YORK Lubricant Oil YORK Frick #13

How to Buy Frick #13: Terms, Packing and Documents

Frick #13 is supplied on published terms: the specification, the price terms, the payment terms and the documents are the same for every buyer, and they can be quoted without a site visit. The minimum order is deliberately left open, because it is judged case by case: the grade, the quantity, the pack size, the shipping terms and the container load all move it, so a single can and a full container load are both workable and neither is treated as the normal case. Send us the quantity, the destination port and whether your own brand goes on the container, and those three turn the table below into a firm quotation. Documents and lead time work the same way on every order: the technical data sheet and safety data sheet come with the quotation, and the certificate of analysis for the delivered batch comes with the shipment. This grade is supplied wholesale and in bulk — to distributors, refrigeration service companies, compressor OEMs and private-label buyers — as well as in single packs and sample quantities.

Supply ability is stated for this grade rather than for the plant as a whole. It is not the annual capacity of the blending plant.

Is Frick #13 the Right Grade for Your System?

What Else Can We Handle for Your Project?

A lubricant order is rarely only a lubricant order. The buyer is usually solving a grade question, an import documentation question, a freight question and a packaging question at the same time — often across more than one product family. Those are the parts of the job we take on, and they are handled by the same team that quotes the oil rather than passed to a third party.

We are a manufacturer rather than a reseller, which is what makes that possible. The blending plant in Foshan, Guangdong runs at 6,000 tonnes a year and has been producing lubricants for more than ten years, so the answer to most of the questions below comes out of our own production and our own paperwork.

The point of this list is that the questions are answered before the order rather than after it. If you are unsure which of them applies to you, describe the system and we will tell you what we need.

How to Order Frick #13

Grade confirmation comes before pricing, because the Frick range separates its grades by refrigerant and by duty and a wrong one is the mistake that costs a compressor. The sequence is the same whether you are buying one can or a full container:

1. Send us the compressor model, the refrigerant, the oil type on the nameplate and the quantity you need.
2. We check the grade against the manufacturer's published data for the Frick range and confirm what we can supply for that machine.
3. We quote against your destination port on any Incoterms 2020 term (EXW, FOB, CFR, CIF, DDP and every other rule), with the pack size and the lead time for that quantity.
4. The technical data sheet and safety data sheet come with the quotation, and a certificate of analysis for the delivered batch comes with the shipment.

If you already know the grade and only need a price, send the quantity and the destination port and we will quote directly.

The Published Specification for Frick #13

Frick publishes a specification for this grade that covers what the oil is for: the refrigerant it is intended for, the suction temperature it is recommended down to, the item number for each pack size, the filtration rating, and the oil-analysis thresholds a charge is judged against. The table below sets out what the specification carries for this grade.

The test-method column is reproduced from the manufacturer's document. Where a figure is published under a specific method, the method is shown so the value can be traced to the published test rather than treated as a general property. The oil-analysis figures are the thresholds an in-service charge is judged against; they are not properties of the oil as supplied.

How the Published Data Applies to the Order

The decisions for this grade are made on the machine and on the manufacturer's application data. These are the points that matter.

Where Frick #13 Sits in the Frick Compressor Oil Range

The Frick oils are a set of grades separated by the refrigerant they are intended for and by the suction temperature they are recommended down to. The manufacturer publishes the same three facts about every grade — refrigerant, recommended suction temperature and item number. The table shows the range as the manufacturer publishes it, with this product marked.

Refrigerants, suction temperatures and item numbers are reproduced from the manufacturer's specification. Grades shown with a suction temperature of not applicable are listed by the manufacturer for gas or refrigerant duty where a suction temperature limit is not the selection criterion.

Cross-References and Alternatives

If this grade is not the one you need, the sections below show where it sits against the rest of the Frick range and against the oils we manufacture ourselves, so a substitution can be checked before it is ordered.

A substitution should be made on the refrigerant, the base oil type and the suction temperature the manufacturer publishes for each grade, not on the brand name alone. The machine documentation is the reliable starting point for the viscosity itself.

How the Grade Is Selected for the Machine

Frick #13 is listed by Frick in its compressor oil specification, so the refrigerant it is intended for, the suction temperature it is recommended down to and the item number for each pack size are all published. Those are the three facts a Frick parts order is placed against.

A grade in this family is selected on its refrigerant and its duty, so the figure that decides whether the oil is right for the machine is the viscosity on the compressor documentation. Send us the machine model and the documented viscosity and we confirm the match in writing.

Checking the Grade Against the Machine

The check for this grade is made against the machine and against the published application data. Frick's own specification says that proper oil selection is based on the specific compressor and application — refrigerant, pressures and temperature — and points buyers to its selection software or a sales representative.

It also means a substitution cannot be quoted blind. Frick #13 is listed for HFC refrigerants with a published evaporator temperature of above −50 °F (−45.5 °C). Send the nameplate detail, the refrigerant and whatever viscosity figure the documentation carries, and the grade can be matched on a measured value rather than on a name.

