IDENTIFYING COMPRESSOR FAILURE MODES

Indicators, Symptoms, and Corrections

Replacement new or remanufactured compressors fail at four times the rate of original compressors. That
indicates most compressors fail due to system malfunctions which must be corrected to prevent repeat
failures. Field examination of the failed compressor often will reveal symptoms of system problems.

REFRIGERANT FLOODBACK
This is the result of liquid refrigerant returning to the compressor during the RUNNING CYCLE.
The oil is diluted with refrigerant to the point it cannot properly lubricate the load bearing surfaces.

• Open Drive Compressors The liquid washed the oil off the pistons and cylinder walls
Worn pistons and cylinders during the suction stroke causing them to wear during the
No evidence of overheating compression stroke.
• Refrigerant Cooled Compressors The liquid dilutes the oil in the crankcase and the refrigerant rich oil
Center & rear bearing worn/seized will be pumped to the rods and bearings through the crankshaft.
Dragging rotor, shorted stator As the refrigerant boils off, there will not be enough oil for proper
Progressively worn crankshaft lubrication at the bearings farthest from the oil pump. The center
Worn or broken rods and rear bearings may seize or may wear enough to allow the rotor
Possible worn piston rings to drop and drag on the stator causing it to short or spot burn.
CORRECTION:
1. Maintain proper evaporator and compressor superheat 2. Correct abnormally low load condition
3. Install suction accumulator to stop uncontrolled liquid return

FLOODED STARTS
Worn or scored rods or bearings This is the result of refrigerant migration to the crankcase oil
Rods broken from seizure during the OFF CYCLE. When the compressor starts, the diluted
Erratic wear pattern on crankshaft oil cannot properly lubricate the crankshaft load bearing
surfaces causing an erratic wear or seizure pattern.
CORRECTION:
1. Locate the compressor in a warm ambient or install continuous pumpdown
2. Check crankcase heater operation (Should be energized during off cycle)
3. Operate with minimum refrigerant charge

LIQUID SLUGGING
Broken reeds, rods, or crankshaft This is the result of trying to compress liquid in the cylinders.
Loose or broken backer bolts Slugging is an extreme floodback in the first stage of compound
Blown gaskets or in open drive compressors, and a severe flooded start in the
second stage of compound or in refrigerant cooled compressors
CORRECTION:
1. Maintain proper evaporator and compressor superheat 2. Correct abnormally low load conditions
3. Locate the compressor in a warm ambient or install continuous pumpdown
4. Proper oil management piping sized properly

HIGH DISCHARGE TEMPERATURE

Discolored valve plate This is the result of temperatures in the compressor head and
Burned reed valves cylinders becoming so hot that the oil loses its ability to lubricate
Worn pistons, rings and cylinders properly. That causes pistons, rings and cylinder walls to wear
Stator spot burn from metal fragments resulting in blow by, leaking valves and metal fragments in the oil.
CORRECTION:
1. Correct high compression ration from low load conditions, high discharge pressure conditions
2. Check low pressure switch setting 3. Insulate suction lines
4. Provide proper compressor cooling/motor cooling. Excessive motor heat can overheat refrigeration

LOSS OF OIL
All rods and bearings worn or scored This is a result of insufficient oil in the crankcase to properly
Crankshaft uniformly scored lubricate the load bearing surfaces. When the flow of refrigerant
Rods broken from seizure is too low to return oil as fast as it is being pumped out, a uniform
Little or no oil in crankcase wearing of all load bearings will result.
CORRECTION:
1. Check oil failure control operation if applicable 2. Check system refrigerant charge
3. Correct abnormally low load situations or short cycling
4. Check for improper line sizing and improper traps 5. Check for inadequate defrosts

ELECTRICAL FAILURES
Motors are generally damaged as a result of mechanical failures but some are true electrical failures.

GENERAL or UNIFORM BURN Entire motor winding is uniformly overheated or burned.

