How to Identify Installation Materials for Refrigeration Equipment

I. Refrigerant Pipes

1. Check the color: Currently, the best refrigerant copper pipes are purple copper pipes. Their purity is above 99% and they are called pure copper, showing a rose - red color. Other copper pipes are mostly alloy copper pipes, such as brass pipes, which are synthesized with a copper - zinc ratio of 7:3 and show a yellow color.
2. Touch by hand: The inner and outer walls of high - quality refrigerant copper pipes are smooth and clean, without sand holes, oxidation, cracks and other defects.
3. Bend the copper pipe: High - quality copper pipes have no creases and do not deform after bending; while inferior copper pipes are prone to creases and are easily deformed by extrusion after bending.
4. Copper pipe process: Currently, the production of copper pipes mainly includes extrusion - type process copper pipes and drawn - type copper pipes. The extrusion - type ones have a thicker and more uniform wall thickness, while the wall thickness of the drawn - type ones is likely to be non - uniform. The new refrigerant R410A has a high operating pressure, and the thin - walled parts of the drawn - type copper pipes are prone to bursting.

II. Condensate Water Pipes

1. Check the surface: Check the smoothness and whiteness of the water pipe surface. For good condensate water pipes, the inner and outer colors are the same, presenting a beige color, and the surface has an oily sheen. If the color is overly white, there may be too much calcium powder, and if it is yellowish, the PVC material may be of poor quality, prone to oxidation and with poor weather resistance.
2. Measure the wall thickness: The wall thickness of a good condensate water pipe should be uniform and the wall should be smooth. Thicker walls are better.
3. Sampling test: Pipes that are abnormally white and bright but easily broken when dropped are generally high - calcium products with added calcium powder. Take a sample and step on the edge of the pipe with your foot to see if it easily cracks.

   

   

III. Insulation Cotton

1. Check the appearance: The smaller and finer the foaming pores of the insulation cotton are, the better the anti - vibration, heat - insulation and heat - preservation effects will be.
2. Measure the wall thickness: For the same grade and the same pre - installed copper pipe/water pipe diameter, the thicker the insulation wall thickness, the better the heat - preservation effect. And there are corresponding national standards for the thickness of insulation cotton for each pipe diameter.
3. Extrusion test: Squeeze the insulation tightly by hand. If it is easily deformed after extrusion, it is generally inferior insulation, while if it does not deform after extrusion, it is generally high - quality insulation.

IV. Branch Fittings

1. Check the appearance: High - quality branch fittings have a bright color, uniform and firm welding, and the inner and outer walls of the pipe are clean, without impurities and dirt. Poor - quality branch fittings are prone to weld separation, have impurities and are easy to oxidize.
2. Measure the wall thickness: The thickness of the copper pipe used for the branch pipe should be determined according to the size of the diameter. The larger the diameter, the thicker the copper pipe should be. Generally, for a diameter of 22.3 and below, a 1mm - thick copper pipe is sufficient. For 31.8 and below, a 1.3mm copper pipe is used, and for 35 and above, a 1.5mm copper pipe is preferably used. Using a copper pipe of the appropriate thickness can ensure the quality to the greatest extent. Like copper pipes, branch fittings should preferably be made of purple copper, especially the branch fittings made of special purple copper pipes for R410A.