If the oil is contaminated what should be done?

• A. Replace refrigerant
• B. Vent the system
• C. Flush the system
• D. Add fresh oil

Answer: (C)

When oil is contaminated, the goal is to remove the contaminants from the refrigerant circuit. Flushing the system does that by cleaning out the dirty oil and any particulates, helping prevent damage to the compressor and other components. After flushing, you can reinstall clean oil and refrigerant and replace any parts that are likely to retain contaminants, such as the drier or filters. Simply replacing the refrigerant won’t remove the contaminants, and adding fresh oil won’t fix the problem by itself. Venting the system is not appropriate.