Qwik System Flush®
and Accessories

When flushing, place a bucket (or container of some sort) outside the building to catch the waste ( always flush from the inside to the outside of the building). Dispose of the flushed waste in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations.

As a general rule, one 2 lb aerosol can of Qwik System Flush^® (QT1100) will clean up to a 10 ton system. The amount needed will vary by size, level of contamination and the components you are flushing. You should always flush with nitrogen first to remove as much contamination as possible, since the nitrogen is much less expensive than the flush. Then, use Qwik System Flush^® to flush the lines until the waste liquid leaving the system runs clean. Perform a final nitrogen purge to blow out any remaining Qwik System Flush^® from the system. Any Qwik System Flush^® remaining after this nitrogen purge will be removed as the system is evacuated.

Yes, the valve and threads on the Qwik System Flush^® can are the same as the valve and threads used on other major brands of pressurized flushing agent. For example, it is compatible with the following can access valves:

• NuCalgon 4300-89
• NuCalgon 4300-99

However, not all can access valves have a pressure relief valve, to prevent the can from bursting due to accidental back-pressurization. Therefore, if your current access valve does not have a pressure relief valve, don’t use it on any pressurized can, instead purchase a new valve. The QwikProducts^™ Can Access Valve is made in the USA and is designed with an integrated pressure relief valve, which prevents accidental over pressurization of the can and also provides an audible alarm if the access valve is inadvertently hooked up to a source of high pressure (such as a nitrogen tank).

This question is one we hear a lot because one of our competitors is claiming that they evaporate faster and that therefore they are better. Mainstream has provided independent lab test results which show that we clean better than all the other competitors tested. *View Qwik-SF lab test results >> Before reviewing these test results, let's think about the cleaning process itself.

If the cleaning product evaporates too fast then it does not have time to dissolve the oil and other impurities, it simply vaporizes and boils off without soaking into the liquid residue and without flushing the liquid waste out of the system. This is not good! Alternatively, we have specially engineered our patented Qwik System Flush^® so that it does not evaporate too fast at atmospheric or higher pressures, so that it has time to soak into the oil and other impurities, dissolve them by diluting them, and flush them out of the system as a liquid waste.

Remember, the oil will never evaporate, and if the cleaning solution evaporates before it flushes the waste products out of the system, it will simply redeposit the waste products in another part of the system. Clearly not good! Instead, to properly clean and flush the system, the cleaning product must dissolve and mobilize the impurities, carry these solid and liquid waste products out of the system as a liquid waste stream. The minimal Qwik System Flush^® residue that might remain in the system, is completely removed by the evacuation process, prior to refrigerant charging. Even a slight vacuum of only 2 - 3 inches of mercury vacuum would completely evaporate any residual Qwik System Flush^®!

As you can see, the logic that you want a very fast evaporating cleaner is simply wrong. What is important is that the cleaner remain a liquid during flushing and then totally evaporates when evacuated. This is exactly what Mainstream's Qwik System Flush^® does and is one reason why it flushes better than the other products tested.

Another point to consider is that all other flushes are simply degreasers, they are designed to remove oil, sludge and particulates. But what about the acid and moisture that remains on the metal surfaces? If acid and moisture are not removed, the fresh refrigerant charge will be contaminated with acid and water. Look at the independent, third party test results (performed by a testing lab and a university), we are much much better at removing acid and moisture, because Qwik System Flush^® was specifically designed to remove acid and water in addition to sludge, oil and contaminates.

Qwik System Flush^® is simply a better product at a better price. We have been shown to absorb water and acid as well as flush impurities, and this product is protected by US Patents #7,566,409 and #7,736,537.

Yes, Qwik System Flush^® is safe to use provided you follow the directions. You should always wear protective eyewear, clothing, and gloves while using Qwik System Flush^® and it should only be used in well ventilated areas. Flush from inside the building to the outside of the building, to avoid leaving fumes inside the building.

