To all those that complain. You have forgotten one thing. I bought the appliance! I am a homeowner, and I am a subscriber for one reason to learn about my appliance that I bought. I have been recently scammed by a big company in my area, and he filmed it for me and gave me a copy. That how arrogant he was, thinking all homeowners are to dumb to know how an air-conditioner works. Luckily I didn't fall for it. and it took channels like this one to figure it out. I have a right to know how my appliance works. I know the parts and how it works, and that makes be an informed consumer. I will not get scammed again. I can at the very least change out a fan motor, and a capacitor, and learn to understand how to use a multimeter.
Amen brother. Thanks for your words. I’m happy this channel is helping you out! It’s clear I’m the climbing subscriber count that it is helping homeowners. Cheers man
Nah bro you didn't do your research when you picked the big company. Or always get a 2nd opinion... if I know my customer is doing anything to their unit, I'm walking out. ( besides changing filter, maintaining drain line, and rinsing condenser)
@@Korrea00lol…has it ever occurred to u that perhaps the homeowner had no choice because of the professions well rounded arrogance…wtf is a homeowner supposed to do when they can find anyone to repair their ac? And it’s 115 degrees outside and there’s kids and they have a medical condition that makes it a necessity? What then? My aunt has a rare blood disorder that makes it fatal if she’s exposed to anything too cold or too hot including food and drink…it causes her blood to coagulate and can kill her….i have some of the same early symptoms she had and yet I can’t find anyone to work on my ac after it was reinstalled by some pos that did a crap job so he could get me to buy a new set up from him…when I told him I couldn’t afford to until the next spring and this machine ran perfectly before…I like paying cash and in full so apparently that’s a bad thing to not want to rip anyone off or leave a contractor hanging for money they deserve…and now I’m reading some sob snob thinks that they have the balls to say what u said!? WTF? U know why I’m blacklisted? Because the hvac guys daughter married my ex husband who is a huge pos and they both went out and committed 64+ felony burglaries and instead of the hvac dude just accepting that his daughter is a pos criminal he instead is helping her scapegoat me for what they did ….its ruined our effing lives….i have no criminal record…went to college…had a great life…before they pulled their stupid bs….now not so good…but instead of giving up and suffering and possibly dying! I’m gonna figure it out and fix the sob myself! U wanna judge people like me? Eff u …ur karma is gonna be 10x worse then what u have caused others with ur pathetic arrogance…scam artist
ok how you got scammed what work did they do and how much you paid could you share on that ? I called 3 companies to check my AC unit all of them gave me some BS prices and things that " needed to be fixed " needless to say I did not get them to work on my AC unit , one time buying some parts I met an old gent he knew about my UNIT brand and I gave them some work since he was giving me a decent price and telling me what was going on with my unit but any homeowner should be careful Lots of Bad AC people , or scammers, just want to make a HUGE quick Bucks for something that you might do it yourself
Thank you!!! I've been adding 3-4 lbs of r22 in my unit for the past 5 years, and this method has kept my unit running cold every summer. I wish I found your video years ago, but it's great to see videos like this encouraging us home owners to save money when these 'pros' try to sell us a new unit every time they come out 🙏
This is why you have aa trained processional do this for you: you should 100% not have to add more refrigerant in as much as you are and it means you have a leak somewhere, especially with how expensive R22 is. Also, how do you even get refrigerant without an EPA license?
Thanks for the video. While I personally would probably hire out this job, it's good to have some understanding of what the job entails. Unfortunately it seems that some hvac techs, like the ones leaving negative comments, are threatened by the possibility that consumers might realize that it isn't rocket science.
Nothing is rocket science. Except for rocket science. I’ve been a tech for 25 years. My problem is the irresponsibility of this guys teaching people things that he learned from a book, and not from field experience. He’s going to get people hurt, or in the case of this video, fined for using refrigerant without and EPA cert. I’ve watched a few of his videos and have seen him do or say things that just aren’t correct.
@@frankiec5570so correct him if he says something wrong. There is nothing wrong with people trying to teach others about a trade. Besides, if the AC companies wouldn’t overcharge so much, people wouldn’t resort to DIY. You’re going to look me in the eye and tell me $350 is a fair price for a single pound of R22 or $130 for a capacitor that you can buy for $7 on Amazon, then add labor in top of that. Come on.
