Posts
Past the cost of the new, flammable, refrigerants is the concerns about the leak detectors.
Having had to replace several, not very complicated, starter capacitors I am very concerned that the leak detector will fail and the failure mode is "I detect a leak!"
That will mean dragging the AC guys here with their leak detection stuff to confirm that there is no leak and no fire risk and then replace the sensor.
A new, hidden, cost!
It will only take a few laps of this sensor failing and there being nothing wrong besides the sensor before the do-it-yourselfer starts stocking the sensors, or wires around them.
Now we're going to see some flames!
Systems that cry wolf get ignored or bypassed.
If you don't believe me, just look into the window of a car in the other lane and notice how many are driving with amber and red warning lights on the dash.
Cyclopentane, the freezer says Danger,Flammable.. No worries! I have a Won't Fail leak detector. I'm confident the pilot light on the heater will alert me.
ReplyDeleteYou can test for line integrity with a vacuum pump and gauge before you insert the coolant gas.
ReplyDeleteOnce the lines are charged, no matter what gas used, a simple spray bottle with distilled water and a teaspoon of Dawn dish liquid diluted in same will detect any leak. Have never used those electronic sniffers, as you pointed out, they are not reliable.
Personally I hope this idiocy of the EPA and whatever other agencies are involved, will be ended and rescinded. Go back to R12 which is as efficient as all get out compared to everything tried since it was banned. The ozone varies due to many factors, the biggest being the sun and earth's magnetic field. A few sunburned penguins or Aussies is a small rice to pay for highly efficient cooling devices. And don't get me started about how they also banned Freon used for cleaning electronics, also far more efficient than all what has followed.
As I said, I am more worried about false positives from a failed sensor than an actual leak and then the associated cost of doing the leak detection the mandated way instead of any practical way.
DeleteMostly because these refrigerants are in wide use elsewhere with no trouble with explosions or fire worth mentioning.
The fact that they ARE in wide use makes me boggle at the costs. If it's in mass production already, costs should be lower than they are. I suspect it's "because what else are you gonna do?" upcharge.
Zero fund EPA and sunset the agency. Bring back R12 and R22.
ReplyDelete-swj