5 gallon tank of R-22. Useful?

[Speederlander]

Yup I have one. Is a 5 gallon tank enough to be of any use? I am no expert on phase. I don't plan on selling it (not legal anyway?), just perhaps using it down the line when I have enough knowledge to try my own build(s).

[star882]

R22 makes nice CPU coolers... Keep it. However, I thought refrigerant is usually measured by weight since most refrigerant containers do not have graduated marks. Are you sure it's not oil used with R22? Got a picture?

[jinu117]

Gallon... 5 gallon sounds about size of regular refrigerant tank...?

[Speederlander]

R22 makes nice CPU coolers... Keep it. However, I thought refrigerant is usually measured by weight since most refrigerant containers do not have graduated marks. Are you sure it's not oil used with R22? Got a picture?
I'm at work so no picture right away. It was a small green tank labeled Chlorodifluoromethane 22. The "gallons" was my term for about what the volume of the tank looked to be. There are no graduated marks.

My neighbor has 5 of them like this, he said I can grab them all. Should I?

How much becomes useful?

[star882]

How heavy are they? Chances are, they might be used up. Of course, an empty cylinder of R22 still makes a great (and interesting) doorstop!

[Speederlander]

How heavy are they? Chances are, they might be used up. Of course, an empty cylinder of R22 still makes a great (and interesting) doorstop!

15 TO 20 LBS maybe? Bit more? I can feel they are full of something...hopefully something more useful than doorstop material. :)

[Brettbeck]

I wish my neighbour had 5 bottles of proper refrigerant that I could just 'have' LOL :p: !

[star882]

Get them! R22 is an excellent compromise between low pressure (R134a) and very low temperature (R410a).
Also try shaking it and listen carefully. You should be able to hear the liquid R22 sloshing around. Then connect your gauges and carefully open the valve a little. Check if the pressure matches expected pressure (based on p/t chart) to make sure it's R22 in there.

BTW, how did he get so many cylinders around?

[Speederlander]

Get them! R22 is an excellent compromise between low pressure (R134a) and very low temperature (R410a).
Also try shaking it and listen carefully. You should be able to hear the liquid R22 sloshing around. Then connect your gauges and carefully open the valve a little. Check if the pressure matches expected pressure (based on p/t chart) to make sure it's R22 in there.

BTW, how did he get so many cylinders around?
He used to do car repair and local machine repair. I suspect its related to that. I'll ask tonight.

So how much becomes useful?

[Brettbeck]

But doesn't R22 damage the atmosphere? Can't you get a heavy fine for venting that stuff?

[LukeXE]

Speederlander, for one charge you need about 150, maybe 200g of gas

[star882]

Just don't vent it. (The small amount released when connecting and disconnecting hoses is fine. A tiny amount mixed with an inert gas for leak testing can also be vented. Venting a large amount on purpose is not OK.)
R22 will become very expensive in the future, so get all 5 cylinders. In the future, you might get an EPA certification and sell the cylinders for lots of profit.

BTW, after building one unit, you'll probably want to build some more. You may even build some refrigeration devices for other purposes. (I have plans to build a water distiller machine. I'll design it to pull about 28" of vacuum (whatever could be achieved with a vacuum pump tolerant to moisture) on the water before starting the compressor to make refrigerant pressures reasonable.)

[runmc]

The one bottle will charge about 50-100 units Probably a 27-30lb bottle.

[babalouj]

The green tanks of R22 are 30lbs per tank. The green tanks are non reusable. I have one sitting a few feet away from me.

[wdrzal]

If in the USA it will either be a 30 or 50 pound bottle, their are larger but thats whats mostly used.

[Speederlander]

If in the USA it will either be a 30 or 50 pound bottle, their are larger but thats whats mostly used.
Yes, it's in the U.S. I would guess 30 then. Definitely not 50.

[CWO4EVIL]

But doesn't R22 damage the atmosphere? Can't you get a heavy fine for venting that stuff?
For "venting" yes. But they allow "diminimus release"(sp) such as "cracking a bottle" to clear debris, purging hoses, and loss of refrigerant to the atmosphere when attaching and removing manifold hoses.

[Speederlander]

Yes, it's in the U.S. I would guess 30 then. Definitely not 50.

When I got home and checked, the bottle said 30 lbs. So yeah, it was that.

[Xeon th MG Pony]

R-22 is handy to have around, I have a 2pounder I been saving for when needed, seriusly thinking of ordering a 30pounder pending costs.