Thank you man, I'm an avid DIY and got my EPA just because I'm so sick of the "pros" gouging us. I did install my own system 2yrs ago and sure, they call it a hack but I enjoy it, go figure that it still works and the 9k that I saved is the cherry on top.
Why is diy on a car any different? Lol you can freeze your fingers in both scenarios. As I said before, if the customer wants to top it off instead of forking out money to replace an Evap coil, I will do as the customer says instead of forcing their hand like most. Cheers all
@@tedhicks5431 very highly unlikely,do to the design of the hose connections! Been doing Hvac including mobile systems for close to 30 years and maybe back in the R-12 days you would get a puff,but thats about it.
I am another guy who spent money on the tools although I have cheaper tools. They still work. I diagnosed 2 leaks one on a friends unit he installed, and one on mine last summer and fixed them and recharged the systems. I have 5 systems of my own between my shop and 2 houses both with suites. It makes sense to know how to fix your own systems. HVAC guys in my area charge WAY too much money and are booked a long ways out! Like anything there is no harm in knowing how to fix something properly yourself.
My father was a HVAC big guy in our area. He had a underpowered furnace, and it always blew other hvac guys minds how low the bill was for heat and that it actually worked to heat the entire house without running constantly. The AC we had was 15 or so years old before he changed it for a more efficient one. Always maintained it. I learned some good four letter words at a young age being around the shop guys.
Thank you so much for this video. AC technicians are more like salesmen these days. When the slightest thing goes wrong with your system “oh, looks like you need a new unit. That will be $9,000 for a 2.5 ton unit. But luckily, we have financing.”
Thanks! Three guys missed a leaking valve stem which I only found after using the confidence gained from your video to fill it with fresh r22. All said I needed a new system, 11k was the cheapest.
Short & simple but informative. Good video. We fell on hard financial times after our father passed away from mesothelioma. We have a slow compressor leak & needs recharging every month. We would be paying hundreds for a tech every month because we just don't have enough money for a new unit right now. We were even using multiple window units borrowed from friends until they started to die. This video was very helpful. Thanks.
You should try adding leak seal to the unit next time. Also, don’t get caught using refrigerant without an EPA cert. your fine will be a heck of a lot higher than what a new system will cost.
6 місяців тому+10
I wanted to thank you for all your great videos on hvac. You have saved me several hundred dollars already in service calls. Based on your recommendation, I got my EPA 608 certificate and have bought refrigerant from ability refrigerant. I've spent quite a bit on equipment but expect to get it back long term. Thanks again mike
Thanks for this video. I learned all this stuff years ago in technical school, but went a different direction afterwards in careers . So, I had all the stuff here but needed this video as refresher before I juiced up my old R-22 unit today. Ice cold again now. Thanks again!
Thank you so very much. I have an air conditioning unit on a houseboat that I built 10 years ago and I was given one price to come out and put 4 pounds of our 22 into the unit. I couldn’t believe the price was over $1200. I am going to now research on where there may be a leak and I’m going to use your recommendations. Thank you so much I’m currently parked on the coast of the isle of man.
One more key takeaway with the low loss fittings is the refrigerant is still held back into the hoses. You can use the refrigerant from the high side hose when it is disconnected from the system to pump back into the low side as it’s still in liquid form. This way you don’t have liquid spraying out your hoses when you bleed them for the next job.
We have shutoff valves on our hoses, turn them off before removing hose and you get super minimal loss and then can point the hose away while turning valve slowly open so you can vent off the liquid left in the hoses
Your videos and explanations have given me the confidence to go forward with obtaining my EPA license so I can maintain my own A/C systems. Thank you for sharing and being a friend to us DIYers!! 👍❤️👍
That doesn't make you an expert or a professional within the scope of HVAC. It's not always low refrigerant and even then adding refrigerant is a bandaid.
I found it useful. I do automotive ac. But Finding a reputable company to seevice my home has been a nightmare. The last company contacted told me they could schedule a sales consultation and service call. When i turned down the sales consultation, they cancelled the service. Another one came out and said my system was too old, even though it is clean and working, so they wouldn't check it. They did offer a discount on a nice new system.