CORRECTION:
1. Check for high or low voltage 2. Check for unbalanced voltage 3. Check for rapid compressor cycling

SINGLE PHASE BURN

A result of not having current through the Two phases of a three phase motor are overheated or burned.
unburned and overloading the other two.
CORRECTION:
1. Check for proper motor protection 2. Check contactor contacts and mechanical condition
3. Check terminal and wiring condition 4. Check for unbalanced voltage 5. Check for blown fuses

HALF WINDING SINGLE PHASE BURN

This occurs when one half of a PART WINDING START motor has a single phasing condition.
Two contactors are used in the PART WINDING START and a problem exists with one.
CORRECTION:
1. Check both contactors, one will be defective 2. Check sequence timer for one second or less total time

HALF WINDING BURN Half of all phases on a PART WINDING START motor are burned or overheated.
CORRECTION:
1. Check for electrical feed back circuit energizing a contactor holding coil
2. Replace contactors with ones properly sized

PRIMARY SINGLE PHASE BURN

Only one phase of a three phase motor is overheated or burned as the result of the loss of a phase in the
primary of a Δ to Y or Y to Δ transformer configuration.
CORRECTION:
1. Check transformer for proper voltage incoming and outgoing

START WINDING BURN

Only the start winding is burned in a single phase motor due to excessive current in the start winding.
CORRECTION:
1. Check proper C, S and R wiring of the compressor
2. Check start capacitor and start relay 3. Check for overloaded compressor

RUN WINDING BURN

A localized burn within the winding, between windings, or from winding to ground. Can be electrical failure
or possible mechanical failure resulting from foreign materials in motor winding. Only the run winding is
burned in a single phase compressor.
CORRECTION:
1. Check start relay 2. Check run capacitor 3. Check supply voltage
Carlyle Compressor Division | 1-800-462-2759 Lit. No.: 574-018 | Revised 11/17
 Saturated R134a R513A R22 R407C R744
Temperature GWP 1430 631 1810 1624 1
°F °C ODP 0 0 0.04 0 0
-50 -45.6 18.7 16.5 6.1 11.0 103.4
-45 -42.8 16.9 14.4 2.7 8.0 116.6
-40 -40.0 14.8 12.0 0.6 4.6 131.0
-35 -37.2 12.5 9.4 2.6 0.9 146.5
-30 -34.4 9.8 6.5 4.9 1.6 163.1
-25 -31.7 6.9 3.2 7.4 3.9 181.0
-20 -28.9 3.7 0.2 10.2 6.5 200.2
-15 -26.1 0.0 2.1 13.2 9.3 220.8
-10 -23.3 1.9 4.3 16.5 12.3 242.7
-5 -20.6 4.1 6.6 20.1 15.7 266.1
0 -17.8 6.5 9.2 24.0 19.4 291.0
5 -15.0 9.1 12.0 28.3 23.5 317.6 Gray shaded
10 -12.2 11.9 15.1 32.8 27.9 345.7 cells indicate
15 -9.4 15.0 18.4 37.8 32.7 375.6 indicate vacuum
20 -6.7 18.4 22.0 43.1 37.9 407.2 pressures in
25 -3.9 22.1 25.9 48.8 43.5 440.7 inches of Mercury
30 -1.1 26.1 30.1 55.0 49.6 476.1
35 1.7 30.4 34.6 61.5 56.1 513.4 Blue shaded cells
40 4.4 35.0 39.5 68.6 63.2 552.9 represent saturated
45 7.2 40.1 44.7 76.1 70.7 594.5 vapor pressures
50 10.0 45.4 50.3 84.1 78.8 638.3
55 12.8 51.2 56.3 92.6 87.5 684.4 Orange shaded cells
60 15.6 57.4 62.7 101.6 117.9 733.1 represent saturated
65 18.3 64.0 69.6 111.2 128.9 784.2 liquid pressures
70 21.1 71.1 76.8 121.4 140.5 838.1
75 23.9 78.7 84.5 132.2 152.8 894.9 *** Denotes pressures
80 26.7 86.7 92.7 143.6 165.8 954.9 above critical point
85 29.4 95.2 101.4 155.7 179.6 1018.4 of the refrigerant
90 32.2 104.3 110.6 168.4 194.1 ***
95 35.0 113.9 120.4 181.8 209.4 ***
100 37.8 124.2 130.7 195.9 225.5 ***
105 40.6 135.0 141.6 210.8 242.4 ***
110 43.3 146.4 153.1 226.4 260.3 ***
115 46.1 158.4 165.2 242.8 279.0 ***
120 48.9 171.2 178.0 260.0 298.6 ***
125 51.7 184.6 191.4 278.0 319.2 ***
130 54.4 198.7 205.5 296.9 340.7 ***
135 57.2 213.6 220.3 316.7 363.3 ***
140 60.0 229.2 235.9 337.4 386.9 ***
145 62.8 245.7 252.2 359.0 411.7 *** CONSULT CARLYLE
150 65.6 262.9 269.4 381.7 437.5 *** FOR DETAILED
155 68.3 281.0 287.4 405.3 464.4 *** RETROFIT
160 71.1 300.0 306.2 430.1 492.6 *** RECOMMENDATIONS

