Hvac School - For Techs, By Techs

In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about using a megohmmeter on a scroll compressor (or "megging" a scroll). Scroll compressors are among the most common compressor types nowadays, and they come with their unique needs and best practices. You can't pump them down into vacuums (in many cases, you can't do that anyway due to internal protections), run them in a vacuum, or run a high-voltage megohmmeter or hipot test. Scroll compressors differ from reciprocating compressors. A scroll compressor's motor is located at the bottom of the compressor, meaning it is immersed in refrigerant and oil when the system is operating AND when it is off; when the compressor is off and cold, there is a chance that there will be liquid refrigerant at the bottom. Compared to reciprocating compressors, scrolls tend to have a more compact and balanced design, and there could be a higher risk of internal arcing due to the tighter electrical tolerances associated with the design. Many inexpensive megohmmeters will say that any