HVAC guys are as bad as used car salesmen and ambulance chasing lawyers! I refuse to hire one because I've yet to find an honest one! This channel is absolutely amazing!
You shouldn't shut it off to remove the hoses. If you use ball valve hoses. Open both knobs at the manifold until it equalizes then shut off the high side on the ball valve. That will pull all of the liquid out of your hose and suck it back into the system. Then shut your manifold knobs.....you lose a lot less refrigerant this way.
Love your videos, keep them coming. I have a Goodman Model GSH130361CD and just did the condenser clean as you suggested and yes the cap on that went bad and it cost me $300.00. Wished I had seen your video before but thanks to you I know some things I can do myself. So again you are fantastic for sharing your knowledge👍 take care. Spokane WA
I've always thought that if the refrigerant needs recharging that means there is a leak as the system is sealed and it should last for a long time. I have a car that's 23 years old and the air-conditioning still works 've never added refrigerant
As a graduate from hvac school this video helps me refresh a few stuff. I understand we all want to save a couple bucks but if your unit is low on refrigerant especially r22 please do research on how to find leaks or bad components like metering devices, that charge can be gone to the atmosphere in days or hours depending how bad. The sad thing is that it’s bad for the ozone layer.
Learn and do it yourself. Eventually you’ll realize how much these lazy “techs” “professionals” have been ripping you off. The bigger ac companies are billion dollar bits Almost forgot to thank this gentleman here. I Appreciate the video bud
QUESTION! You mentioned systems using a piston or TXV. How do you tell the difference and where are they located?? Really appreciate you! Great video!!!
The txv is going to be located at the Evap coil. So you might have to take the cover off, or if there is a bulge in the insulation where the big pipe goes into the Evap coil case, that’s a good indicator that you have a txv. If you need some further help finding out, feel free to sign up for our remote services at Patreon.com/diyhvacguy and we can help you out further. Cheers
Crazy….$200-$300 a pound to charge a R22 system and a 30 lb cylinder is $975 at Ability Refrigerants right now. Great video sir! I wanna buy a set of those digital gauges.
@@samuelg3586 no one’s forcing you to go to that restaurant but when you’re roasting in your house and your AC is down and you’re at the mercy of some hvac company to get relief that’s F’ed up to charge someone 6-10x what you paid for the refrigerant just cos your average person can’t buy it. You’re already paying the service call. My local hvac company charges $100/lb for R22 to charge a system. Still making a $60/lb profit
Thanks for the video sir, this is going to save my family a ton and we're extremely tight on cash now. Quick question: I've got an extremely slow leak, over the 12 years in my house I hadn't really started noticing it being slightly less cool until last year. It's a '98 r-22 system, so it's getting up there and to my knowledge hadn't been charged before. I was looking at the AC Leak Freeze Pro Nano w/Magic Frost leak sealant. Not sure if it's even needed, but since I'm adding r-22 I wondered if I should go ahead and try the stuff too. Thoughts?
I would professionally advise you to change your system out. They don't make R22 anymore and it's becoming very hard to find by as time goes on. The new system will be leagues more efficient and will be a good investment for your home, and if it's gas heat ( furnace) you need to make sure the heat exchanger is ok, inducer, flu, etc.
I have recently found your channel and do enjoy how you explain SH and SC. I am curious how you label the unit when your done with how much refrigerant you added. I get it, add a little check your numbers. You do a good job explaining the basics, don't forget the scale.
Great video! So we have an r22 system and were quoted $300 to recharge our system (exactly what you stated). Since I'm not a professional I don't know if he added a pound of refrigerant or not, but he did tell me to feel the line and it was beer can cold but the following week it wasn't as cold, so I'm a little worried he didn't add the appropriate amount for $300 🤔
Just a silly question but I’m still learning did you CLOSE THE LOW SIDE on the gauge, turn the breaker off, wait for it to equalise and than remove the hoses
Thank You Sir. I learned so much about this. I will probably have a company do but now I am going to know what they should be doing. Phenomenal job and thanks so much for sharing sir.
