SB0133 0112

File In: N/A

Affected YCAV & YCIV AIR COOOLED

SERVICE BULLETIN
Equipment: CHILLERS

Subject: Discharge Temperature Sensor Leaks

Issue Date: 1/24/12 Withdrawal Date: 1/2/14 Data Control Level: x

Issue Date:Issue
Materials Needed: 025-32924-000 Discharge Temperature Sensor, one per circuit.
Tools Required: As needed to replace a defective sensor. This includes general tools of the trade, vacuum
pump and a refrigerant cylinder for storing R-134a.
Estimated Time Required: 4 hours per sensor replacement.
Warranty: See details within the bulletin.

PROBLEM
Long body discharge temperature sensors (025-43945-000) threaded into the discharge housing of MTS compres-
sors may fail due to a machining problem that causes the brass sensor body to crack after ongoing exposure to the
discharge gas stream in the compressor. When a crack occurs, the sensor will leak refrigerant into the crack in the
brass tube exposed to the gas stream and out through the external sensor wiring. The location of the sensor and an
example of the long body sensor is shown in Figures 1 and 2 below.

LD16359

Figure 1 - DISCHARGE TEMP SENSOR COM- Figure 2 - LONG BODY SENSOR (025-43945-000
PRESSOR LOCATION 3” SENSOR TUBE)

Work on this equipment should only be done by properly trained personnel who are qualified to work on this
type of equipment. Failure to comply with this requirement could expose the worker, the equipment and the building
and its inhabitants to the risk of injury or property damage.
The instructions on this service bulletin are written assuming the individual who will perform this work is a
fully trained HVAC & R journeyman or equivalent, certified in refrigerant handling and recovery techniques, and
knowledgeable with regard to electrical lock out/tag out procedures. The individual performing this work should be
aware of and comply with all Johnson Controls, national, state and local safety and environmental regulations while
carrying out this work. Before attempting to work on any equipment, the individual should be thoroughly familiar
with the equipment by reading and understanding the associated service literature applicable to the equipment. If
you do not have this literature, you may obtain it by contacting a Johnson Controls Service Office.
Should there be any question concerning any aspect of the tasks outlined in this bulletin, please consult a
Johnson Controls Service Office prior to attempting the work. Please be aware that this information may be time
sensitive and that Johnson Controls reserves the right to revise this information at any time. Be certain you are
working with the latest information.
 SB0133 (112)

SOLUTION
When a long body sensor on a system fails, the long body sensors on all compressors in the chiller should be
changed to the short 1-3/4” body sensor (P/N 025-32924-000), since there is a possibility that all sensors came from
the same production lot of sensors and a similar failure may occur on another sensor at a later time. If any short
bodied 025-32924-000 sensors are already installed, they do not need to be changed. If multiple YCAV/YCIV chill-
ers were ordered on the same sales order, it will be necessary to change the long body sensors on all chillers. An
example of the short body replacement sensor is shown in Figure 3 below.

LD16360

Figure 3 - SHORT BODY SENSOR P/N 025-32924-000 (1-3/4” SENSOR TUBE)

PROCEDURE
When changing a discharge temperature sensor, it is not necessary to remove the entire system refrigerant charge.
Typically, only a small amount of refrigerant will need to be recovered from the system and re-installed. However,
two refrigerant handling scenarios may be encountered, depending upon the options installed on the chiller:

Scenario #1
1. On systems equipped with an optional suction and economizer service valve, the discharge, suction, oil, and
economizer valves can be closed and a very small amount of refrigerant in the compressor recovered after
lock-out/tag-out of the chiller.
2. Replace the long body sensor with the short body sensor.
3. Evacuate the system to 500 microns and assure the vacuum holds.
4. Break the vacuum, open the four valves, return the system to service and add the small amount of charge that
was removed. Return the system to operation.
5. Repeat the process for the other discharge temperature sensors on the chiller.
6. If the refrigerant charge was lost on the system with the actual leak, check the liquid line subcooling on a sys-
tem that did not experience a leak to establish an operating value for the liquid line subcooling relative to the
ambient temperature and full speed operating conditions of a known good system. This will enable adding the
correct amount of charge to the leaking system based on subcooling, without weighing the charge at virtually
any ambient temperature.
7. Check and adjust the liquid line subcooling at full speed stabilized conditions with a similar number of fans
operating as observed in the known good system.
8. As a final check, assure there is a solid column of liquid in the liquid line sight glass once the charge has been
adjusted.

2 YORK/By JOHNSON CONTROLS

 SB0133 (112)

Scenario #2
If optional service valves are not installed, the entire system charge will not need to be removed. Refrigerant only
needs to be removed from the low pressure side of the system. The compressor can be utilized to pump most of the
low side charge into the condenser. To pump the charge into the condenser, perform the following steps:
1. Close the liquid line stop valve.
2. Wire 115 VAC to the economizer solenoid on the Relay Output Board to energize it. This will typically be
Terminal 2 on the Relay Output Board.
3. Assure water is flowing through the evaporator at design flow rate.
4. Run the system until it shuts down on a low pressure cut-out or shut it down manually using the UNIT rocker
switch, if the pressure drops less below 5 PSIG. Do not allow the system to pump into a vacuum.
5. Immediately close the discharge and the oil line ball valves when the compressor stops to isolate the charge in
the condenser and assure the UNIT switch is placed in the OFF position.
6. Place the panel in the SERVICE mode and open the Drain and Feed valves to 100%. After the valves are open,
remove power from the chiller and lock-out/tag-out the chiller.
7. Recover the remaining refrigerant in the compressor and the low side of the system. Replace the long body
sensor with the short body sensor.
8. Evacuate the low side of the system to 500 microns and assure the vacuum holds. Break the vacuum and add
any charge that was removed.
9. Remove the 115 VAC jumper from the economizer solenoid.
10. Open the liquid line, oil and discharge valves. Re-apply chiller power to “zero” the drain and feed valves on the
system. Return the system to operation. Repeat the process for the other sensors on the chiller.
If the refrigerant charge was lost on the system with the actual leak, check the liquid line subcooling on a system
that did not experience a leak to establish an operating value for liquid line subcooling relative to the ambient tem-
perature and full speed operating conditions of a known good system. This will enable adding charge to the leaking
system without weighing the charge at virtually any ambient temperature. Check and adjust liquid line subcooling
at full speed conditions with similar numbers of fans operating as a known good system. As a final check, assure
there is a solid column of liquid in the liquid line sight glass once the charge has been adjusted.

WARRANTY
If the chiller is in warranty, place all charges for labor, sensors, and refrigerant on a single warranty claim. Be sure
to reference Service Bulletin SB0133 in the problem description section of the warranty claim and indicate that
a discharge temperature sensor failed and include the number of additional discharge temperature sensors on the
chiller that were replaced.

YORK/By JOHNSON CONTROLS 3