Patent ID: 9733229
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: G01N

Claim:
1. A test kit for separating from a pressurized refrigerant withdrawn from a refrigerant system at least a portion of a lubricating oil entrained in the refrigerant to provide a lubricating oil sample, and then testing the lubricating oil sample for acidity, the test kit comprising: a collection chamber having an interior wall and an observation location, and comprising an inlet end having an inlet-end opening and an outlet end having an outlet-end opening, the collection chamber defining a fluid flow path extending therethrough to the outlet-end opening, the inlet-end opening being configured to operate a system access valve of such pressurized refrigerant system to flow such refrigerant and its entrained lubricating oil via the inlet-end opening along the fluid flow path; a flow control valve disposed in the fluid flow path and configured to automatically throttle the flow of such pressurized refrigerant through the collection chamber to thereby enhance both (1) separation of some of the entrained lubricating oil from the pressurized refrigerant to provide the lubricating oil sample as a liquid lubricating oil, and (2) retention of the liquid lubricating oil sample within the collection chamber; the collection chamber being configured to have dispensed therein a pH indicator to mix with such liquid oil sample to thereby form at the observation location a test liquid comprising a mixture of such liquid oil sample and such pH indicator, the collection chamber being sufficiently transparent at least at the observation location whereby visual observation of any color change which takes place in the test liquid may be observed from exteriorly of the test kit.