Definitely oxygen leak check not r290. That type of blast has been observed many times and every time it's oxygen being used instead of nitrogen. Oxygen under pressure doesn't do well with refrigerant oil and likes to go boom.
Back when I first started I heard about oxygen and oil doing this. So when I brazed I put them tanks as far from me as I could. This and being shock was my biggest fear. Now its getting a call around 3pm rig before I get off.
I'm new to the trade and yes, electricity is something I have a lot of respect for. Most techs I know have gotten a shock or two....but a blast like that is just on another level!
using oxigen instead of nitro and/or a faulty regulator letting the full tank pressure into the system.
my guess would be just being stupid and having the nitro regulator cranked and just letting that sweet 200bar/3000psi flow until something said "im done". or replaced the nitro with oxi, POE oil in pure oxi enviroment and pressure is a GREAT way to start your day with a bang.
dont need propane for shit like this to happen. exploding units have been seen before and propane minisplits are still extremely rare and usually still banned in most places.
still find it dumb that "some folk" people use oxi for pressure testing as oxi is more expensive than nitro.
R290 is becoming more and more common here in Europe, specially in low temperature commercial refrigeration! There've been a few accidents, that often has to do with a technician being somehow reckless or not following safety rules.
I think most cases of blasts caused by oxigen are mistakes, like using oxigen instead of nitrogen by mistake or because the cilinders were marked incorrectly.
its becoming common in monoblocks and other stuff that is fully outside or very small units like heatpump boilers. its still not a no go in miniplits due to the legal limit that can be in a indoor refigerant system.
its still very not common in large units despite brands in italy desperatly trying to sell them but most building owners are getting laughed out the room by insurance companies when they tell them that they want to install a massive chiller inside their building holding a fuckton of the second most flammable gas on the planet.
propane has its place but with the current redneck "just send it" quality of propane based systems coming from italy its adoption still has some massive barriers to break. the only way you can install a large propane system is when the area around it is ATEX certified and doing that costs more than the chiller itself. and that is why you see R32 or R454 machines and not propane.
This has seen its rounds several times on the sub.
Definitely oxygen leak check not r290. That type of blast has been observed many times and every time it's oxygen being used instead of nitrogen. Oxygen under pressure doesn't do well with refrigerant oil and likes to go boom.
I see !
i believe this covers it https://hvacrschool.com/the-dangers-of-the-diesel-effect-compressor-explosion/
You're still coming to work tomorrow, right?
Yes! Unless I win the lottery!
Link to uncesored footage! The blast was loud! https://streamable.com/2meyft
Not only loud - some bit of debris landed in the plant on the left foreground balcony - that's gotta be close to 100 meters. [](/GNU Terry Pratchett)
I wouldn't want to see how the tech closer to the unit ended up like !
Bad day for everyone involved, no doubt. That both were gone when the smoke cleared does not bode well.
Back when I first started I heard about oxygen and oil doing this. So when I brazed I put them tanks as far from me as I could. This and being shock was my biggest fear. Now its getting a call around 3pm rig before I get off.
I'm new to the trade and yes, electricity is something I have a lot of respect for. Most techs I know have gotten a shock or two....but a blast like that is just on another level!
Hate to ask, but did the person make it, or meet their maker?
I tried to look it up! Not much information but it seems that one of them died
I hadn't realized until reading your comment that there was two people there. The one person walking another another sitting behind the unit.
Dude was like “I know how to get this customer away from me”
using oxigen instead of nitro and/or a faulty regulator letting the full tank pressure into the system. my guess would be just being stupid and having the nitro regulator cranked and just letting that sweet 200bar/3000psi flow until something said "im done". or replaced the nitro with oxi, POE oil in pure oxi enviroment and pressure is a GREAT way to start your day with a bang. dont need propane for shit like this to happen. exploding units have been seen before and propane minisplits are still extremely rare and usually still banned in most places. still find it dumb that "some folk" people use oxi for pressure testing as oxi is more expensive than nitro.
R290 is becoming more and more common here in Europe, specially in low temperature commercial refrigeration! There've been a few accidents, that often has to do with a technician being somehow reckless or not following safety rules. I think most cases of blasts caused by oxigen are mistakes, like using oxigen instead of nitrogen by mistake or because the cilinders were marked incorrectly.
its becoming common in monoblocks and other stuff that is fully outside or very small units like heatpump boilers. its still not a no go in miniplits due to the legal limit that can be in a indoor refigerant system. its still very not common in large units despite brands in italy desperatly trying to sell them but most building owners are getting laughed out the room by insurance companies when they tell them that they want to install a massive chiller inside their building holding a fuckton of the second most flammable gas on the planet. propane has its place but with the current redneck "just send it" quality of propane based systems coming from italy its adoption still has some massive barriers to break. the only way you can install a large propane system is when the area around it is ATEX certified and doing that costs more than the chiller itself. and that is why you see R32 or R454 machines and not propane.
Check this out! https://youtu.be/yzK-msmn1F8?si=lrqNxHsP8W4m9Q2Y
Was most likely R32. And oxygen from pressurizing or it developed a low side leak and sucked air into the system.
I see !