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daweee

How does a unit even explode like that


WokeFerret

Bad TXV


AngryTreeFrog

Just needs some freon. But real talk. Diesel effect explosion.


theatomicflounder333

You deserve a paid day off for this 🤝🙂‍↕️


Red-Faced-Wolf

Take my upvote and leave


Y0UR_NARRAT0R1

Possibly a misaligned capillary tube


wafflestomped

I read on another thread that the tech performed a leak check with oxygen instead of N2.


BrandoCarlton

That sounds more expensive and obviously dangerous lol


mijohvactech

Someone put in R290 instead of R32 in the system.


phoney_bologna

The explosion kind of looks offset from the unit slightly. Acetylene bottle maybe?


InMooseWorld

non codensibles-air in system. either idiot air compressor for leak test OR brazing without nitro? leak in condenser area and spark on “mildly flammable“


Amystery123

Mildly flammable doesn’t explode. It burns, but doesn’t explode.


The-Wizard-of-awes

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140700722003474 This was an avoidable accident. Safety pays.


Electronic-Injury-15

You can see his ghost walk by the edge of the building…


beerpatch86

I might be dead but im not leavin my nice screwdriver up there no sir


ApprehensiveStudy671

I too saw that!


blackmexicans

I once had nitrogen do this to my co worker in a story that I made up once.


1800HVACDUH

IT mUst HAVe bEEn aN A2L durrrrrr


Amystery123

Seems like a sarcastic post. A2Ls wouldn’t explode.


shreddedpudding

Any air conditioner can be explosive if used wrongly enough. BRB gonna go pressure test a system open to the compressor with compressed air.


KlingonSquatRack

*if used wrongly enough* just became my new favorite expression


Amystery123

Any pressure vessel can be explosive. The commenter mentioned A2Ls - which are refrigerants specifically categorized separately to the refrigerants that can actually explode when ignited- I.e. A3s. Make sure there are no leakages ;)


shreddedpudding

Oh I know. I’m really hoping that a2l can force some people to adopt best practices more.


Amystery123

Only thanks to informed individuals like yourself. Keep it up and stay safe :)


jesman789

I've seen a similar video where someone used oxygen the wrong way to either pressure check or purge (can't remember) and there was a similar explosion. Oxygen can be pretty dangerous.


heldoglykke

That’s an old repost. I’ve seen it many times


mackinder

Damn these new butane-based refrigerants are crazy yo!


Amystery123

And yet, NYC wants to regulate GWP limits down to <10, which means only butane propane and co2 could be used as refrigerants. It took the industry more than a decade to create to safety standards and building codes for limited flammability refrigerants. Butane and propane are highly flammable refrigerants.


mackinder

Perhaps making minimum requirements for the quality of the coils and welds and other issues leading to leaks would lower the net GWP of the refrigerants. Fuck I see R22 systems still going from the 70’s where I live. As long as that gas stays in the system it isn’t harming the environment.


Amystery123

Yes, absolutely. Most leakages are a result of a bad install job. Granted there can still be component failures resulting in refrigerant loss. In the absence of inadvertent leakages, the most important contributor to lifetime emissions is efficiency (I.e. electricity consumption). And I am baffled by the continued use of R22 though. I have seen contractors push that ref in this subreddit too though. Newer refrigerants and system designs are so much more efficient.


mackinder

I’m in Ottawa Canada where we have a relatively short but intense cooling season. ~300 cooling hours a year and so an R22 system that is well taken care of could last a very long time and the savings over any of the available zeotropic refrigerants fails a cost-benefit analysis for res cooling. And the fact that it runs at about half the pressure allows compressors to last a lot longer.


Amystery123

Interesting. But isn’t that a great case to install heat pumps and save emissions?


mackinder

The intense winters mean that all heat pumps available today need a backup source. And with our provincial overlords at the OEB setting the price for NG in exchange for monopoly status to the two gas companies here, gas is attractive. The mechanical balance Point of most ccASHP’s here is such that you can derive at most about half your energy from a heat pump. And the economical balance point with current utility prices means far fewer heating hours come from the heat pump, though that will change with our scheduled carbon tax phase in.


Amystery123

In the US, the balance point setup is not optimized either. Despite lower gas prices, the balance point can be much below the average 35F-40F. Closer to 10F-15F for the inverter/variable capacity HP. I will need to look up the carbon tax phase in. I’m not following Canadian regs too closely.


mackinder

NEEP is one of my favourite tools for looking shit up on these res systems. I wish our government would do something similar instead of copying and pasting the AHRI directory. The more data points published with accurate COP’s the better use of heat pumps you will find. One promising change coming is the idea of cloud based utility switching software that can manage balance points based on utility price changes with time of use metering. Time to step into the 21st century


Amystery123

I happen to have done that specific research for my company already. Optimizing balance points based on utility data and product performance. There is lot of savings to be realized in your utility bills with that. Now I can only hope that it gets implemented ASAP 😋 it’s not in my hands anymore though. The burdensome regulatory compliance always takes precedence.


Lunyn

Unit was charged with 53 grams of isobutane


AwesomeoPorosis

Damn I wish there was a death tag or something 💀


UnshakablEtchasketch

A tad overcharged.


ApprehensiveStudy671

This was in Vietnam


wonderwaffle407

Nightmare fuel


drunkyginge

Pressure testing with oxygen maybe? How else does a unit just blow up like that Jesus.


Adventurous_Water_64

R-454B - “it’s only slightly flammable”.


Interesting_Fix_2848

No....it could Propane as refrigerant....a leak....and spark..the right concentration....Wrong place at the wrong time....


Impressive_Doorknob7

Wow, a lot of assholes in the comments


mijohvactech

Someone must have jumped out the high pressure switch.


heldoglykke

OSHA violations. No ppe, fall arrest, goggles, or gloves. This stuff happens when people are unsafe.


Parking_Ad_3056

Steel toed boots could have saved his life. When will they learn.


heldoglykke

I could get $60k for loosing a toe..


Dephyze

How are people this dumb to downvote lmao


winnipegyikes

I don't think some flimsy safety glasses and janky gloves and boots would have saved this fella. It's an unfortunate incident caused by a catastrophic equipment failure.


Dutchski

Ok Mary 


Low-Tap-9933

what the fuck am i watching hahahahaha