Refrigerant Transfer and Compressor Damage
09 January 2008
While a piston or scroll compressor refrigeration system with a low-side oil sump is shut down, all is not at rest in the refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant charge can transfer from one location to another by the action of any of three mechanisms:by absorption of refrigerant vapour into the compressor oil; by temperature difference; and by gravity. Ignoring these hidden phenomena can in some cases lead to system problems, and those problems can easily include compressor failure.
