What does R-22 do to a typical MVAC (mobile vehicle air conditioning) system?
Refrigerant HCFC-22 (R-22) is a base refrigerant in over 80% of the SNAP listed alternative refrigerant blends. And R-22 is widely used and acceptable in the HVAC market. But why isn’t R-22 compatible with most MVAC systems? The R-22 molecule acts much like water to a sponge in a MVAC system – it penetrates the rubber hoses and seal materials and swells them – like a sponge would expand when water is absorbed. Once the gas (R-22) has saturated the rubber material it will then try to escape, causing bubbles to form on the surface of the rubber which pop and blister the material. Once the R-22 has escaped, it leaves behind a hose or seal which (1) is now deformed, (2) has little or no remaining elasticity, and (3) will dry-rot causing leaks in the system. In many cases, the compressor shows the most noticeable damage ~ and if the compressor fails under warranty and the manufacturer determines R-22 was used in the unit, the warranty is void. The HVAC market uses R-22 to produce lower temp
