Trane RTHC Owner's manual

Part No. X39640508-03
Since the Trane Company has a policy of continuous product improvement, it reserves the right to change
specifications and designs without notice. The installation and servicing equipment referred to into this book-
let should be done by qualified experienced technicians.
Installation RTHC-IOM-1C
Operation
Maintenance
Library Service Literature
Product Section Refrigeration
Product Rotary Liquid Chillers - W/C
Model RTHC
Literature Type Installation, Operation and Maintenance
Sequence 1C
Date August 1999
File No. RTHC-IOM-899
Series R
Helical Rotary
Liquid Chillers
“E0” Design Sequence
Models RTHC
175-450 ton units (60 Hz)
125-450 ton units (50 Hz)

Installation, Operation and Maintenance i
IMPORTANT NOTICES
Effective July 1, 1992, all service operations must
use recovery systems to minimize losses of
refrigerant to the atmosphere when servicing units
with Class I and Class II refrigerants.
Class I (CFC) and Class II (HCFC) refrigerants
include CFC-12, HCFC-22, CFC-500, CFC-502,
CFC-11, CFC113 and HCFC-123. Deliberate venting
is prohibited by Section 608 of the Clean Air Act.
In the normal service of air conditioning systems,
there are three major activities mandated by the EPA
regulations: recovery, recycling and reclaiming.
1Recovery - the act of removing refrigerant from
the air conditioning unit so that losses of
refrigerant to the atmosphere are minimized.
Whenever a refrigeration circuit is opened, the
recovery of the refrigerant is required. If there is no
reason to believe that the refrigerant is “bad”, such
as during service of gaskets, expansion valves or
solenoid valves, the refrigerant is often returned to
the unit without treatment. (Note: Always follow the
equipment manufacturers recommendations
regarding replacement of unit filter driers during
service.)
If there is reason to suspect that the refrigerant is
bad, such as with a compressor failure, the
refrigerant should either be replaced or recycled,
Recovery is also required when a piece of equipment
is decommissioned. This prevents the loss of
refrigerant upon disposal of the unit. The recovered
refrigerant usually is sold to refrigerant reclaimers
rather than reused in the customer's new equipment.
2Recycling - the act of cleaning recovered
refrigerant for use in the customer’s equipment.
First, the refrigerant is boiled to separate the oil.
Then it is run through a filter drier to separate
moisture and acid.
Because of limited field testing capability, the quality
and identity of any recycled refrigerant is suspect.
For this reason, the EPA will most likely allow
recycling of refrigerant only when it is returned to its
original owner. Resale of the recycled refrigerant to
third parties will not be allowed.
As a result, most servicers will only recycle
refrigerant when the quantity of the refrigerant to be
recycled and the expertise of the technician make it
attractive to do so. Most suspect refrigerant will be
sold to a reclaimer rather than be serviced in the
field.
3Reclaiming - the act of purifying refrigerant and
testing it to ARI 700 “new” refrigerant standards.
With reclamation, each batch of refrigerant
undergoes extensive laboratory tests and the
waste streams are disposed of according to
environmental regulations.
Most reclamation will be done at centralized
processing facilities because of the testing, waste
handling and EPA certification requirements for
reclamation. The Trane Company and others offer
reclamation services for most refrigerants.
Reclamation is probably the most attractive
alternative for users with salvaged and suspect
refrigerant.

ii RTHC-IOM-1C
REFRIGERANT EMISSION CONTROL
Evidence from environmental scientists indicates that
the ozone in our upper atmosphere is being reduced,
due to the release of CFC fully halogenated
compounds.
The Trane Company encourages every effort to
eliminate, if possible, or vigorously reduce the
emission of CFC, HCFC and HFC refrigerants into
the atmosphere that result from installation,
operation, routine maintenance, or major services on
this equipment. Always act in a responsible manner
to conserve refrigerants for continued use, even
when acceptable alternatives are available.
Conservation and emission reduction can be
accomplished by following recommended Trane
operation, maintenance and service procedures, with
specific attention to the following:
1Refrigerant used in any type of air conditioning or
refrigerating equipment should be recovered for
reuse, recovered and/or recycled for reuse,
reprocessed (reclaimed), or properly destroyed,
whenever it is removed from equipment by an
EPA certified Type 11 or Universal Technician.
Never release refrigerant into the atmosphere.
2Always determine possible recycle or reclaim
requirements of the recovered refrigerant before
beginning recovery by any method. Questions
about recovered refrigerants and acceptable
refrigerant quality standards are addressed in ARI
Standard 700.
3Use approved containment vessels and safety
standards. Comply with all applicable
transportation standards when shipping
refrigerant containers.
4To minimize emissions while recovering
refrigerant, use recycling equipment. Always use
methods which will pull the required vacuum while
recovering and condensing refrigerant into
containment.
5When leak checking with a trace of refrigerant and
nitrogen, only use R-134a on R-134a units. Be
aware of any new leak test methods which
eliminate refrigerant as a trace gas, but consult
Trane Pueblo technical service before adding any
other substance besides R-134a to the system.
6When cleaning system components or parts,
avoid using CFC-11 (R-11) or CFC-113 (R-113).
Refrigeration system cleanup methods which use
filters and dryers are preferred. Do not use
solvents which have ozone depletion factors.
Properly dispose of used materials.
7Take extra care to properly maintain all service
equipment that directly supports refrigeration
service work, such as gauges, hoses, vacuum
pumps and recycling equipment.
8Stay aware of unit enhancements, conversion
refrigerants, compatible parts and manufacturer’s
recommendations which will reduce refrigerant
emissions and increase equipment operating
efficiencies. Follow manufacturer’s specific
guidelines for conversion of existing systems.
9In order to assist in reducing power generation
emissions, always attempt to improve equipment
performance with improved maintenance and
operations that will help conserve energy
resources.

Installation, Operation and Maintenance iii
READ THESE IMPORTANT NOTICES
BEFORE SERVICING THE RTHC
Warnings and Cautions
Warnings are provided to alert personnel to potential
hazards that can result in personal injury or death;
they do not replace the manufacturer’s
recommendations.
Cautions alert personnel to conditions that could
result in equipment damage.
Your personal safety and reliable operation of this
machine depend upon strict observance of these
precautions. The Trane Company assumes no
liability for installation or service procedures
performed by unqualified personnel.
To prevent injury or death due to electrocution, use
care when performing control setup, adjustments or
any other service related operation when the
electrical power is on. Position all electrical
disconnects in the “OPEN” position and lock them.
WARNING
Disconnect and Lockout or Tagout
all electrical power, including
remote disconnects, before servic-
ing. Failure to do so can cause
severe personal injury or death.
CAUTION
CAUTION: It is essential to confirm
that proper phase rotation is estab-
lished - Phase A to Ll, Phase B to L2,
and Phase C to L3. Phase rotation
must be checked with a phase
sequence indicator before start-up,
otherwise catastrophic damage to the
compressor may result.
CAUTION
CAUTION: Do not check the unit oil
level with the unit operating. Severe
oil loss will occur. Protective clothing
must be worn when checking the oil
level.
CAUTION
CAUTION: The compressor sump
heater must be energized for a mini-
mum of 24 hours prior to unit opera-
tion, to prevent compressor damage
caused by liquid refrigerant in the
compressor at start-up.
CAUTION
CAUTION: Do not use untreated or
improperly treated water. To do so
may result in equipment damage.
CAUTION
CAUTION: Proper water flow through
the evaporator must be established
prior to unit operation.
CAUTION
CAUTION: Do not charge the com-
pressor with liquid refrigerant.