Why the Refrigerant and the Suction Temperature Decide the Grade

The Frick range is organised by refrigerant family first. The specification groups its grades under ammonia oils, HCFC oils, HFC oils, CO2 oils and hydrocarbon oils, and Frick #13 sits in the HFC oils group. A grade from one group is not a substitute for a grade from another, because the chemistry that makes an oil miscible with one refrigerant is what makes it unsuitable for another.

The second criterion is the suction temperature the compressor runs down to. That is the figure that decides how far the evaporator can be pulled down before the oil stops returning to the compressor, and the manufacturer publishes a selection figure for every grade. Frick #13 is listed with a published evaporator temperature of above −50 °F (−45.5 °C). Oil return is enhanced on low temperature systems due to the oil's excellent miscibility with HFC refrigerants, and the manufacturer names R-134A, R-507 and R-404 among the refrigerants the group is suited to.

How the Figures Are Stated and Verified

Every figure on this page comes from a document published by Johnson Controls, and where the manufacturer states a figure under a named test method the method is reproduced alongside it. That matters in a product category where values circulate between suppliers: the filtration rating, the water limit and the wear-metal thresholds are all reported against specific procedures, and a figure quoted without its method cannot be checked.

It also means a figure can be corrected against the source rather than repeated. Every value quoted here is the manufacturer's own, reproduced from the published document — so nothing here rests on a second-hand number.

How the ISO VG Class Is Established

ISO 3448 assigns a viscosity class from a measured figure at 40 °C. The class for this grade is established from the viscosity your compressor documentation specifies, which is the figure the grade is matched on.

What a buyer should match is the viscosity on the compressor documentation, which is the figure the grade is selected on. The manufacturer's specification does state, as a general position, that proper viscosity is generally around 68 ISO for large refrigeration compressors, though different viscosities are used for special applications; that is a statement about the range as a whole rather than a figure for this grade. Send us the machine model and the documented viscosity and we confirm the grade in writing before you order.

Why We Can Supply This Grade From Our Own Plant

We manufacture lubricants at our own blending plant in Foshan, Guangdong, which runs at 6,000 tonnes a year and has been producing for more than ten years. That is what allows us to quote a refrigeration oil matched to the viscosity your machine specifies, in the chemistry and the service position the manufacturer publishes for Frick #13, and to hold stock on the grades we list rather than promising on behalf of a third party.

It also means the answer to a question about the oil comes from the plant rather than from an intermediary. If you need the grade matched to a compressor model, or to know which documents come with the shipment, tell us at the enquiry stage and we will confirm it against your destination rather than leave it until the order is placed.

Alongside the refrigeration oils the same plant produces air compressor oils, vacuum pump oils and general industrial lubricants, so a mixed enquiry can be quoted, packed and shipped as one shipment rather than split across suppliers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there a minimum order for Frick #13, and what pack sizes are available?

A: There is no fixed minimum order — it is confirmed per order, because it depends on the pack size, the quantity and the destination, and a single can and a full container load are both workable. The manufacturer lists this grade in 5 gal and 55 gal, and custom pack formats and private-label artwork are available as a quotation item, so if your own label has to go on the container, say so when you enquire and it is quoted as part of the project rather than added afterwards.

Q: What is Frick #13, and what is it used for?

A: Frick #13 is a refrigeration and gas-compressor oil made by Frick, the industrial refrigeration brand of Johnson Controls, and it sits in the manufacturer's HFC oils group. It is listed for compressors on HFC refrigerant duty, including low-temperature systems where oil return has to be maintained, with a published evaporator temperature of above −50 °F (−45.5 °C). The manufacturer's specification gives the refrigerant, the recommended suction temperature and the item numbers for this grade, and those are reproduced in the specification table above.

Q: What is the viscosity of Frick #13?

A: The figure to work from is the one your compressor documentation specifies. Frick's compressor oil specification gives the refrigerant, the recommended suction temperature, the item numbers and the filtration and oil-analysis requirements for each grade — send it to us with the model and the refrigerant and we will confirm the match in writing.

Q: What refrigerant is Frick #13 for?

A: The manufacturer lists this grade for HFC refrigerants. Oil return is enhanced on low temperature systems due to the oil's excellent miscibility with HFC refrigerants, and the manufacturer names R-134A, R-507 and R-404 among the refrigerants the group is suited to. The same specification separates its grades by refrigerant family and by suction temperature, so the refrigerant alone does not pick the grade: the duty does. Send us both and we will confirm the match against the published table.

Q: What is the difference between Frick #13 and Frick #14?

A: They are different grades in the same Frick range, listed for different refrigerant families: this page is for HFC refrigerants with a published evaporator temperature of above −50 °F (−45.5 °C), while Frick #14 is listed for CO2 duty. The two grades are not interchangeable where the refrigerant differs. Send us the compressor model and the refrigerant and we will confirm which one applies.

