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anyone know how to recharge a home's central A/C

R

rnmcd

Platinum Member
My central air conditoner has a slow leak and it needs to be recharged about 1.5 times a year.

Can a home owner do this themselves if they can get ahold of some refrigerant?

 
It is easy if you have the gauge set and access to R-22. I top both of my units off at the beginning of every season. Considering that R-22 is a controlled substance in most places I know of you might have trouble obtaining it. Gauges can be bought quite easily.
 
Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
nope...it's a professional job. get the leak fixed.
Click to expand...

I have had 5 HVAC 'professionals' try to find the leak...they couldn't find it. They want several grand to replace the whole unit.
 
Originally posted by: Ronstang
It is easy if you have the gauge set and access to R-22. I top both of my units off at the beginning of every season. Considering that R-22 is a controlled substance in most places I know of you might have trouble obtaining it. Gauges can be bought quite easily.
Click to expand...

I know a retired heating/cooling guy that could get the refrigerant for me. He's the one who usually charges the unit each year but he may end up moving to Florida so I want to see if I can do it myself.
 
I figure if I can get ahold of a 60# or so tank, that should last me at leat 7 years at the rate of my leak.
 
there should be some environmental concern for leaking that much.... like a moral responsibility
 
Originally posted by: unsped
there should be some environmental concern for leaking that much.... like a moral responsibility
Click to expand...


Why? Most home systems leak a little and need some refrigerant on a yearly basis. It isn't an environmental issue anyway considering the whole chloroflourohydrocarbons destroying the ozone layer was and is a myth.
 
I had the same problem this past summer. just about zero PSI in the coolant line.

Only a professional can chanrge the Freon line for you. If the leak you have is in an accessable area (mine is not...w/o pulling out lots of shelves and wallspace) have it patched pre-charge.

My cost was about $20 per lb of freon, and it took a shade over 2lbs to charge the system. Yea, its a small condo unit...and freon just isnt cheep anymore. feh
 
Originally posted by: Ronstang
Originally posted by: unsped
there should be some environmental concern for leaking that much.... like a moral responsibility
Click to expand...


Why? Most home systems leak a little and need some refrigerant on a yearly basis. It isn't an environmental issue anyway considering the whole chloroflourohydrocarbons destroying the ozone layer was and is a myth.
Click to expand...

Only a broken system leaks.
most stay charged for years.


To the OP.
Did any of the 5 pros use a dye to trace the leak?
 
if your here asking then you don't have the tools for it. if you don't have the tools then you don't have the training for them.

don't screw with it
 
I just watched an episode of star wreck, so here goes

Reverse the polarity of the compressor, then re-route through the heating coupler auxiliary circuits, invert the cooling matrix, and then finally adjust the flux capacitor to 25 nano-microns. This will fix you home AC, or protect you from the borg.
 
Originally posted by: Ronstang
Why? Most home systems leak a little and need some refrigerant on a yearly basis. It isn't an environmental issue anyway considering the whole chloroflourohydrocarbons destroying the ozone layer was and is a myth.
Click to expand...

a myth? so, i guess that nobel prize in chemistry that those professors recieved for their research on CFCs destroying ozone in the stratosphere is BS huh?

and i suppose the whole international treaty to reduce CFC emissions is bunk too?
 
Originally posted by: woowoo

To the OP.
Did any of the 5 pros use a dye to trace the leak?
Click to expand...

Nope. They used some 'sniffer' that would supposedly beep when it detected freon.

 
Originally posted by: Coalfax
I had the same problem this past summer. just about zero PSI in the coolant line.

Only a professional can chanrge the Freon line for you. If the leak you have is in an accessable area (mine is not...w/o pulling out lots of shelves and wallspace) have it patched pre-charge.

My cost was about $20 per lb of freon, and it took a shade over 2lbs to charge the system. Yea, its a small condo unit...and freon just isnt cheep anymore. feh
Click to expand...

How (what method) did they use to find your leak?
 
He used the sniffer than you mention above. BAsicly he used it in the only locations that were readily available and weren't behind the walls and cabinets in my kitchen, and it came up blank...

Hence the leak is back "there".

Sucks, but being its a very slow leak, I'll not worry about it. $40 every 5 years is small potatos for now
 
Yah but CFC ACs make the air have a frigid feel while the new HCF ACs just cool the air in which you use the AC longer than the old system. So you do the math a little damage or costing more in electricitiy, seems equal to me.

If you want to protect the environment complain to the gas companies for not removing more sulfur from gas!
 
Originally posted by: Ronstang
It is easy if you have the gauge set and access to R-22. I top both of my units off at the beginning of every season. Considering that R-22 is a controlled substance in most places I know of you might have trouble obtaining it. Gauges can be bought quite easily.
Click to expand...

I don't think R-22 is controlled. R-12 is though.
 
now is the worst time to bump a thread because no one is on ATOT.

What type of guages do I need?
 
Originally posted by: rnmcd
Originally posted by: Ronstang
It is easy if you have the gauge set and access to R-22. I top both of my units off at the beginning of every season. Considering that R-22 is a controlled substance in most places I know of you might have trouble obtaining it. Gauges can be bought quite easily.
Click to expand...

I don't think R-22 is controlled. R-12 is though.
Click to expand...

It most certainly is....go try and buy it. You have to have a license to buy it and they log every purchase. The license is not hard to get but you still need one. There used to be R-22 available in little cans just like R-12 but I have not seen those in a long time. The only R-22 I have seen in years was in the 30 lb bottle and this is the size I use when I add refrigerant to my systems...I borrow it from my buddy who is the AC contractor.

 
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