Ensure that apparatus is mounted securely.
Ensure that seals or sealing materials have not degraded such that
they no longer serve the purpose of preventing the ingress of
flammable atmospheres. Replacement parts shall be in accordance
with the manufacturer´s specifications.
NOTE: the use of silicon sealant may inhibit the effectiveness of
some types of leak detection equipment. Intrinsically safe
components do not have to be isolated prior to working on them.
Repair to intrinsically safe components
Do not apply any permanent inductive or capacitance loads to the
circuit without ensuring that this will not exceed the permissible
voltage and current permitted for the equipment in use.
Intrinsically safe components are the only types that can be worked
on while live in the presence of a flammable atmosphere. The test
apparatus shall be at the correct rating.
Replace components only with parts specified by the manufacturer.
Other parts may result in the ignition of refrigerant in the
atmosphere from a leak.
Cabling
Check that cabling will not be subject to wear, corrosion, excessive
pressure, vibration, sharp edges or any other adverse
environmental effects. The check shall also take into account the
effects of ageing or continual vibration from sources such as
compressors or fans.
Detection of flammable refrigerants
Under no circumstances shall potential sources of ignition be used
in the searching for or detection of refrigerant leaks. A halide torch
(or any other detector using a naked flame) shall not be used.
Leak detection methods
The following leak detection methods are deemed acceptable for
systems containing flammable refrigerants.
Electronic leak detectors shall be used to detect flammable
refrigerants, but the sensitivity may not be adequate, or may need
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