Moisture removal is arguably the most important purpose of evacuation as moisture is the leading cause of AC system failure. That’s easier to do if all the air has been vacuumed out of the system before you pierce the can.) (You need to get at least 50psi of refrigerant into the system before you turn the car on. Another benefit of air removal when can charging is that it eases the initial charge of refrigerant into the system. When he charged an air-filled system, he created pressures that were way too high. When he released the vacuum, air filled the system. Go to a licensed professional who has an electronic leak detector.īecause there is only so much volume available within an AC system, it’s essential that air is removed from the system to allow for the refrigerant and oil. You should always run an electronic leak detector over the AC system after you charge it.Īgain, if you are asking this question, our response is the same–you shouldn’t be charging the system. ![]() Our advice is to start with the O-rings as it is not unusual for one to have been crushed or split by over-tightening during installation.)īecause despite what our customers thought, minimal initial vacuum loss is not a guarantee that your AC system is leak free. For hard-to-reach items, like the evaporator, check the condensation drain. Since refrigerant is heavier than air, spend additional time on the underside of components. Focus on hose connections, crimp sleeves, service ports, compressor shaft seals, and assembly points. If there is a vacuum loss of 2” or greater, there is probably a leak.Īdd your initial charge or fully charge the system and use your electronic leak detector to find the source. The low or low-pressure side is from the expansion valve through the evaporator and back to the compressor.Īfter 30-45 minutes of evacuation, close the service valves and turn off the pump. The high or high-pressure side is from the compressor to the expansion valve. But because you’re wondering, AC systems operate off pressure change. If you are asking this question, you shouldn’t be charging the system. If everything is in order when you evacuate an AC system, the low side should reach a minimum of 28-30” Hg within a short period. That said, we’ve run into many experienced car guys who don’t really understand evacuation and decided a quick summary would be helpful to even license AC professionals.ĪC system evacuation serves three purposes:Įvacuation Purpose #1: Initial Leak Check Please, if you are not a licensed AC professional, do not evacuate/charge on your own. His thinking: “I checked for leaks, now I’m moving on to the next step.” He was not only evacuating and charging without a license but without any understanding of what he was doing. ![]() One of our favorite “Go-to-a-licensed-professional-for-AC-system-charging” stories involves a guy we spent more time than we care to admit troubleshooting before it became apparent that he was releasing the vacuum before charging.
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