R-134A Receiver/Dryer

R-134a RECEIVER/DRYER







The basic design of R-12 and R-134a receiver/dryers is the same. However, while R-12 systems typically use silica gel as a desiccant, R-134a systems use Zeolite. The drying capacity (per weight) of zeolite is only about 25% that of silica gel so R-134a receiver/dryers are larger, to accommodate larger amounts of desiccant. In addition, the high-pressure cutoff switch is rated higher for an R-134a receiver/dryer, since the system operates at higher pressures.

NOTES ON REPLACING DRYER FLASK
The dryer flask must be replaced when:
- there are contaminents in the refrigerant circuit (e.g. compressor has seized)
- the system is leaking and there is no more refrigerant in the system
- the refrigerant circuit was opened for longer than 24 hours during a repair.