I have two refrigeration units for the cooks freezer and cold room. The are in parallel, one leading and one lagging. They have water cooled condensers and the freon refrigerant. I have to service one of them. The question is...How do I take all the refrigerant from one system and put it into the other system? How will I know when it is drained? I know someone out there knows the answer.

How big of a system are we talking about? Do you have a recovery tank and pump?

Unless you carry a CFC, HCFC, or HFC, refrigeration handling certificate it is best you call a qualified technician to make the repairs for you, because under the new MARPOL and Canadian Environmental regulations only qualified service personnel are permitted to carry out routine maintenance or repair refrigeration equipment including emergency repairs. The service technician is also obliged to submit written reports on all work done to environmental authorities. All repair reports must be available for examination by both class and port state inspectors.

Actually after sizing it up some more what I really need to do is isolate the compressor. so I think I have to close the condenser outlet and run the compressor till the hp gas accumulates in the condenser and then close the inlet and outlet of the the compressor. Then change the compressor valves and change the oil piston rings etc...

My fridge experience is well past it's due-date, but I agree with Mr Winsor about the repair techs. The PTB take accidental refrigerant discharges very seriously.

Here is the relevant section from the Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships:

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/SOR-2007- ... l_2-gb:l_2

Ozone-depleting Substances

153. (1) For the purposes of this section, “new installation” means the installation of systems, equipment, including new portable fire-extinguishing units, insulation, or other material on a ship after May 17, 2005. This definition does not include the repair or recharge of systems, equipment, insulation or other material installed before that date or the recharge of portable fire-extinguishing units.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) and section 8, no ship shall emit and no person shall permit the emission from a ship of an ozone-depleting substance from an installation on a ship.

(3) For the purposes of this section, an emission of an ozone-depleting substance does not include a minimal release associated with the recapture or recycling of an ozone-depleting substance.

(4) A new installation that contains an ozone-depleting substance is prohibited on all ships, but a new installation that contains an ozone-depleting substance that is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon is authorized until January 1, 2020.

(section 8 covers emergencies, breakdowns etc)

It may appear that it's OK to work on a freon system, but remember that this is only one set of Regulations and it's Federal, associated with the Canada Shipping Act 2001. Provincial pollution acts and environmental protection acts apply too. I know that in Nova Scotia, only Provincially certificated technicians are permitted to work on Freon systems. Better play safe and spend money on Techs, don't risk jail time and a huge fine. (Penalties for contravening Regulations under the CSA 2001, for example, run to $1 million fine AND 2 years jail time.)

I may add that the employer gets charged too, and the employer is the person who directs the work, not necessarily who pays the pay cheque.