Tube-side materials in R-410A coils need to be thicker due to the higher operating pressures associated with R-410A relative to R-22. We're not arguing that there's not a difference in operating pressure between the two. There is – roughly 130 PSI for R-410A evaporators compared to about 70 for R-22.
The bad news is that R-410A operates at a higher pressure than R-22. This means that systems built for R-22 can't handle being filled with R-410A instead. Therefore, air conditioners built before 2010 will need to be replaced by 2020.
**HVAC Engineers and Technicians' Guide to Refrigerants** Refrigerant levels in air conditioning systems typically range from 60 PSI to 85 PSI for R-22, while R-410A can go up to 105 PSI to 143 PSI.
During air conditioning mode, the pressure on the vapor line of an R-410A system will be somewhere between 102 to 145 PSIG.
R-22 uses simple mineral oil, non-toxic, safe, stable, etc. while R-410a uses a somewhat exotic Poly o Ester (POE) oil typically found in jet turbine engines. The refrigerant used MUST match the oil present in the system, which is one reason why you can't replace the R-22 with R410a in a system.
Since R410A refrigerant is charged under higher pressure, charging an R22 system with it will increase the force within the coolant lines. The pressure can become high enough for parts of the system to rupture. At the very least, leaks will occur. Mixing refrigerants is not an option either.
The alterations will affect the air conditioning unit. Although they're both refrigerants, the higher efficiency of R-410A requires an upgrade to the equipment. For example, plan to replace the refrigerant tubing, the evaporator, condenser, and compressor. Other components might also need updates.
What is the primary safety concern when working with R-410A? HFC-410A operates as much higher pressures than most conventional refrigerants. Approximately 40% - 60% higher than R-22.
What are the ideal superheat and subcooling levels for an R-410A refrigerant? Home » FAQs » What are the ideal superheat and subcooling levels for an R-410A refrigerant? For a 410a refrigerant, the recommended superheat value is typically between 10°F and 12°F, while the ideal subcooling value ranges from 8°F to 12°F.
This will of course increase as temp warms up. ON an 85 degree day,probably 130 to 135 and 340 to 360.
A good way to tell if your compressor is starting to develop a problem is to hold your hand near the fan on the air conditioning unit. If that air is not hot but is instead lukewarm or cool, it's a sign that your compressor could be having problems. It could mean the unit is not compressing the gas properly.
With R-410A, the same unit will operate under the same conditions with a suction pressure of 118 psi and a discharge pressure of 400 psi, as shown in Figure 1 on the next page.
The short answer to your question is that the high and low side pressure for R22 refrigerant is 250 and 68 psi at 35 degrees C, respectively as shown below.
"Hey Dan, do I need to change the TXV valve when switching the outdoor condenser from R-22 refrigerant to R410A?" Yes, you are going to have to change out the TXV. Why? Well, R410A works at a different temperature and a different pressure than R-22. If you don't change it then it's not going to boil off correctly.
Tube-side materials in R-410A coils need to be thicker due to the higher operating pressures associated with R-410A relative to R-22. We're not arguing that there's not a difference in operating pressure between the two. There is – roughly 130 PSI for R-410A evaporators compared to about 70 for R-22.
- R-12 has a critical pressure of approximately 41.0 units. - R-22 has a critical pressure of approximately 49.0 units. - Ammonia (NH₃) has a critical pressure of approximately 113.5 units. We can see that Ammonia has the highest critical pressure among the given refrigerants.
At the 27.8 °C (82.0 °F) rating point, the R410A system capacity was approximately 2 % greater than that of the R22 system. As the outdoor temperature increased, the capacity of the R410A system decreased more rapidly than the R22 system capacity, and at the 54.4 °C (130.0 °F) test point was 9 % below the R22 value.
A normally operating R-410A system with the same condensing temperature of 120 degrees and a 45 degree evaporator saturation temperature will have a high side pressure of 418 psig and a low side pressure of 130 psig.
The important thing to notice is if your air conditioner suddenly starts making odd noises, such as squealing loudly. This may be caused by a system that is having trouble dealing with the abundance of high-pressure liquid refrigerant.
The system can be topped off without removing the entire charge. There is no practical limit to the number of times a unit can be topped off or the refrigerant recovered from a unit. However, we recommend all leaks be repaired before topping a system off.
How much will an R-22 to R-410A conversion cost? The actual cost will depend on many things, including where you live, but most of the time R-22 conversions start at around $2,000 and go up from there. The higher end of that range is somewhere around $4,500 to $4,600.
To retrofit an R-22 system with R-410A system your line set must not be more than 25-50 feet in total distance. If the line set is longer than this, you will have to replace the line set with larger lines.
It is not acceptable to substitute R410A, which operates at different pressure levels than that of an R22, without major changes and engineering analysis. And, safe disposal of refrigerants regulated by the EPA is mandatory.