REFRIGERATION PIPING & DRAINAGE

PREPARATION OF PIPING

Fan coil and side discharge condensing units are equipped with flare connections. Improper flaring
and brazing may cause refrigerant to leak out of the system. Follow these instructions carefully in
preparing the refrigerant piping.
!Ensure that all piping is of the correct size.
!Measure the distance between the indoor and outdoor units' refrigerant connections, together
with all the curves necessary. Add a few inches as slack.
!Lay the piping as straight as possible on a flat surface and with a pipe cutter, cut the piping
according to the measured length.; Do not tighten the cutter excessively during cutting as this
may cause the pipe to deform. Do not use hacksaw or similar tools to cut the pipe, as it results
in metal shavings getting inside the pipe. This also makes proper flaring impossible.
!Use a reamer to remove burrs from cut edges. Hold the pipe ends upside down to prevent
metal powder from getting into the pipe.

Note:

As the pipe is round, cutting should be
performed on a straight section. Also,
do not apply too much force with the
blade of the pipe cutter.
!For connection to flare settings, the pipe has to be flared. Remove the flare nut from the unit
and insert it onto the piping.
!Fit the pipe into the bar of the flare tool, about 0.5 mm higher than the surface of the bar.
!Center the flare punch carefully on the pipe and turn gradually to widen the pipe. Check the
finish of the flare to ensure even flaring.
!Cover the flared ends with tape to prevent dust from entering.
Keep pipe facing downward
when removing burrs.
Reamer
Pipe
Pipe cutter
Handle
Flaring tool
Flaring bar
Flare nut
0.635 (1/4”) only 0.952 (3/8”) and larger
0.5 mm
Approx. 1 mm
Length of periphery portion
L should be constant