Freon is ... Freon temperature. Freon in the fridge

In each house there is home appliances, for production and working capacity of which a substance such as freon is used. This substance, known as an excellent refrigerant, is used in all refrigerators, so that products and ready-made meals can be stored for longer periods than at ambient temperatures. This article will tell you, freon is what kind of substance, where it is used, what temperature it has.

History of the discovery

Different sources refer to two dates for the first synthesis of freon, 1928 and 1931. It is more correct to consider the date of the birth of this refrigerant in 1928 year. It was then that the outstanding chemist of the company Frigidaire, which is a subsidiary of General Motors, Thomas Midgley, produced a "miracle substance" and gave it the name "freon." Later, the engineers of the company engaged in the industrial production of this gas introduced the designation Freon-12 as "R" (in the translation "Refrigerant" is deciphered as a coolant or cooler). The second date with the advent of Freon is incorrect to bind, since in 1930 the company Kinetic Chemical Company was created, the activity of which was to be directed to the production of this product.

Freon - this is what?

A mixture of ethane and methane as fluorine-containing derivatives of low-molecular hydrocarbons, where the hydrogen atoms can be replaced by fluorine, chlorine, bromine. Widely used in refrigeration (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, etc.). Many people are wondering whether freon is gas or liquid. Correct answer: this substance can have both aggregate state.

The most common types of freon

More than 40 types of this substance are known to science, most of which are obtained by industrial means. The temperature of freon, at which it boils, has its own type:

• R11 is trichlorofluoromethane (with a boiling point of 23.8 ° C).
• R12 is difluorodichloromethane (with boiling boiling point -29.8 ° C).
• R13 is trifluorochloromethane (with boiling boiling point -81.5 ° C).
• R14 is tetrafluoromethane (with boiling boiling point -128 ° C).
• R134A is tetrafluoroethane (with boiling boiling point of -26.3 ° C).
• R22 is chlorodifluoromethane (with boiling boiling point -40.8 ° C).
• R600A is isobutane (with boiling boiling point -11.73 ° C).
• R410A is chlorofluorocarbonate (with boiling boiling point -51.4 ° C).

As a rule, domestic refrigerators work on freon (chladone) brand R-22, in industrial and commercial use the brand R-13.

Freon is a dangerous substance for humans?

Almost all types of this substance have a negative boiling point, therefore it is used in cooling elements of household appliances, as a pushing element in gas cartridges, air fresheners and other aerosols. Therefore, when spraying, the cylinder itself is cooled, and Freon enters the air. If you do not heat the refrigerant to 250 degrees (at this temperature, poisonous substances are released), it is completely harmless to humans, which can not be said for the ozone layer. The decay products destroy it. The main reason for the formation of ozone holes is the production and use of freon with a high content of chlorine and bromine ions. The leakage of this substance in household appliances can not be detected with a smell and can not be visually detected, small doses per person have no effect.

To restore the ozone layer of the Earth and reduce the production of harmful freon by the UN countries, the Montreal Protocol was signed and ratified.

What is freon in refrigeration?

Modern compressor refrigerators are presented in the form of a chamber with a refrigerant located inside the evaporator. This substance, during boiling and evaporation, takes heat from the chamber and transfers it to the environment during condensation. Due to this, the air is cooled to the required temperature, and the gas returns to the compressor and changes its aggregate state to liquid. Freon in the refrigerator is located just in this evaporator. In other words, this is an important part of the system, thanks to which cooling chambers are cooled.

How to understand the leak of freon from the refrigerator

It is clear that this substance is one of the main components of the working machinery. The leakage of freon leads to a breakdown of technology and the inability to use it for its intended purpose. The most common cause of such a problem is damage to the evaporator pipe or factory marriage. Since it is a volatile gas that has no odor, it can not be detected by olfactory receptors.

However, there are some signs that you can identify a leak. Freon in the refrigerator is under pressure, and when the evaporator tubes are damaged, it gradually begins to fall. As a consequence, in the refrigerator and freezer the air temperature rises, and the products start to deteriorate quickly. This is the first sign that it is necessary to check the integrity of the cooling system of the device. As mentioned earlier, Freon is not dangerous for a person at a temperature of no higher than 250 degrees, and it is impossible to heat it to such a temperature at home.

The most frequent places of leakage of refrigerant

First of all, these are the joints of pipes. In any soldering, microcracks can be formed both because of prolonged operation of the equipment and because of factory rejection. Also freon leakage occurs frequently at the points of the evaporator tubes of the refrigerating and freezing chambers. Sealing can also be detected on the return line, which connects the heart of the refrigerator and the evaporator.

How to repair a leak?

Refilling freon refrigerator in the home without the help of a professional is impossible. As this work will require special equipment and materials (vacuum pump, soldering torch, metering device, manifold with manometers, metal for solder, special flux). To detect a breach of the tightness of the tubes, a special device is used that resembles a metal detector. After the master has identified the location of the damage and seals this area, having eliminated the leak, the vacuum pump pumped out the remaining gas and refueled again. Filling is performed by connecting the gas cylinder to the fitting located on the compressor compressor casing through the capillary tube, the connection being made with a hermetic key.

After that, freon in the refrigerator again starts to circulate properly, and the temperature in the chambers is set in accordance with the norms for refrigerators.