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Just found out most compressors fail from acid buildup, not wear and tear
Read it in a trade journal from the 90s at my mentor's shop - acid forms when moisture mixes with refrigerant and oil, then eats the windings from inside out. Has anyone else seen this happen on units that still had good pressure readings?
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the_drew2d ago
No way, that's insane if it happens even with good pressure readings on the gauges. You'd think if the pressures looked fine the compressor was fine but that acid is basically invisible until it's too late. I've seen units that passed every electrical test and still had the windings eaten clean through when you cracked them open. That 90s journal was onto something real since moisture hangs around in the oil and turns into acid over time, no matter what the pressure needle says. So many guys get fooled because they check pressures and think everything's good, but the damage is already cooking inside. Makes you realize how critical a good filter drier and vacuum pull really are.
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fiona_clark2d ago
That old moisture sitting in the oil breaks down into acid way faster than most guys realize.
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