Testing An Ac For Acidic Presence Inside

Acids can do irretrievable damages to an air conditioner unit. But how would acids get into A/c. Acids can form and build up as a result of chemical reactions between components, materials of construction, lubricating oils, or impurities. Acids also form due to high temperatures which happen due to improper operation and non-maintenance of the machine. The acid thus formed can trickle into the refrigerant.

Therefore checking the system for acids should be at the top of chart during professional maintenance of air conditioner unit. Acid can be easily be removed before the compressor fails.

Presence of acid can be detected by testing the refrigerant oil or the refrigerant vapor. It is always better to test the refrigerant vapor. Many residential units have hermetic compressor. A hermetic compressor is a sealed compressor in which both compressor and motor are housed in one sealed shell. The compressor and motor are coupled directly on the same shaft. These compressors do not have oil drain. Therefore testing the refrigerant oil is impractical in this case.

An A/c can have primarily two types of acids. They are organic acids (such as oleic acid) and inorganic (mineral) acids (such as hydrochloric acid). The type of acid that builds up in a unit depends on the refrigerant and lubricant being used. There are various methods of removing acids from an A/c. We will come to that in a later discussion.