Internal clearing function for a refrigerant recovery/recharge machine
An apparatus and method providing a refrigeration servicing system that comprises a clean refrigerant source, a recovery circuit and a flushing circuit. The recovery circuit can be configured to recover refrigerant from a cooling system. After recovery cycle is completed, the flushing circuit that is coupled to the recovery circuit can flush clean refrigerant through the recovery circuit. A housing can be provided and configured to house the refrigerant source, the recovery circuit and the flushing circuit.
1. A refrigerant servicing device comprising:
an inlet for receiving refrigerant from a system to be serviced;
an oil separator configured to separate oil out of the refrigerant;
a holding tank configured to hold the refrigerant;
a clean refrigerant tank configured to contain clean refrigerant to add to the refrigerant to be serviced;
an outlet configured to provide an outlet for serviced refrigerant to be returned to the system to be serviced; and
a controller configured to:
control the inlet, and the outlet;
move clean refrigerant to remove the refrigerant from the system to be serviced;
separate oil from the refrigerant;
add clean refrigerant to the refrigerant being serviced to achieve a desired total amount of refrigerant and return the refrigerant to the system being serviced;
detect when connecting hoses connecting the refrigerant servicing device to the system to be serviced are connected to the system to be serviced;
forwarding an alert to disconnect the pair of hoses from the system being serviced when the hoses are connected to the system being serviced; and
flush the refrigerant servicing device with clean refrigerant after the refrigerant service device has serviced refrigerant.
2. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a water separator configured to remove moisture from the refrigerant being serviced.
3. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a filter configured to filter the refrigerant being serviced.
4. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a vacuum pump controlled by the controller to remove the refrigerant from the system to be serviced.
5. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 4 , wherein the vacuum pump is used to flush clean refrigerant through the refrigerant servicing device.
6. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an oil outlet configured to allow oil to be removed from the refrigerant servicing device.
7. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 6 , wherein the oil is returned to a compressor in the system to be serviced.
8. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 6 , wherein the oil outlet is controlled by the controller.
9. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to not flush the refrigerant servicing device when the hoses are connected to the system being serviced.
10. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a flushing position for the hoses for when the refrigerant servicing device is flushed with clean refrigerant.
11. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to determine when the hoses are in the flushing position.
12. A refrigerant servicing device comprising:
means for inletting for receiving refrigerant from a system to be serviced;
means for separating oil from refrigerant configured to separate oil out of the refrigerant;
first means for containing a fluid configured to hold the refrigerant;
second means for containing a fluid configured to contain clean refrigerant to add to the refrigerant to be serviced;
means for outletting configured to provide an outlet for serviced refrigerant to be returned to the system to be serviced; and
means for controlling configured to:
control the means for inletting, and the means for outletting;
move the clean refrigerant to remove the refrigerant from the system to be serviced;
separate oil from the refrigerant;
add clean refrigerant to the refrigerant being serviced to achieve a desired total amount of refrigerant and return the refrigerant to the system being serviced;
detect when a pair of hoses connecting the refrigerant servicing device to the system to be serviced are connected to the system to be serviced;
forwarding an alert to disconnect the pair of hoses from the system being serviced when the hoses are connected to the system being serviced; and
flush the refrigerant servicing device with clean refrigerant after the refrigerant service device has serviced refrigerant.
13. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 12 , further comprising means for separating water from the refrigerant being serviced.
14. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 12 , further comprising means for filtering the refrigerant be serviced.
15. The refrigerant servicing device of claim 12 , further comprising:
means for pumping the refrigerant through the refrigerant servicing device controlled by the means for controlling to remove the refrigerant from the system to be serviced.
16. A method of cleaning a refrigerant servicing device comprising:
detecting when a pair of hoses connecting the refrigerant servicing device to a system to be serviced are connected to the system to be serviced;
forwarding an alert to disconnect the pair of hoses from the system being serviced when the hoses are connected to the system being serviced; and
detecting that the pair of hoses are not connected to system; and then circulating clean refrigerant through the device.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
evacuating a residual refrigerant that had previously been serviced from the device.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
expelling the residual refrigerant from the device.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
removing oil from the device.