Change the compressor oil maybe? Just throwing out an idea.

 

It maybe the oil is heavily saturated with moisture. This is a mineral oil system.


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Water in the vacuum pump oil causes that. You have a very wet system. There is a bypass valve on most pumps that needs to be open to allow atmospheric air flow through the pump in volume to carry excess water out of the pump. If the system compressor has water in it, it will be VERY difficult to dry the system.

 

When you drain the pump oil, let it settle and the oil and water will stratify.

 

Perhaps I should leave the gas ballast open for some time. Instructions usually say up until you start going in to microns. But with so much moisture in the system it could allow my oil to last longer.


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Good times

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Even with the gas ballast open it's still turning white. O boy.


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Even with the gas ballast open it's still turning white. O boy.

• How did this system get so wet?
• If the system compressor oil is wet, removing the compressor oil, vacuuming it and then replacing the oil would be a good idea, but not very easy to do on a welded hermetic compressor.
• What kind of oil and refrigerant is in the system?
• is this system worth all the bother and expense?

 

At least it isn't turning green, so there is still hope, though maybe not if it is a system with POE oil.
POE oil chemically breaks down in the presence of water, and forms acids.

An acid test may be in order, and at the very least a larger than usual filter drier.

 

With the ballast open close off flow to the pump. The oil will clear up in a few minutes. Open the valves up and have another go. Repeat as often as necessary. This will save you a lot of oil, and the trouble of performing several oil changes. Change the oil for the final pull down.

 

Might also want to try taking a heat gun and heating things like the compressor...... accumulator....... maybe even the bottoms of the coils...... to try and drive that moisture out....

Ive only seen the old vac pump oil get really bad milky one time...... and I believe someone sabotaged that system.... but we spent some time evacuating.... nitrogen filling and sitting..... and used a heat gun EVERYWHERE on that system...... and finally got it moisture free...

 

This is the route I took, eventually the oil stopped turning white and I was able to get a good vacuum in place. Unfortunately the compressor failed not to long after startup. Sounded really bad like a ting ting inside, amps jumping all over the place and started rising.
Now for the "you shoulda got an experienced tech" yada yada.


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Lordy, it is not hard to pull out the scroll to dump out the oil.
Put the compr on it's side with suction down in the bucket.
Tilt, roll & what not to get all you can out. Separate oil from water. Measure oil volume. Fill with same quantity.

Or its easy to just heat the bottom of compr by waving a ​PROPANE(!) torch ALL over the lowest 2 ". Small flame, Do not linger that torch in any one place.

Changing milky vac oil is way faster than gas ballast alone.
But torching the pump helps too-the water is a heat sink! Small flame, do not linger, stay away from sight glass, stay below oil level.

 

Why dont you just replace the lines or system?

You can clean it up though.

Cut the compressor and dump the oil.
Pull a vacuum to 1000. Trickle nitrogen thru the high side and purge it from the low side. 1-2psi is good pressure. Dont blast it.

Use the gas ballast on the pump


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Flushed condenser.

So I went back to replace the compressor and was still having issues dropping bellow 500 microns, seemed to get stuck at 750(or I'm just impatient) I had installed liquid and suction dryer filters and a sight glass. I was doing the triple evac with no new results. I decided to look at the evaporator and was thinking this might be holding some oil that is water logged. Went to remove piston and it literally took no effort as if it as hand tightened. Anywho I blasted them tubes and tried to displace or purge out the oil, didn't get much out.
I heard you don't flush the evaporator coils is this true? Anyways after that and some patience I was able to drop it down and get it going. Charged with 407c and is running great.

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