Air Conditioning Repair

[Stormin Mormon]

The two freons aren't interchangable. They use much different pressures, and flow rates.

[Richard J Kinch]

Right. That's why I conditioned my advice on it on being one, not the other.

[Richard J Kinch]

A 1/16" hole in a 300 psi line requires less than a pound of force to seal. well within the capabilities of a scrap of rubber convered with a hose clamp.

Another technique is to whip with copper wire and then solder.

Analysis and improvisation work when the "correct" stuff isn't at hand, or too costly, often better. Many factory parts are cost-reduced to bare minimum performance for the task, and you can cobble up something stronger than the original.

[Stormin Mormon]

I did a line repair one time on something inside a reach in cooler. Cut open a length of ACR tubing, and put that around the bad part. Dribble some solder in, and it held. I didn't think of wrapping with copper wire, and then solder. Thanks for an interesting idea.

I susepct the copper plug will leak enough to be a problem, though.

[paulaholton]

I put a small screw hole in my window air conditioner coil. Can it be fixed inexpensively. Just bought at pawn shop $50.00. I'm on a budget, retired. I can't believe I did that. Wasn't thinking not used to window units never had before. Lol Help Please... THANK YOU Paula

[Terry Coombs]

  Not only that , but the cost to repair the hole and recharge the system is likely to be more than finding another used unit . And definitely more than you paid for this one .

[Ralph Mowery]

The repair is simple and inexpensive. It is the labor that will eat you up. Way more than what you paid for the unit. That is if you can find someone to do the job. Proably more than some of the newer units.

Most small AC units do not have valves where they can be recharged easy, so to add them on or work around that takes lots of time.

[trader_4]

I would not be sure about how easy it is to solder or weld whatever cheap alloy, probably aluminum, that a cheap window AC uses. And that assumes that it's accessible. Even if you have the coil exposed, the damage could extend into part of the folded up coil that you can't get to.

[Terry Coombs]

  Oh I agree , for you or me the repair would be simple and easy , you also probably have everything on hand except a pair of tap-a-lines . And since the system is empty , you could just use braze-in Schrader valves . But the OP is apparently not equipped to do this and you're right , labor will eat them alive .