The frequency of inverter air conditioning systems (ACs) getting blasted due to their R32 compound, also called R32 gas, (Difluoromethane, CH₂F) – which is used in the split ACs – has been increasing for the last some years globally, resulting in the deaths of even whole families. This phenomenon has sparked a debate about causes of the blasts, some even pointing fingers at R32 gas being the sole cause. The confusion became more perplexed when the issue became the subject of TV shows whose hosts were as naive about the matter as the quacks called on the shows, assimilating disinformation about the gas being non-flammable and totally immune to electric sparks and flames.
ACs are highly functional electronic devices, made by different companies, and they have been functioning extremely well globally for decades, notwithstanding the rare problems under discussion. This leads us to the point that the problem lies somewhere else, not just with the ACs themselves, and this is true.
The fact of the matter remains that the causes of the blasts are as real as the blasts themselves, and a little deliberation on how ACs and R32 gas function together reveals more than one potential cause behind those blasts. Human errors initiate these causes, and the rest of the problems are just the manifold manifestations of a human error. Most of the time, this error is the work of a person not qualified to deal with neither R32 gas, nor ACs. Naivety of users with regard to alarming signs and how to tackle them leads such scenarios to deadly blasts.
Is R32 Gas As Well As Other Similar Gasses Flammable?
Some quacks have tried to convince people that R32 gas is not flammable by practically exposing the gas to flames, and they have been able to convince many. But any expert of the field knows that it is just a big lie and only exposes quacks. R32 gas as well as other similar gasses are flammable and could ignite to destroy rooms and kill people.
Image: DIW-Aigen
Some flammables do not catch fire that easily, just as petrol catches it, but that does not make them non-flammable. For example, diesel, used in heavy vehicles, is also not as flammable as petrol. If one contacts fire with 200 ml of liquid diesel, chances are it will not ignite. Rather, the flame would be put off due to coming in touch with a liquid. But that does not make diesel non-flammable. Put the 200 ml diesel in a water sprayer and spray it on a flame, and you will witness a ball of blasting fire instantly. Diesel ignites when it is forced out in the vapor form, just as it is forced out from a sprayer with a pressure of approximately 10 PSI and results in ignition, but remains the same in its liquid form.
The same is the case with R32 gas. In its simple or non-compressed form, it is non-flammable, which is the one quacks use to prove or fool their audience. But that is not how this gas is utilized in ACs. A compressor compresses R32 gas in the outer unit of an AC with an extremely high PSI pressure that converts the same non-flammable gas into the vapor form and flammable. In the presence of all necessary ingredients, air, compressed R32 gas and ignitor, this compressed gas would easily cause a fatal explosion, especially when the gas accumulates in a substantial quantity in a confined area.
The Common Causes Behind the Blasts
As mentioned above air, fuel and ignitor are all indispensable ingredients to produce combustion or ignite something, one of them, air, is the missing link in the equation in the case of ACs – as there is no air in the whole pathway of pipes from the outer unit to the inner unit – to make sure that the stated result never occurs. So if an outer or inner unit does explode, it simply means that air was allowed to enter the pipes, and a spark inside resulted in agitation.
This usually occurs when unkilled technicians are called to set an AC or to refill R32 gas. They hastily join all pipes with the outer and inner units while setting an AC or after refilling the gas without realizing that air still exists in the pipes and inner unit due to exposing the openings of all pipes. Without clearing the existing air, R32 gas gets mixed with it, and if, unfortunately, sparking occurs inside or near the inner unit, the end result would definitely be an explosion.
Another common cause behind such incidents is the leakage of the gas. Most ACs available in the market have been built with inferior parts to the ones used in ACs a decade ago. They are smaller in size and become rustic fast. The difference in size and weight of U-bends used in ACs a decade ago and being used now is stark. Consequently, their inferiority in quality makes them prone to getting damaged easily when exposed to toxic gasses coming from your own toilet or outside. A slight opening in the pipes is enough to cause leakage of the gas, which, after accumulating in a room, could cause suffocation as well as could also ignite if it comes in contact with an ignitor.
The leakage is harmless if its source is outside the house near the outer unit, for the gas will get mingled with the open air, but inside a confined area, it keeps accumulating in one place and becomes fatal.
Sometimes, while refilling R32 gas into the outer unit, another absurd technique is employed by quacks. They put an R32 cylinder upside down while refilling, thinking that this will expedite the process. Contrary to their expectations, the upside-down position allows liquid form settled at the bottom to travel to the compressor of the outer unit. As a result of this absurdity, the compressor gets blocked and keeps heating up when used until it explodes.
Be Conscious of the Alarming Signs
A few alarming signs precede the explosions of inner or outer units. If R32 gas is leaked inside a room, it is in the form of vapors, so a slightly blurry and foggy atmosphere in the room will be observed. Because it is queer for such a thing to even exist in a room, it must alarm residents.
The compressor utilizes a very high pressure of around 400 to 450-PSI to compress the gas. Resultantly, if the gas leaks, the pressure will be forcing it out with a whistle-like sound, indicating the leakage. So if you hear a whistle in your room, which should not exist, you must look for a leaking point.
Icing on the pipes at their joining point with the outer unit is a clear indication of a leakage somewhere in the pipes or inner unit. The leakage also reduces the cooling effect of an AC, for the cooling, which was supposed to occur inside, is taking place at the joining point with the outer unit, causing icing there.
Being suspicious of a leakage, you can also take help from the ampere meter. Just put any of the wires in the ampere meter and check the reading. If it constantly depicts 8 to 9 amperes even after half an hour, there is definitely a leaking point in the pipes because after 20 minutes of turning on, the ampere current abates to 2 to 3 amperes.
The Precautionary Measures
The first and foremost step required if you wish not to meet such an end is to hire a experienced professional to set an AC for you or refill R32 gas in the outer unit or better opt for R-410A refrigerant (a non-flammable substance), if you prefer even more environment friendly and safer option. The companies providing ACs also provide assistance in the form of professionals. Asking a quack intentionally to do the job to save a few bucks will make you as responsible for the catastrophe as the quack, if any fatal incident occurs.
Never ever try to switch off your AC or turn on the light of the room if you are certain that there is indeed a leakage taking place. Turning electric buttons on or off also generates a tiny spark, enough to cause an explosion. Just go out and turn off the main breaker of the house.
While setting an AC or after refilling R32 gas, make sure that your technician does purging before joining all the pipes. Purging means to clean all the pipes and inner unit from the existing air or moisture. In other words, he must vacuum the pipes to get rid of the air. Purging is done by keeping the last pipe open and then slowly opening the gas for about 15 or 20 seconds. In 15 to 20 seconds the gas will travel through all pipes and the inner unit, displacing the air. Then you can join/close the last pipe as well.
Going against the common trend, put your outer unit at a lower position than the inner unit. The compressed gas is heavy and moves downwards. If there is a leakage close to the outer unit, which is at a higher position than the inner unit, the leaking gas would move downwards towards the inner unit inside your room. Going vice versa with regards to their respective positions would force the gas to move towards the outer unit and put residents in a safe position.
Humans errors mostly due to quacks hired to do the job causes the blasts observed globally. The lack of knowledge on the part of common people regarding alarming signs and precautionary measures exacerbates the problem. But by hiring professionalism to do the job, following precautionary measures beforehand and being experienced with regard to alarming signs, the disastrous end could be averted.
