While R410A air conditioning puts out more cooling BTU’s it often uses more electrical energy in the short and/or long run.
R410A equipment often has a higher amp draw requiring wiring upgrades, larger breakers, larger wires, larger electrical whips, and fuses etc…
Often evaporator coils and line sets need to be replaced to accommodate the higher pressures that R410a uses.
ISCEON® MO99™ (alternatively called R-438A) retrofit has far less of an environmental impact.
R-22 system does not need to be flushed when retro fitting to ISCEON MO99. For R-410A retrofit, system must be flushed and oil changed.
For ISCEON MO99 retrofit, oil does not need to be replaced. R-410A uses a different oil type (poe (polyester) oil) that will not mix right with R-22’s oil type (mineral oil) and so oil must be changed.
ISCEON MO99 can be used with existing R-22 condensors and evaporators as long as Schrader valves and or seals are replaced. (ISCEON MO99 refrigerant causes seals that have been using R-22 to shrink.) R-410A uses higher pressures and should not be used with R-22 compressors so whole condensers are usually replaced, seals and all.
ISCEON M099 has a lower operating temperature at the compressor and is slightly easier on the compressor the heart of the air condition system.
Both R410A and ISCEON MO99 are not going to be phased out thru the Montreal Protocol like R-22 in 2020.
ISCEON M099 does not damage the ozone layer. (At least not like cows do! Or R-22)
Of course all of this is debatable and that should be interesting so let’s get at it. If you have some ideas why you think R-410A (or another refrigerant) is the way to go I would love to hear them. Alternatively, if you have any more points about the benefits of ISCEON MO99 (R438A) that would be cool. Share your experiences here on The KFM Blog as a response. If I think they are worthy I will post them as long as things are kept clean. Fair Enough?
~~~ Keep it Cool ~ Keep It Real ~~~
~~~~~~~~~~ Kung Fu Maintenance ~~~~~
We’re ready in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, to change out our R-22 PC Air equipment to R-438. The specs look nominal enough that the capacities of our machines should continue to cool our largest aircraft. But I have an issue with R-410, can we change it over to R-438?
Converting a 410 system to 438 it appears a non-issue with the existing poe oil. What issues would you expect with capacity through both the condenser and evaporators? This is a high ambient application where 110 to 115 temps seem to cause 410 to hit the wall. Ideally I like to see 438 as a drop in replacement but my concerns are the fixed orifice at the evaporator. Also since the condenser is running at the higher coil temp does a R410 condenser have enough area for R 438? I think the R-410 discharge temperature is somewhat higher giving a greater delta T entering air vs entering vapor off the head.
You may be wondering why change a 410 system over to 438. Our R-22 systems run at 400 PSIG when ramp temperatures get over 110 degrees. R-410 shuts down at those temps.
Have you any experience with this retrofit?
have found so far that mo99 is the cheapest alternative to replacing r22, 410a runs higher pressure so you need new gauges, it is hard on recovery units and have also found hard on compressors, think 410a was just a rush job to change refrigerants, would have been nice to go to mo 99 if it had been invented first but then the manufacturing companies couldnt make a ton of money off the new equipment necessary for r410a:(, I really feel that with a little time mo 99 should become a standad refrigerant for products formery sing r-22!