By-pass manifold valve for charging, repairing and/or testing refrigerant systems

A method of storing and transferring refrigerants into either the condenser or evaporator section of a closed refrigeration or air conditioning system having a compressor, a condenser on the high pressure side of the compressor, an evaporator on the low pressure side of the compressor and a double valve manifold on the refrigerant liquid line connected with a by-pass tubular connection thereof on the upstream side of the valve seats thereof, comprising the steps of:

• a. with the unit in operation, in order to salvage the refrigerant in the system, when repairing or replacing the condensing unit section of a system, attach gauges to respective high, low and refrigerant drum connections, and, after purging the hoses into the vacuum tank, close the refrigerant drum valve and, with the liquid line valve closed, open the liquid charging port shut-off valve and read the pressure on the manifold high side gauge and the suction line pressure on the suction access port valve, and then close the suction line service valve and, after transferring the refrigerant into the condensing unit, close the suction service valve and turn the condensing unit off, and
• b. in order to transfer the liquid refrigerant from the condenser into the evaporator side of the system the operator will then vacuum the evaporator side of the system through the suction port, with the drum and vacuum tank valves closed and open the high side gauge valve, then the low side gauge valve and, allowing the liquid refrigerant to flow through the gauge manifold into the suction line and into the evaporator, and when the liquid refrigerant has flowed into and filled the evaporator and the liquid and suction lines, operator will close the manifold gauges and liquid line port valve, and
• c. if the unit is unable to run, in order to store the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator section of the system, use an auxiliary refrigerant pump, or reclaim unit, and
• d. if any refrigerant remains in the condensing unit section, evacuate an empty approved refillable refrigerant drum on a vacuum and induce the remaining refrigerant into the drum, or use a reclaim unit, and
• e. after the repairs and/or replacements are completed, open the liquid line valve to allow the refrigerant to migrate back into the condenser from the evaporator, and
• f. when the pressure equalizes on the condenser and evaporator sides of the system, open the suction service valve to allow the unit to be operational, and, with the unit running, the refrigerant charge can be balanced, and
• g. when the refrigerant is in a system with a compressor "burn out" the entire charge is filtered and passed through a reclaiming process and then tested to determine if its properties are still retained in order to reuse same.

In a refrigerant system having a condenser and evaporator coils operating in a generally closed refrigeration system and having a main flow refrigerant line for transferring refrigerant between the condenser and the evaporator coils, the improvement comprising:

• a by-pass valve sub-system included in-line between the condenser and the evaporator coils, comprising
• two, independent, valve manifolds serving as a by-pass of the main shut-off valve, including
• a first, longitudinal, main flow manifold containing a first, manually operated shut-off valve having a seat through which compressible evaporative refrigerants can flow between the condenser and evaporator coils of a closed refrigeration system and having an entrance and exit to a passageway for the flow of the refrigerant through it, and
• a second longitudinal manifold containing a second, manually operated shut-off valve having a seat and being operationally parallel to said first shut-off valve, and further having an access port thereon, without a Schrader valve core therein, extending from said second manifold;
• and
• a "T" in the main flow refrigerant line, said "T" connecting the refrigerant line to said first and second valve manifolds on the upstream sides of the valve seats thereof, providing a means to infuse in and to extract refrigerants from a closed refrigeration system through said access port of said second manifold, and then through the "T", allowing a by-pass of the main flow shut-off valve.