Approximate impact to system performance

Retrofit
Conversions Discharge Discharge Oil
Capacity Mass Flow Power
Pressure Temp Change
R22 to MO POE
HT ~5% ~6% ~2% ~10 psi ~19°F
R407C 3 oil flushes
R134a to POE
HT ~1% ~17% ~2% ~7 psi ~11°F
R513A 1 oil flush

Saturated R404A R448A R449A R407A R407F

Temperature GWP 3922 1273 1282 2107 1825
°F °C ODP 0 0 0 0 0
-50 -45.6 0.1 7.6 7.4 9.0 7.8
-45 -42.8 2.0 4.2 3.9 5.7 4.4
-40 -40.0 4.3 0.4 -0.1 2.0 0.5
-35 -37.2 6.8 1.9 2.0 1.0 1.9
-30 -34.4 9.6 4.2 4.4 3.3 4.2
-25 -31.7 12.7 6.8 6.9 5.8 6.8
-20 -28.9 16.0 9.6 9.8 8.5 9.7
-15 -26.1 19.7 12.7 12.9 11.5 12.9
-10 -23.3 23.6 16.1 16.3 14.9 16.4
-5 -20.6 27.9 19.8 20.0 18.5 20.2
0 -17.8 32.6 23.9 24.1 22.5 24.4
5 -15.0 37.7 28.3 28.5 26.9 28.9 Gray shaded
10 -12.2 43.1 33.1 33.3 31.6 33.9 cells indicate
15 -9.4 49.0 38.4 35.5 36.7 39.3 indicate vacuum
20 -6.7 55.3 44.0 44.2 42.3 45.1 pressures in
25 -3.9 62.1 50.1 50.2 48.3 51.4 inches of Mercury
30 -1.1 69.3 56.6 56.8 54.8 58.2
35 1.7 77.1 63.7 63.8 61.8 65.5
Blue shaded cells
40 4.4 85.4 71.2 71.4 69.4 73.4 represent saturated
45 7.2 94.2 79.3 79.5 77.4 81.8 vapor pressures
50 10.0 103.6 88.0 88.2 86.1 90.8
55 12.8 113.6 97.3 97.4 95.3 100.5
Orange shaded cells
60 15.6 126.0 128.0 127.9 125.2 131.7
represent saturated
65 18.3 137.3 139.6 139.4 136.7 143.7
liquid pressures
70 21.1 149.3 151.9 135.4 148.8 156.4
75 23.9 162.0 164.9 164.6 161.7 169.9
80 26.7 175.4 178.6 178.3 175.3 184.1
85 29.4 189.5 193.1 192.7 189.7 199.1
90 32.2 204.5 208.4 208.0 204.8 215.0
95 35.0 220.2 224.4 224.0 220.8 231.7
100 37.8 236.8 241.3 240.8 237.6 249.3
105 40.6 254.2 259.1 258.6 255.3 267.8
110 43.3 272.5 277.8 277.2 273.9 287.2
115 46.1 291.8 297.4 296.7 293.5 307.6
120 48.9 312.0 317.9 288.5 314.0 329.0
125 51.7 333.3 339.4 338.6 335.4 351.5
130 54.4 355.6 362.0 361.0 357.9 375.0
135 57.2 379.1 385.5 384.5 381.5 399.7
140 60.0 403.7 410.2 409.0 406.2 425.4
145 62.8 429.6 435.9 434.7 431.9 452.4 CONSULT CARLYLE
150 65.6 456.8 462.8 461.4 458.9 480.6 FOR DETAILED
155 68.3 485.5 490.8 489.3 487.0 510.0 RETROFIT
160 71.1 515.8 519.9 518.3 516.4 540.7 RECOMMENDATIONS

Approximate impact to system performance

Retrofit
Conversions Discharge Discharge Oil
Capacity Mass Flow Power
Pressure Temp Change

R404A to LT ~7% ~31% ~13% ~23 psi ~41°F

R448A MT ~3% ~27% ~8% ~23 psi ~24°F POE
LT ~12% ~34% ~18% ~37 psi ~38°F 1 oil flush
R404A to
R449A MT ~7% ~31% ~13% ~31 psi ~22°F