How do I add freon to a portable air conditioner?

[bruce2bowser]

It depends on the system. I'm just a helper, I don't know.

[bruce2bowser]

Corrosion will affect water cooled evaporater pipes especially bad. I don't know they clean those.

[efhughston]

Is this a dumb question: (Asking for a friend lol)

1. You should know the weight of the new machine when fully charged from the specs.

If you suspect a leak can you weigh it and attribute the difference to the weight of the freon?

If it's the same weight then likely that's not the problem

[Ralph Mowery]

With only a pound or two of refrigerant in the machine, it might be hard to tell if you loose a few ounces or not.

If you had accurate scales and knew the weight of the machine and how much dirt and dust that accomilated on it, the method would work, but not really practical as it only takes a few ounces difference in weight to make a big difference in cooling.

About like having a truck with a load of bricks and weighing it and then doing it again after one brick falls off to see how many bricks you have on the truck.

[trader_4]

I would expect the weight spec on a portable AC or similar is far from accurate. And it's probably the shipping weight, including the packaging. Even if it's supposed to be the actual item weight, I would not expect it to be accurate, could easily be off by more than the small weight of the refrigerant.

I'm no expert on these, but every AC I've been involved with has a low pressure cutoff switch. Finding that and seeing if it's open is probably one way to tell that it's likely a refrigerant leak. And if it is, then what? If it's very small, like Fretwell suggested, you could recharge it and get some period of time again, without repairing it. If it's a larger leak, then it has to be fixed and if that leak is in say the coils, then it's junk anyway. All things considered, the chance of success is not high and a new one is typically $125. Also if it's a decade or more old, the new one will save on electric cost.

[efhughston]

People keep saying a new one costs $125

In Canada, you'd do well to find new one for $350 USD after tax. The 12000 BtU I have made by LG is closer to $450 USD

Everything on it is perfect but it only gets cool, not cold.

Should it cost more than $150 to repair and recharge?

[gfretwell]

$139 Walmart 5kbtu window shaker. I expect in a month or two they will be 30% off.

[trader_4]

Probably. Again, it depends on what's wrong. They never need to be recharged unless they have a leak. If it's a leak, then you have two cases:

very small leak, so you can recharge it every year or two. But unless you DIY, what's that going to cost?

bigger leak, so where is it leaking? If it's a coil, it's going to cost so much it winds up junked.

How do you know it's a leak? Is the compressor shot?

How much are you prepared to spend to figure it out? If you fix this, what about the rest of it compared to a new unit?

Surprised they are so much more expensive in Canada. I;ve seen them here for as low as $99 for a 5K unit, though I haven't looked recently. I would think for $125 - $150 there would be many choices here for sure. Unless you can DIY, are willing to spend the time to try to diagnose it, have or acquire the necessary tools, it's not a very attractive proposition to repair them.

[Ralph Mowery]

If it is the very small leak and has to be recharged every year, unless it is a do it yourself, the cost will pay for a new one in 2or 3 years.

I doubt anyone would even look at it for less than $ 50 to $ 100. That is taking it out of the window and taking it to the shop.

For the home do it your self person, you could get one of the pearcing valves. Then hope you do not get caught as it used to be a very large (around $ 10,000) fine, you blead off all the refrigerent to the atmosphere. Then put in the number of ounces that the name plate calls for. Just stop the blead when it gets very low so as not to add any air to the system.

If there is no pressure left in the system to bleed out, you are probably screwed and need a new unit.

[gfretwell]

I agree I see $99 units but that $139 one was the top hit on google.

[PROP SG]

Adding freon to a portable air conditioner is a task that requires some technical knowledge and skills. First, you need to identify the correct type of freon required by your unit. Once you have obtained the right type of freon, you can then locate the low-pressure port on the air conditioner and connect the charging hose. It's important to ensure that the charging hose is securely attached to the port to avoid any leaks. Finally, turn on the air conditioner and allow it to run for a few minutes to ensure that the freon has been properly distributed throughout the unit. It's worth noting that adding freon to an air conditioner should only be done by a qualified technician, as mishandling freon can be dangerous and result in serious injury or damage to the environment.

The Grand Dunman Team

[trader_4]

Why you revived a 3 year old thread, IDK, but I haven't seen a portable AC that has a charging port. Small, cheap appliances like this, they are permanently sealed at the factory and field charging requires adding a piercing valve. And fixing the leak if it's going to last. That's why it's rarely done, you can get a new AC for $125. Plus if it's an old crappy one you'll be saving money on running it.

[Ralph Mowery]

Correct .

That is one of the things that if you have to ask you should not do. It would probably take more equipment costto do the job than a new unit. Especially if you have to reclaim what is in it.

[Seaneugene79!]

Who ever said you need a licensed person can go you know where!! Just watch a couple YouTube videos and you'll be better than this loser HVAC GUY