This is perfect for me because I like to tinker with things. Im turning my old window AC unit into a water chiller for my computers at home so they can run slightly more efficiently. It may take up more electricity, but in the end, Ill have a nice, quiet rack of computers.
You're videos saved me $11,500.. HVAC guys told me I had a totally bad system. Junk. Nothing we can do but sell you a new one. I had a bad capacitor in my condenser... cost me $25 and 5 minutes of my time.
I understand where all these guys complaining are coming from… however, I do believe if you possess your EPA certificate, there’s no reason why you can’t do this yourself. Good job to show this even some noobies to the trade this might be helpful for them.
Thanks for a great video.Outdoor unit fan is running, changed the capacitors, initially compressor pipe got cold for a few mins and then nothing(no condensation and not any more cold) - not sure if compressor is running? But AC is not blowing cold(3-4 years old) and evap coils are not frozen either. Thermostat is sending voltage, contactor is working well, condensation drain switch is not tripped. What else could it be, low refrigerant?
Dear, thanks for this channel, I have such a problem - in the morning it was hot - 27 degrees Celsius and the air conditioner inside the house, when turned on, cooled the air to 20 degrees Celsius at the outlet of the duct, and in the evening I measured the temperature of the pipe at the inlet of the air conditioner and one pipe 24 degrees Celsius at the inlet and the pipe at the outlet the air conditioner was 9 degrees Celsius and froze, and at the same time it was 22 degrees Celsius at the outlet of the duct and 24 degrees Celsius outside. In other words, the air conditioner no longer cools as efficiently after 12 hours of operation - what's the problem here?
Idk about other places but here in the midwest in states like indiana or Illinois between federal regulations and state regulations specialty tools needed change about every 10 to 15 yrs. So if a homeowner goes the " buy once cry once" route they will probably be wasting money. Lets be honest how many times is a homeowner going to service their own system? Once or twice in the entire life of the system? Unless they have a leaky system which means somethings deff needs replaced. Ok they get their epa card? They will still prolly be paying more for their system when it needs replaced because equipment dealers provide special pricing for hvac companies that frequently purchase equipment and matierial from that particular supplier. Im all for people relying on themselves but seriously all of us hvac guys know plenty other licensed hvac contractors that are straight hacks. Now imagine your average homeowner. Example. You can buy all the specialty mechanics tools you want, still doesnt make you a mechanic. Experience deff has a large role to play which is why its good to at least have videos like this around to help regular people. Just know your limits
I totally agree that experience makes a big difference in knowledge and having tools doesn't qualify anyone in any field. At a certain point though, the tools are needed to gain more experience. If I buy a specialty tool I guarantee I'm going to find customers that have a job requiring that tool. Yes I'm a DIY homeowner. Im a self employed carpenter / handyman. I also do appliance repair at half the cost of the large companies in my area and still make really good money! I always save customers hundreds of dollars which builds repeat customers. I enjoy the tools that I only use once on my property (if at all), but use enough at customers houses that the tool pays for itself, as well as helps pay for my house. Even if I wasn't self-employed, if I bought a $4000 tool for a one time job that would cost that much or more I'd be happy to buy it. Considering friends, family and neighbors I would definitely find multiple applications for any given tool.
can you do one on 410A?.... the pressures are higher I believe, so it would be interesting to know more about the right hose connect/disconnect technique....Thanks
Thank you. I have that same compressor, and it is low on refrigerant. I want to change the Shrader valve seats, but Lennox is back ordered until April/May 2025. What can I use instead that is durable? Is there an air-tite cap available that I can use to seal leaky Shrader valves? Thanks
From my theoretical understanding, shouldn't the gas refrigerant be inserted into suction line and not the fluid refrigerant as this will cause problem to the compressor and operational imbalances? Enlighten me please if I'm wrong.
This is a very good video. Please my question is I added refrigerant to my 1hp Samsung spit AC when the power was turned off and I waited 10 hours to put the power on. Is it okay?