Do not breathe any brand of chemical flushing agent, refrigerant vapors, industrial cleaners, or even high concentrations of nitrogen if you are pregnant.

The Can Access Valve is made in the USA and features durable brass construction. In addition, the Can Access Valve is designed with an integrated pressure relief valve, which prevents accidental over pressurization of the can and also provides an audible alarm if the access valve is inadvertently hooked up to a source of high pressure (such as a nitrogen tank). For safety reasons, regardless of whose can access valve you are using, you should confirm it has an integrated pressure relief valve.

When a compressor burns out, the oil becomes extremely acidic and if all this acid is not removed when the compressor is replaced, the elevated acid levels will attack the new compressor and cause another compressor burnout. Premature compressor burnout after a prior burnout is quite common, because of residual acid. Acid cleanup normally involves changing the compressor oil and the refrigerant to reduce the acid level (and changing the hermetic or semi-hermetic compressor if it did burn out). Unfortunately however, removal of the oil contained in the compressor does not remove all the oil or acid in the system since acid is carried throughout the vapor-compression loop by the flowing refrigerant and therefore acidic oil or its residue is throughout the system. This residual acid has been shown to shorten the life of the system since this residual acid will lead to accelerated acid formation in the system. This has been supported by experimental evidence in the literature that after a burnout the frequency of subsequent burnouts increases.

The unique patented Qwik System Flush^® formulation has been specifically engineered to remove moisture and acid while other flushing agents do not remove these impurities. However, the ability of Qwik System Flush^® to absorb and remove moisture from surfaces of a system being cleaned, also means that the Qwik System Flush^® will absorb moisture from the air, if left exposed to the air. Once an unpressurized can of liquid flush is opened and partially used, air enters the can to replace the volume of flush that was used. Ambient air is loaded with moisture, and if the flushing compound was designed to absorb moisture, the flushing compound left in the can would become saturated with moisture.

Clearly the moisture absorbed from being exposed to air reduces the effectiveness of the remaining flush, and using a flushing agent that is saturated with moisture could actually add moisture to the system, rather than remove it! This is of course not a problem in the pressurized aerosol Qwik System Flush^® can because the Qwik System Flush^® is never exposed to air, except after the flushing process is completed.

When retrofitting R-22 systems with the newer R-410A systems, the best practice is to replace all components in the system, including the line sets, to assure residuals do not contaminate the new system. However, situations exist where it is uneconomical to remove line sets, such as when they are recessed inside finished walls, or under concrete foundations and/or slabs.

In these cases, it is imperative that you flush the old line sets with Qwik System Flush^® to remove the residual oil, acid, and moisture! Otherwise, these contaminants in the old lines will cause problems in the new system. Residual mineral oil and contaminates from the old system can contaminate the polyolester oil in the new R-410A system, forming a viscous sludge. Residual acid will continue to cause problems with a new system and moisture will accelerate the future formation of acid. Qwik System Flush^® is the only flushing solution specially formulated to remove acid and water in addition to oil, sludge and contaminants.

In addition, if the oil line sets are located under the slab or in the walls of an air-conditioned house, where they can become cooler than the surrounding outdoor air, those tube runs can condense significant amounts of water, if these lines are left exposed to the air for any significant time during the change out. Never leave the line-sets open to the air and use Qwik System Flush^® to get all the contaminates including acid and water out of these lines.

When a compressor burns out, highly acidic oil is formed. Although the majority of the oil remains in the compressor (which will be removed and replaced), some oil is always present in the plumbing and remaining components in the system. If you are changing the entire system, including any piping between components in a split system, then there are no issues. However, if you are not replacing the piping between components or other parts of the system, then you must flush those components with Qwik System Flush^® to remove the residual contamination from the burn out. However, never flush a compressor or filter drier, and always back flush components whenever possible.

For more information on how to use Qwik System Flush^® after a compressor burn out, see the Instructions link on the product page.