A reconversion carried out in extreme cold

The latter are stored in an air-conditioned room to be replanted the following season.  Concerned by the approaching of the expiration date of R-22, the end-user approached the fitter Pieter Wieringa to find a reconversion solution in order to keep its current installation.  In close cooperation with Climalife, a series of solutions were proposed to the customer.  The choice was based on the HFC refrigerant Genetron R422D.

It was a bitter cold seldom seen in recent years, when Pieter Wieringa and Climalife went to Uithuizen to carry out the reconversion work.  The installation being used to cool the storage room consisted of a DWM Copeland, type D4DJ4-3000-AWM/P compressor producing a refrigerant power of 60,8 kw and two Friga-Bohn evaporators, each with 3 ventilators.

Before moving on to filling the installation, some modifications were made, in particular the replacement of a filter on one of the fluid pipes.  Although the filter was in a relatively clean state after 15 years of service, it was nevertheless replaced to avoid having impurities in the new fluid.  After the recovery phase, during a warming up period, a vacuum was pulled on the installation .  The filling of Genetron R422D was carried out in the liquid phase. This is recommended because it involves a composite fluid.  77 kg of the new Genetron fluid R422D were introduced into the system thus replacing 78 kg of R-22.  One litre of ester oil was added.

The customer was extremely satisfied with the expertise of the fitter who successfully carried out the conversion without a hitch.  Climalife followed the entire operation and was able to put its knowledge with regards to recovery, application of the refrigerants and refrigeration oils to use.  Thanks to the combined efforts, the owner of the installation will no longer have to worry about the availability of the refrigerant R-22 after January 1, 2010.

Auteur : John Fischer

Date : 30 mars 2009