My father bought his house since 1998. We haven’t put any refrigerant or so I don’t think. It still cools but it’s not cold probably can’t drop temperature to 78 on summer (Southern California) i would love to do this one day
Just a nitpick, you almost mentioned it but i feel like a homeowner trying diy could mess this up, considering techs and apprentices do often.. before doing any of this you have to be sure your 100% clear of ice, and either remove or change the filter.. the line freezes but if you turn it off, ice could remain on the inside coil for a long time. If you have a chunk of ice left from a dirty filter, youll overcharge your unit. You might get the right super heat, but the pressures will be whack, or youll get the pressures right and the superheat will be 0-2. If your diy, itd be smart to replace your filter, turn your ac off at the tstat and run fan 6-12 hours to be very sure. And if after that you see either a superheat below 5 or if your pressure and superheat never settle, like every time you check if the psi and sh are a bit lower than before and they dont stay stable, id call someone more familiar.
Before you do this make sure of a few things first. First make sure it’s not a super hot day, every system has a maximum operating temperature and once crossed it’s working hard, so wait for the ambient to drop before testing. And make sure both coils are clean and air is moving. Look at indoor blower, you can actually have dirt built up on the squirrel cage that reduces air flow. So now that its clean and free flowing go outside and hold the suction line and have some one turn it on. As it gathers speed a temperature change should happen that you can feel, it’s called a flash point. You will know when this flash point happens, trust me you will feel it, IF it’s there in your system is just right!
Where is this squirrel cage located and where is the location of the coil inside my house furnace I can’t access it first time home owner learning these things
@@rockfordhx2768 Find your indoor unit, air handler and open covers on split system and if it’s a package unit just start taking doors off. If you do clean your A-coil go easy and never against the fins. Toilet brush works well.
Hey friend, my last refilled of the refrigerant that was in 2007 but it still running good up to today and it looks like it will never be running out, how long it will be last for the future?
Thanks my friend. You should run for president. We need honest people like you in office. I got scammed by my warranty company whom referred their hvac subsidiary company. Charged me $75 for service call plus $800 to repair a leaking coil last August. I turned my ac unit on in March no cool air. I called the hvac company to have someone come out to verify the issue wasn't the same problem i already paid for. They tell me i only had a thirty day warranty. Amazon gives a better warranty than that. I have a construction company. I give my customers 1 year warranty on my work. I won't be scammed again. Thanks for your selfless insight. I hope the universe returns gratuity to you 10 fold
@@user-vr4zm4vk3h it doesn't matter. Warranty companies don't do the work. HVAC companies do. A couple not referred by the warranty company wanted to come out to recharge my unit at $100/ pound... I need 9 pounds so that's $1000. I bought 25 pounds for 300 and did everything myself. Do the math then let that sink in. HVAC are ripping consumers off. You're just mad when good people are honest and expose your decit. I have a construction company. If you can do what I do have at it. Consumers can definitely do HVAC maintenance themselves
Tech just tried to charge $150 a pound for R410A after a $125 service call fee. That's a 900% markup on the freon which led me here. Luckily I found a Vietnamese guy the next day who charged $65 a pound and no service call fee. Always do your research ladies and gents, don't let people take advantage of you.
Thanks do much for this video. I have older imperial 4 port manifold with low loss fittings on red, yellow, blue lines. (No ball valve shut-offs on lines). When red and yellow are disconnected after recharge, can I open still attached blue and suck the left over refrig in lines into unit? Obviously I don't want to suck in air. Thanks do much. My low loss fittings are yellow jacket.
Thanks for really helping me through this. I just ordered a 2lb. bottle of R22, the manifold and like you said the low loss hoses. Question: For purging the air out, I understand just cracking open the low and high side hose fittings at the manifold but is cracking the fitting on the center hose enough for purging the manifold it self? Thanks for this!
I liked your simple way to check the system "80-90 degree day 60-80psi on low and 150-175psi on high", I noticed your gauge said r22 suystem, will these pressures be the same on a r410 system or what will those values be?
OK how much Ref was Needed in lbs? how much was that pink bottle did the system had any leaks and how much a homeowner would pay an AC company to DO it average prices ? Thank you it was very interesting video watching you from NV
Can you use A/C manifold guages from automotive A/C setup & just swap out the hoses? They look similar, are they the same, minus the automotive quick clamps? The threaded ends look the same? If not, what end should we look for when shopping for hoses? Thanks.
Any tips on why a condenser fan motor will run, but the condenser only runs about half the time that it should? Seems like the hotter it is outside (when you need AC!) the more likely the condenser won't run, but the fan motor will. Could it be low refrigerant?
