Heating and Air Conditioning: Service Precautions

R-134a is a non-toxic, non-flammable liquefied gas that is clear and odorless.

R-134a is not compatible with R-12. Even small amounts of R-12 in an R-134a system can cause lubricant contamination, improper A/C performance and compressor failure. Never add R-12 to an R-134a system.

Due to the different characteristics of R-134a, it requires all new service procedures. Refer to Refrigerant Service Procedures in this section before making any repairs to the air conditioning system.

New service ports have been added to the compressor to prevent charging the system with R-12. R-134a systems require a special compressor lubricant. Use ND8 PAG compressor oil part No. 82300102, or equivalent, when servicing system.

Avoid breathing R-134a, lubricant vapor or mist. Exposure may irritate eyes, nose and throat. Use only approved service equipment to discharge R-134a systems.

The system must be completely discharged before opening any fitting or connection of the refrigeration system. Open fittings with caution even after the system has been discharged. If any pressure is noticed as fitting is loosened, allow trapped pressure to bleed off very slowly.

Kinks in the refrigerant tubing or sharp bends will greatly reduce the capacity of the entire system. Use a suitable tube bender when bending the refrigerant lines to avoid kinking. Use the correct line for the installation you are servicing. Keep the radius of flexible hose bends to ten times the diameter of the hose. Sharper bends will reduce the flow of refrigerant. The flexible hose lines should be routed so they are at least three inches from the exhaust manifold.

O-rings used on tube fittings and unified plumbing plates need to be coated with refrigerant oil prior to installation. Unified plumbing connections with aluminum N-gaskets do not require lubrication before installation.