How do I add freon to a portable air conditioner?

[Tekkiez]

On Sun, 31 May 2020 10:50:55 -0400, Ralph Mowery posted for all of us to digest...

+50 It's just not worth it, sorry.

[Tekkiez]

On Sun, 31 May 2020 17:01:15 -0400, [e-mail] posted for all of us to digest...

Like r-290 ;)

[cici.producing]

Here’s a link. I understand People wanting to protect their trade and getting paid, but if you make $19 an hour you can’t afford $125 an hour plus parts if time and $35 will do the trick. Even my mechanic knows that and knows I’ll fix my car unless it’s something I could Lose a finger fixing.

[trader_4]

Give us the cliff notes version of how it makes sense to add refrigerant to a portable AC. Here is how I see it. The most common portable AC by far are the relatively inexpensive window units. First you need to be able to figure out if it's undercharged and without test ports, without being able to connect a gauge, IDK how you determine that. If it needs refrigerant, the next problem is it must be leaking and that needs to be found and fixed. And if the fix is a new coil or similar, then you're screwed right there, because it's not worth it. Next AFAIK, they don't have service ports, so you'd have to get the existing refrigerant out and braze fittings on. AFAIK, law requires the refrigerant to be recovered, not just vented out. But set that aside, you have to braze on fittings. To do that correctly, if it's copper you need to first fill it with nitrogen so that the heat doesn't create oxidized crud inside that latter fails the unit. After braising, then you can fill it with refrigerant, assuming you have the eqpt, gauges to do so correctly and can get the refrigerant. Compare that to the typical 6000 BTU unit that you can buy for $150 and from what I see, the choice seems obvious. What am I missing?

[Ed Pawlowski]

He did use a self piercing fitting. He also had three cans of R134. Fix the leak? Nah just keep adding. Gauges? Nah, when it get cold you are good. Well, maybe. The equipment he had put together was probably with a few bucks shy of just buying a new unit. What could go wrong?

[gfretwell]

OTOH you can get a piercing valve and a can of 134 for less than $10. Squirt in gas until it blows cold air and go get a beer. If you get a summer out of it WTF. That new window shaker might be on sale in a closeout in October.

[Ralph Mowery]

The one I saw was listed for so many ounces of R22. The oil in those systems is not usually compatiable with the r134a that was put in. As there was a leak , the system was probably empty of the r22 so all one has to do is put in the required ammount of refrigerent.

Hard telling how long the system will run before the oil turns to gel and locks up the system.

I am not sure what the r134a costs, but if he got the valve for a small price and the r134a was not too much,he probably came out ok if it lasts for a couple of years. I take it that the person doing the repair knew what he was doing.I think it mentioned pulling a vacuum on the system. So he probably had the knowlege and equipment to do the job.

This is one case of just trying it out and seeing how long it will last.

Just like I have one of the portable 'bathroom' heaters. The off/on switch went bad. The heater was probably 20 or 30 bucks for a new one. As I had on had a heavy duty toggle switch and did not care what it looked like and could do it myself, I used that switch for the repair job.Should last a long time.

[gfretwell]

If you saw a R-22 unit, that thing may be old enough to drink :-)

134 has been the standard for manufacture since the turn of the century anyway. Right now a pound of R-22 costs way more than a new window shaker but a 14oz can of 134 is about $4-5. I still have a sealed jug that I am saving to put the grand kids through college ;-)

[trader_4]

I didn't know about piercing valves, but they make sense, since they solve the no fittings problem. That changes the equation. I agree if you had a unit with a slow leak and you could get a season out of it with a recharge it could be worth it. A related question though is what percentage of portables that stop working have that as the cause? I'd bet that it's a small percentage. I would think most fail from other causes, eg compressor, control board or a big leak, eg one of the coils failing, etc.

[Ralph Mowery]

The leak was fixed, Then he added the number of ounces of refrigent that was listed on the lable. Only thing I see he missed was the oil of r22 is not compatiable with 134a and can cause problems down the line.

[Ed Pawlowski]

When he soldered he also added contamination. Depending how mich there may be no effect or it will crap out in hours. When I ran the department building AC coils we ran nitrogen through them while brazing.

[trader_4]

I didn't watch the video, but if he soldered, that's lower temperature than brazing, so the need for nitrogen to avoid oxidation gunk is lower. There is a higher content solder with more silver in it that behaves similar to solder but is stronger. The company that makes it has videos showing that under pressure, joints that are brazed fail before the ones using their solder. Apparently the brazing heat weakens the copper next to the joint.

[bruce2bowser]

For window systems, a piercing valve (accessibly positioned) hooked up to a leak sealant can (like r134) can do the trick. That recharge liquid is located in the same can. No soldering necessary, and the piercing valve being a valve is self sealing.

In any event, there probably wasn't ever a leak in the first place. Just try to keep the system's copper (or other) pipes as clean and spotless as possible.

[Clare Snyder]

And the 134 charge ans 22 charge are NOT the same. The difference between 12 asnd 124 is a factoe of about 4 - about 1/4 as much 134 as

1. Not sure the ratio with 134 and 22. And solder is NOT allowed in refrigeration - it has to be brazed with phosphor bronze (or silphos)

[gfretwell]

I have seen plenty of systems running for years with 95/5 "hard solder" joints.

[invalid unparseable]

On Tue, 21 Jul 2020 11:39:02 -0400, Ed Pawlowski posted for all of us to digest...

+1

[invalid unparseable]

On Tue, 21 Jul 2020 13:41:42 -0700 (PDT), [e-mail] posted for all of us to digest...

???????

[bruce2bowser]

of us to digest...

After tracing a systems power circuitry every professional HVAC mechanic makes sure that all copper/aluminum pipes are as clean as possible. A little dishwashing detergent and water covering them should show bubbles when there is a leak. You don't even need the motor running to see bubbles.

[bruce2bowser]

of us to digest...

After tracing a system's power circuitry, every professional HVAC mechanic makes sure that all copper/aluminum pipes are as clean as possible. A little dishwashing detergent and water covering them should show bubbles when there is a leak. You don't even need the motor running to see bubbles.

[invalid unparseable]

On Wed, 22 Jul 2020 15:13:46 -0700 (PDT), [e-mail] posted for all of us to digest...

You mean cleaning the tubing or looking for leaks? Your answer is rather nebulous...