ClimaCool UCR 30, 50 and 70 tons Manual User Manual
Page 27
 
27
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Charging of Systems with Sporlan Head Pressure 
Control in Ambient ABOVE 70°F
(After normal evacuation procedures)
Before Starting System:
1.
Connect refrigerant cylinder to a charging or gauge port 
on the receiver outlet valve.
2.
Open the receiver valve approximately one-half way 
(so receiver and liquid line are connected to charging or 
gauge port).
3.
Charge liquid refrigerant into the high side of the 
system. Weighing the charge is recommended with the 
initial charge consisting of approximately 2.5 pounds 
per system ton.
4.
Remove the refrigerant drum and connect it to the 
suction side of the compressor.
5.
Charge refrigerant vapor into the low side until the 
pressure is above atmospheric pressure. Do not admit 
liquid refrigerant into the low side.
6.
Start the system.
7.
Observe sight glass (at receiver outlet) to see if system 
is properly charged for normal refrigeration cycle. 
CAUTION: Bubbles in the sight glass can be caused by 
fl ashing due to pressure drop from pipe or accessory 
losses, etc.
8.
If the sight glass shows bubbles, more refrigerant 
should be added, while allowing suffi
cient time for the
refrigerant to stabilize and clear the sight glass.
9.
The extra refrigerant charge for head pressure 
control should be weighed in now by admitting liquid 
refrigerant to the high side.
Charging of Systems with Sporlan Head Pressure 
Control in Ambient BELOW 70°F
(After normal evacuation procedures)
NOTE: When charging in ambient below 70°F the procedure 
is very critical. Be sure to adhere to the following steps 
without fail. Failure to do so will result in overcharging the 
system.
1.
Follow instructions 1 through 7 above.
2.
If the LAC valve setting is correct for the system being 
charged, it is quite likely that some refrigerant will be 
backed up into the condenser and the sight glass will 
indicate bubbles in the liquid line.
3.
Add more refrigerant, while allowing suffi
cient time for
the refrigerant to stabilize and clear the sight glass.
4.
At this point the system is correctly charged for 
this type of head pressure control at the ambient 
temperature that exists while the charging procedure is 
taking place.
5.
If the system is designed to operate at ambient below 
the ambient that exists during charging, additional 
charge will have to be added now.
6.
To calculate the additional charge required, follow the 
examples outlined under “Refrigerant Charge” except 
remember that the “head pressure control charge” is 
partially charged already. Refer to Tables 2 and 3. 
The diff erence in percentages between the minimum design 
ambient temperature and the ambient temperature at 
the time the system is charged gives the percent of extra 
charge still needed in the system. E.g., if this system was 
charged at an ambient of 50°F, we have approximately 40% 
of the extra charge in the system. This holds true as long as 
the compressor is not allowed to unload during charging. 
Therefore, the additional charge required is 95 minus 40 or 
55% of the total extra charge calculated previously. This is 
.55 x 119 or 65 pounds. 
Service Procedures
There are several possible causes for system malfunction 
with “refrigerant side” head pressure control and these may 
be diffi
cult to isolate from each other. As with any form of
system trouble-shooting, it is necessary to know the existing 
operating temperatures and pressures before system 
problems can be determined. Once the actual malfunction 
is established, it is easier to pinpoint the cause and then 
take suitable corrective action. The following chart lists the 
most common malfunctions, the possible causes, and the 
remedies. Since the LAC valves are hermetic, they cannot be 
disassembled for inspection and/or replacement of parts, 
they must be replaced if they become inoperative.