Russell CAC 6 Installation Manual

Russell

MULTICON

MAINTENANCE
MANUAL

Bulletin No. IOM 400.0
November 1993

AIR COOLED CONDENSERS

MODELS CAC, RAC, VAC, & VEQ

INSTALLATION AND

Russell

221 S. Berry St., CA 92821 Tel [phone] FAX [phone]

GENERAL SAFETY INFORMATION

• Installation and maintenance are to be
performed only by qualified personnel who
are familiar with type of equipment.

• Make sure that all field wiring conforms to
the requirements of the equipment and all
applicable national and local codes.

• Avoid contact with sharp edges and coil
surfaces. They are a potential injury hazard.

• Make sure all power sources are
disconnected before any service work is
done on the units.

RIGGING AND HANDLING

All Russell CAC and VAC 5 thru 19 model
condensers are shipped on their sides with the
exception of the smaller RAC models and
larger VAC and VEQ models. All units come
shipped on a skid with a wooden skeleton
frame to prevent damage in transit. Leave all
framing attached until the unit is as close as
possible to its final installed location.

All units have built in lifting lugs, see figure 1
(below) for recommended rigging procedure
and lifting procedures. Use spreader bar(s)
when necessary, failure to do so will damage
the air cooled condenser. Never use the coil
headers or return bends for moving or lifting
the condenser.

INSPECTION

Check all items against the bill of lading to
make sure all crates and cartons have been
received. If there is any damage, report it
immediately to the carrier and file a claim.
Make sure the voltage on the unit nameplate
agrees with the power supply available.

UNIT LOCATION

Do not locate any unit so as to be bordered by
tall obstructions on three or more sides. See
figure 2 for minimum clearance from
obstructions and between units. Short circuiting
of the air flow or the intake of warmer air from
another unit will seriously degrade the

performance of the air cooled condenser.
Noise consideration should also be considered
when locating an air cooled condenser.
Proximity to windows, walls, and surrounding
structures can cause objections by the
occupants. An acoustical expert should be
consulted when noise is of a particular
concern.

Structural supports and roof or platforms
should be sufficiently strong to support the
condensers operating weight. Consult with a
professional structural engineer to determine
safe platform loading.

• Refrigerant lines should be selected from
the tables on pages 25 and 26 of the
Russell Refrigeration Engineering Manua l.
Lines should never be selected on the
basis of the inlet and outlet fitting sizes on
the condenser.

If pull down loads, much greater than
design loads, are encountered, both
discharge and liquid lines should be sized
for the pull down BTUH load.

Gas velocities provided by the fine size
selection tables are adequate for oil return
in either horizontal runs or vertical risers.

To ensure proper oil return follow these two
steps:

1. Pitch horizontal runs in the direction of flow
1/4 inch per foot.

2. Provide traps at the bottom of each riser
and every 15 feet up the riser. These traps
should be formed of short sweep street
ells.

FIGURE 2: MINI. CLEARANCES

PLAN VIEW

REFRIGERANT PIPING

All piping should be done in accord with The
Safety Code for Mechanical Refrigeration"'
(ANSI/ASHRAE15-1992) and The Code for
Pressure Piping" (ANSI B31.1) as well as all
applicable local and national codes.

Units are available in both single and double
width fan versions. The double width fan
models have two coils that may be used as
independent condensers, or may be field
coupled in parallel to perform as one
condenser. Factory fabricated manifold
saddles are available as an optional feature.

All refrigerant piping must be well supported so
that line vibration or expansion and contraction
forces are not imposed on the condenser
piping connections. All piping connected to

the condenser must be supported as close
to the condenser as possible, especially
whan the circuit is a single tube connection
leading out of the condenser core as
typically seen on multiple circuit units.
Never handle the condenser or use any of
the piping headers or connections as a
support or lifting point.

• A high pitched noise seeming to come from
the condenser or discharge line with
accompanying line vibration comes from
compressor pulsation. Install a discharge
line orifice (if available from the
compressor manufacturer) or a discharge
line muffler at the compressor.

• Reduced loads by capacity reduction may
require special piping arrangement not
covered by this document. For these
situations consult your engineer, or
ASHRAE Refrigeration Manual.

• Use double risers only where specifically
required by specifications.

• The use of an oil separator of adequate
size tends to minimize oil return problems
and compressor pulsation problems. When
oil separators are used with condensers, a
discharge line check valve at the oil
separator outlet must be employed.

Always make sure that the voltage applied
to the unit matches the voltage rating of the
unit as indicated on the unit's nameplate.

START-UP

Prior to start-up check the following items:

1. Check fans for freedom of movement.

• Install the refrigerant sight glass
immediately at the receiver outlet. If a sight
glass is required at the drier outlet, a
second sight glass should be used. If a
long liquid line run or substantial liquid line
rise is required, it may be advisable to
install a sight glass in the liquid line at the
expansion valve inlet. Only the sight glass
at the receiver outlet should be used to
determine if additional refrigerant must be
added.

• Where multiple condensers are required,
all condensers must be at the same level,
and piped in parallel. Branches must be the
same size and length.

REFRIGERANT CHARGE

• Charging of a system should be carried out
using visual reference to the refrigerant
sight glass. Charging should be stopped
when the sight glass becomes clear. Care
must be taken when charging a system
with a blended or near azeotropic
refrigerant. If you are unfamiliar with the
proper charging procedures, contact your
refrigerant supplier for assistance.

2. Check all fan blade set screws, motor
mounts, and mounting leg fasteners.

3. Check that the nameplate voltage matches
the power supply voltage.

4. Upon start-up check the rotation of all fans
to insure that air is being discharged up ou t
of the fan discharges. If discharge is wrong,
correct by reversing 2 of the motor leads in
the junction box.

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance of the air cooled condenser is
extremely important for extended life and peak
performance. The following is a recommended
maintenance schedule. Site conditions will
dictate the frequency of this maintenance plan.
The equipment warranty does not cover
corrosion, misuse, or misapplication of the
condenser.

1. Shut all power off to the air cooled

condenser and refrigeration system at the
closest disconnect switch and use a lock to
prevent others from turning power ba ck on
to the unit.

WIRING

• Single phase fan motors are used on
models VAC 5 thru 19, and are pre-wired
to provide the closest possible balance on
three phase networks. Motors are available
as, or can be re-wired for single phase
network in the field. Contact the factory for
instructions. All single phase motors are
inherently protected.

• Where three phase motors are used on the
larger model VAC and VEQ models, the
motors are inherently protected. All three
phase motors are dual voltage and can be
quickly converted in the field by
repositioning the voltage change device
(VCD) located inside the motor.

2. Remove fan guards.

3. Remove all targe debris (leaves, paper,
cardboard, plastic film, etc.) from the top
as well as beneath the unit. Keep the area
clean around the condenser by removing
loose debris around the air cooled
condenser.

4. Inspect the unit for damaged fins caused
by the debris. Comb out any bent fins with
a fin comb. Inspect the unit for signs of
corrosion. Note the area and amount of
corrosion in your maintenance reports.

5. Should the heat transfer surface require
cleaning use the following procedure. Use
a cleaning solution that is compatible with
the finned material and any protective