have a different diameter connection than those using the R-22) to avoid contamination with R-22 and mineral oil in your hoses.
- Because it is a blend, the R410A should be charged to the system in liquid form, following the recommendations of the refrigerant manufacturer. Partial charging in case of leakage is not recommended.