Q: What ISO VG class does this grade correspond to?

A: ISO 3448 assigns a class from a measured viscosity at 40 °C, and for this grade the class is established from the viscosity your compressor documentation specifies. Match on that figure: send us the machine model and the documented viscosity and we confirm the grade in writing.

Q: Can Frick #13 be mixed with another oil?

A: No. The manufacturer's instruction is never to mix oils of different brands, manufacturers or types: its stated consequence of mixing is excessive oil foaming, nuisance oil level cutouts, oil pressure loss, gas or oil leakage and catastrophic compressor failure. Where a machine is being changed from one oil to another, on a change of oil type, the document warns that moving from one type of oil to another on equipment that has operated in the field may cause shrinkage of elastomers and could cause leaks, with replacement of the leaking elastomers required if it occurs. Confirm the changeover procedure with us before the system is charged.

Q: What does the manufacturer publish about filtration and oil analysis for this grade?

A: Both are set in the same specification and both are grade-independent. Filtration is specified in the same document: a rating of 5 micron absolute (a beta-5 ratio of 75, or 98.6% efficient) is what the manufacturer uses and recommends, 10 micron absolute is acceptable for certain applications, the rating is measured to ISO 16889, and filters must not have a pressure-actuated bypass. The Frick Superfilter II element is rated better than 6 micron absolute. The same document sets the oil analysis programme: unless a problem has been flagged, analysis is scheduled every six months, on samples taken after the filters and preferably while the compressor is running and at temperature. The tests it names are water by Karl Fischer, particle counts, viscosity at 40 °C to ASTM D-445, total acid number to ASTM D-974, and metals analysis. Water limits are given by base stock rather than as one figure: 100 ppm for a paraffinic mineral oil, 150 ppm for a naphthenic mineral oil, 1,000 ppm for a POE and 2% to 5% for a PAG. In an ammonia system the document treats water at 75 ppm or lower as good.

Q: What are the wear-metal limits?

A: Wear-metal guidance is given in the same document: any metal appearing at 5 ppm or lower is considered normal; a reading of 10 ppm or more is the trigger to change the filter; 20 ppm or more means change the filter and sample again in 500 hours; and a charge is only condemned when the rising trend continues, at a level greater than 150 to 200 ppm. The document also notes that its wear-metal analysis shows only soluble metals, so a failure in a short period may not show up as a rising trend.

Q: Is there anything specific to ammonia plant?

A: The document also carries a warning specific to ammonia plant: liquid ammonia in the oil is described as perhaps the most common cause of bearing failure in ammonia compressors, it is not detectable by standard oil analysis, and it normally takes 9 to 18 months to cause a failure. It is a warning about ammonia plant generally, and it is reproduced here because the same document covers the whole range, including the ammonia grades.

Q: Can you supply Frick #13 in our own brand?

A: Yes. Private-label artwork and custom pack formats are a normal quotation item, and the container is packed at our plant in Foshan. Tell us at the enquiry stage that your own label is required, and the artwork and the pack are quoted together with the oil rather than added afterwards.

Key Takeaways

• Frick #13 is a refrigeration and gas-compressor oil made by Frick, the industrial refrigeration brand of Johnson Controls, in the manufacturer's HFC oils group.
• The manufacturer lists it for HFC refrigerants, with a published evaporator temperature of above −50 °F (−45.5 °C).
• The ISO VG class for this grade is established from the viscosity your compressor documentation specifies, and we confirm the match in writing before you order.
• The item numbers by pack size (5 gal and 55 gal) are published and are reproduced in the specification table.
• The manufacturer sets the filtration rating at 5 micron absolute to ISO 16889, and schedules oil analysis every six months on samples taken after the filters and preferably while the compressor is running.
• Water limits are published by base stock rather than as one figure, and wear-metal guidance is published as a trigger to change the filter rather than as a condemnation limit.
• The manufacturer's instruction is never to mix oils of different brands, manufacturers or types, and it warns that a change of oil type on field equipment may shrink elastomers and cause leaks.
• Every figure on this page is published by Johnson Controls and reproduced from the published document — nothing is filled in from a reseller source.
• We manufacture refrigeration oils at our own blending plant in Foshan, China, and can match a grade to the viscosity your compressor documentation specifies.
• There is no fixed minimum order: it is confirmed per order against the pack size, the quantity and the destination, so a single can and a full container load are both workable.
• Delivery is on any Incoterms 2020 term and payment on any commonly used method, including T/T, L/C and PayPal; the technical data sheet and safety data sheet come with the quotation.

Standards and Sources Behind the Data on This Page

Every figure on this page is taken from a document published by the brand owner rather than from our own measurement, so each one can be checked before you buy. This is the set of sources, with what each one establishes.

Where a value is published by the manufacturer against a named test method, the method is reproduced with the figure so that the value can be traced to the published test.