CS 4 Effective Evacuation

Effective Evacuation
This guide covers the evacuation of systems to remove contamination prior to charging
with refrigerant.
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Evacuation removes:
• Non condensable gases such as air or nitrogen, which would increase the head
pressure in a system, reducing its cooling capacity, efficiency and reliability, and
leading to premature tripping on a high pressure switch;
• Moisture, which can block expansion valves and lead to acid formation with
consequent compressor damage.
Equipment
A two stage vacuum pump is required for all but the

smallest (domestic type) systems. The greater the flow
rate (usually expressed in CFM, cubic feet per minute or
litres / min) the more effective and faster the
evacuation process will be. For most commercial
systems you should use a pump with a flow rate of at
least 5 CFM. The table below gives an indication of the
vacuum pump flow rate required for a range of system
sizes.
System cooling capacity, kW Vacuum pump minimum CFM

Up to 35 1.2
35 to 100 4
100 to 175 6
175 to 250 10
250 to 350 18
More than 350 24
The vacuum pump should be in good condition and capable of achieving a vacuum of 50
microns – you can check this by connecting a vacuum gauge directly to the pump and
running the pump.
The vacuum pump oil should be at the correct level and in good condition – it needs to
be changed if the pump has been used to evacuate badly contaminated systems or at
regular intervals. When the oil needs changing it is best to do this when the pump is
warm, i.e. following evacuation so oil is changed ready for the next use. Make sure you
use the correct type of oil for the pump.
Note - Vacuum pumps are usually delivered without oil and must be charged with oil
prior to use.
www.coolconcerns.co.uk page 1
Effective Evacuation, September 2013, ©Cool Concerns Ltd
You will also need to measure the vacuum achieved on the
system. You should use the correct vacuum gauge – the low
pressure (compound) gauge on a manifold gauge set does not
provide an accurate indication of vacuum. The photo, right,
shows a suitable gauge with a range of units (including Torr,
microns, mbar, Pascal, mm Hg).

Connection to the system
The vacuum pump should be connected into the system with as little restriction as
possible. This is best achieved using ¼” or 3/8”copper tube connected directly from the
vacuum pump onto the system. If you do use a manifold gauge set ensure you
minimise pressure drops by fully opening the valves during evacuation and make sure all
points of connection are as unrestricted as possible. Some manifold sets include a 3/8”
common hose – this is better than a ¼” line as it offers less restriction.
If you are evacuating the whole system connect the pump to both the high and low
pressure sides. Connect the vacuum gauge to the system as far as possible from the
pump connections to ensure you are accurately measuring the vacuum in the system
and not just the vacuum achieved by the pump.
The evacuation procedure
Ensure there is no pressure in the system before opening the system to the vacuum
pump – pressurising the vacuum pump will damage it. If there is refrigerant in the
system it should be recovered prior to evacuation. Start the vacuum pump with the
system isolated, then slowly open the system to the pump. If you are evacuating the
whole system ensure there are no isolated sections of the system:
• Ensure the access service valves are off the back seat;
• Ensure solenoid valves are open by replacing the coil with a permanent magnet
or by energising the coils.
When the required vacuum has been achieved the system should be isolated before the
vacuum pump is stopped.
Single deep evacuation
A single evacuation process is appropriate for small systems. The system is evacuated
to the level required without breaking the vacuum with dry nitrogen.
Triple evacuation
For larger systems a quicker and more effective method is to use a triple evacuation
procedure:
1. Evacuate the system to 1500 microns;

2. Break the vacuum with oxygen free (dry) nitrogen to a pressure of 0.15 bar g;
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2;
4. Evacuate the system to the required level (see section on vacuum levels below).
The dry nitrogen absorbs moisture and gas remaining in the system and increases the
effectiveness of the evacuation process.
Gas ballast
Most vacuum pumps have a gas ballast which introduces air into the pump, preventing
condensation of moisture into the pump oil and helping to exhaust the moisture from

the pump. This extends the life of the pump and improves its efficiency.
You should start the vacuum pump and open the gas ballast valve. When a vacuum of
approximately 2000 microns has been achieved you should close the gas ballast valve to
allow the pump to pull the system down to the required vacuum.
Vacuum levels
To eliminate as much moisture and non-condensable gases as is practical from the

system the vacuum level should be as low (deep) as possible. You should aim to
achieve better than (lower than):
• 500 microns on new systems;

• 1000 microns on existing systems.
The section at the end of this document provides other units of vacuum measurement.
Failure to achieve or hold a vacuum
When you have achieved the required vacuum you should check that the vacuum does
not rise when the system is isolated from the pump. The pressure should not rise by
more than 2% of the vacuum achieved. For example, for a new system you have
evacuated to 500 microns, the vacuum should rise to more than 510 microns.
If you don’t achieve the required vacuum this is either because there is a leak (see
below) or because there is still moisture in the system or because there is a problem
with the vacuum pump:
• It is not in good condition;

• The vacuum pump oil needs changing;
• There is insufficient oil in the pump;
• The gas ballast valve is open;
• It does not have sufficient flow rate for the system.
If you don’t hold the required vacuum this is likely to be for one of the following
reasons:
• There is a leak. In this case the pressure will rise continuously when the pump
is isolated:
o The leak could be at one of the connections between the vacuum pump
and the system. You can check this by applying oil to the suspected
leak – the vacuum will briefly improve while the oil is sealing the leak.
Do not use any other substance to check this;
o The leak could be on the system. Leaks should have been identified
during the strength and leak tightness test procedure;
• There is still moisture in the system - you just need to extend the evacuation
period.
• There is still refrigerant dissolved in the compressor oil or. In this case the

pressure will rise and plateau when the pump is isolated.
Vacuum units
Microns Torr Pascal (Pa) mbar in Hg

29.72
5000 5 666.5 6.65
0.1969
29.84
2000 2 266.6 2.67
0.0787
29.88
1000 1 133.3 1.33
0.0394
29.90
500 0.5 66.6 0.67
0.0197
29.91
200 0.2 26.7 0.27
0.00787
Note – 200 microns is a better (deeper) vacuum than 5000 microns.
A perfect vacuum is 0 microns (29.92 in Hg) and will never be achieved! So strictly
speaking we only ever achieve a partial vacuum in a refrigeration system.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this document,
but the content is subject to change and Cool Concerns Ltd cannot guarantee its
accuracy or currency. No legal responsibility is accepted for any errors, omissions or
misleading statements.

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Effective Evacuation

Cool Stuff from Cool Concerns

A two stage vacuum pump is required for all but the

System cooling capacity, kW Vacuum pump minimum CFM

Cool Stuff from Cool Concerns

The evacuation procedure

Single deep evacuation

1. Evacuate the system to 1500 microns;

Cool Stuff from Cool Concerns

To eliminate as much moisture and non-condensable gases as is practical from the

• 500 microns on new systems;

Failure to achieve or hold a vacuum

• It is not in good condition;

Cool Stuff from Cool Concerns

Microns Torr Pascal (Pa) mbar in Hg

Note – 200 microns is a better (deeper) vacuum than 5000 microns.

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