A method of storing and transferring refrigerants into either the condenser or evaporator sections of a closed refrigerant system having a compressor, a condenser on the high pressure side of the compressor, an evaporator on the low pressure side of the compressor and two independent valves on the refrigerant liquid line connected with a by-pass tubular connection thereof on the upstream side of the valve seats thereof by means of a "T", comprising the steps of:

• a. with the unit in operation, in order to salvage the refrigerant in the system, when repairing or replacing the condensing unit section of a system, attaching gauges to respective high, low and refrigerant drum connections, and, after purging the hoses into the vacuum tank, closing the refrigerant drum valve and, with the liquid line valve closed, opening the liquid charging port shut-off valve and reading the pressure on the manifold high side gauge and the suction line pressure on the suction access port valve, and then closing the suction line service valve and, after transferring the refrigerant into the condensing unit, closing the suction service valve and turning the condensing unit off, and
• b. in order to transfer the liquid refrigerant from the condenser into the evaporator side of the system, vacuuming the evaporator side of the system through the suction port, with the drum and vacuum tank valves closed, and opening the high side gauge valve, then the low side gauge valve, and allowing the liquid refrigerant to flow through the gauge manifold into the suction line and into the evaporator, and, when the liquid refrigerant has flowed into and filled the evaporator and the liquid and suction lines, closing the manifold gauges and liquid line port valve;
• c. if the unit is unable to run, in order to store the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator section of the system, using an auxiliary refrigerant pump, or reclaim unit;
• d. if any refrigerant remains in the condensing unit section, evacuating an empty, refillable refrigerant drum on a vacuum and inducing the remaining refrigerant into the drum, or using a reclaim unit;
• e. after the repairs and/or replacements are completed, opening the liquid line valve, allowing the refrigerant to migrate back into the condenser from the evaporator;
• f. when the pressure equalizes on the condenser and evaporator sides of the system, opening the suction service valve, allowing the unit to be operational, and, with the unit running, balancing the refrigerant charge;
• and
• g. when the refrigerant is in a system with a compressor "burn out", filtering and passing the entire charge through a reclaiming process.

In a closed refrigerant type system including a compressor, an evaporator coil and a high pressure liquid refrigerant line between the condenser and the evaporator coil through which compressible evaporative refrigerant flows between the condenser and the evaporator coil, the improvement of enhancing the servicing of the refrigerant system comprising:

• a double valve manifold sub-system installed in the high pressure line between the compressor and the evaporator coil and having
• a first manually operated shut-off valve (1/26), with open and closed dispositions,
• a second manually operated shut-off valve (2/27), with open and closed dispositions,
• a by-pass passageway (3, 28/29/9), including a proximal end and a distal end portion, extending between and interconnecting said first and said second manually operated valves, with said proximal end connected to said first, valve and said second valve connected to said distal end portion of said passageway, and
• a port (5, 31) connected to said distal end portion of said passageway, further downstream than said second manually operated valve,
• allowing all of the refrigerant from the compressor to flow through the high pressure line potentially to the evaporator coil and not through said port when said first valve is in its open disposition and said second valve is in its closed disposition, but causing any refrigerant from the compressor to flow through said by-pass passageway out said port into an outside line connected to said port and not through said high pressure line when said first valve is in its closed disposition and said second valve is in its open disposition.

A method of enhancing the servicing of a closed refrigerant type system including a compressor, an evaporator coil, and a high pressure liquid refrigerant line between the condenser and the evaporator coil through which compressible evaporative refrigerant flows between the condenser and evaporator coil, comprising the following step:

• installing in the high pressure line between the compressor and the evaporator coil a double valve manifold system having
• a first manually operated shut-off valve (1/26) with open and closed dispositions,
• a second manually operated shut-off valve with open and closed dispositions,
• a by-pass passageway (3, 28/29/9), including a proximal end and a distal end portion, extending between and interconnecting said first and said second manually operated valves, with said proximal end connected to said first valve, and said second valve connected to said distal end portion of said passageway, and
• a port (5, 31) connected to said distal end portion of said passageway, further downstream than said second manually operated valve, allowing all of the refrigerant from the compressor to flow through the high pressure line potentially to the evaporator coil and not through said port when said first valve is in its open disposition and said second valve is in its closed disposition, but causing any refrigerant from the compressor to flow through said by-pass passageway out said port into an outside line connected to said port and not through said high pressure line when said first valve is in its closed disposition and said second valve is in its open disposition.