Air conditioners and heat pumps compressors must have oil to lubricate them.
I would like to know why the certified HVAC technicians does not add oil with the Freon when adding, or recharging after removing, the Freon to an air conditioner, or heat pump system?
I can not find oil injection tools, or the oil for R-22 Freon systems. For the auto air conditioners, there are oil injection tools, and oil available for the R-134 Freon systems.
Just because you have lost a few pounds of refrigerant you most likely would not need to add oil unless you have lost a large amount oil and if you do it is going to cost allot of money to do so. You would have to remove the existing oil in the compressor then remove any oil in the system then add the amount of new oil back into the compressor.
Most of the time when you remove refrigerant from the system the oil stays in the system.
You can buy an oil pump but again they are not cheap. They normally fit into a gallon container and you just pump out the oil.
Ive been in da bidness 45 years... in the old days we recommended changing the oil every 5 or 10 years, now, today with improved 'driers with acid removal features'... we test for acid in the oil, using a kit... if there is no acid nothing needs to be done, oil is fine, drier is fine.
Acid shows up about a year before a compressor burns out... so its serious. If its slight just install a big drier (a cartrige goes in with flare nuts)...if its major, then you must suck the existing oil out of the compressor and recharge with oil...a waste of money in my book.. the damage has already been done...get new system...
when doing any of that you need to follow proceedures using a vacuum pump to remove air and moisture prime causes of acid in a system.
(getting oil out of the evaporator and condenser to avoid an over charge, not a bad idea.. but its seldom done, and when it is done not all the oil comes out....a little overcharge of oil does not hurt todays compressors, it did the older pistion types).
Marriotte Hotel corp are cheap skates.. however they they find it cheapest in the long run not to repair equimpent over 10 years old... good rule imo.
Phil scott
Most of the time, the oil stays in the system, even with slow leaks. I personally own a pump for adding oil, but have never needed it. And yes, I do have HVAC system oil.
Translation: Stormy found this funny bicycle looking pump at a yard sale, didnt know what it was and bought it anyways. HVAC oil? Oh gee Stormy. Tell us which oil that is? Is it the old dark thick stuff you pulled out of the drain plug of your AMC Pacer service vehicle? Bubba
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