Hi! Could I just fill some freon from the bottle using the hoses connected to the system? It happens that i have a leak in my system and need about 2 lbs of freon every year. I have seen some 30lbs bottles of r22 for $35 online... Thank you so much for your answer.
Very good video-thank you. Just one question-with low loss fittings attached to your manifold gauge and seeing that you did not purge your lines after completing your recharge on this unit with R22 I would hope that you do not attach this gauge set to your next job that has a R410a system because any r22 that is in your hoses will be dispensed into the R410a system causing contamination to that unit and a compressor failure.
Thank you, I’m making it a habit now to disconnect the high side first, equalizing pressures by opening both knobs. Then removing the low side. Thanks for the tips! Cheers
Great Bro! Keep doing what you have been doing and ignore those noises in your channel. They just can't face the fact that the time is changing and old school way to keep the ''trade secret" is not working any more. 🙃
@@chriseh09 I bought all the equipment and tools to install my own system. It wasn’t too hard or expensive. You don’t need professional grade tools for a 1 time job. I spent around $500 in tools. Maybe around $3k total for everything including tools, R410A, condenser and evaporator. Just to top of a system you can get $75 gauges and a little refrigerant along with the knowledge of how air conditioning works.
@@chriseh09 Correct. Everything is available online. Everything is consumer grade except for a professional vacuum gauge that I believe was about $150 so I could tell when I pumped down to 250 microns.
@@chriseh09 right on! Its not trade secrets,we as trade professionals are trying to keep people safe! I get it,there are hacks,there are scam artists,gougers, etc! I know guys that have done this stuff for years and still blow stuff up,and I know some really good techs also! Your not really helping people by giving them false hope,or giving the confidence to do things they really werent cut out to do! If that were the case we would all be plastic surgeons and heart doctors! There is alot more to it than meets the eye,alot of knowledge,and what most Diy guys dont know is yep you saved some money on a piece of equipment with no warranty!
Should always disconnect and clear your liquid and charging hose through the suction line first, then remove the suction line. Between the charging and liquid line hoses you can potentially walk away with 4 ounces of refrigerant that the customer has paid for, of course this depends on the length of your hoses.
Great concept video, not sure how you actually took wet bulb measurement indoors. I once had a tech punch a hole in my duct with the thermometer. (he told me to seal the hole myself)
Do you need to have a leak in your HVAC system/unit in order to require addition of Freon? My Carrier Unit is only 5 years old and has worked beautifully up until the time I turned it on and air blowing out house vents but not cool air. That fatter hose is not beer can cold. I believe I need Freon but do I have a leak somewhere?
Hey again you wouldn’t happen to have a chart or maybe something online where I can find the low side psi. I can find the high side chart online btw this is for r410a my temps are 80-90f
I like valve off fittings instead of low loss. Easier to rebuild and use the same parts as every other fitting. You will switch to valve off eventually....its a journey of every technician,
Great video !!! How would you charge up a system that does not let the compressor come on because of the Low Pressure Switch preventing the contactor to close ? ( would you use vapor first as to not to hit the compressor and fill it just enough for the compressor to come on or would you fill with liquid right away ??? ) Thank you so much for taking your time and trying to answer my question !!!
@@diyhvacguy or should I bypass the Low Pressure Switch, so the contacter pulls in and starts the compressor and refill liquid ( upside down tank ) ? What would you do version 1 or version 2 ???
You may or may not be able to charge by liquid depending on the pressure in the refrigerant cylinder and the pressure on the high side of the system. If the system pressure is higher than the pressure in your refrigerant cylinder, the system won't take in the liquid refrigerant. If that's the case, you'll have to add refrigerant on the low/suction side using vapor. If your system uses 410A, you'll have to flash it in on the low side using a kwik charge low side charger or if you don't have a kwik charge, it can be done by opening and closing the low side manifold valve as long as you don't let the pressure jump more than 10 psig at a time. 410A is a blended refrigerant. Some manufacturers may say that you can top off a system using vapor only but you may not get the proper ratio of each refrigerant in the blend, especially if your system is already short of refrigerant, adding new refrigerant will throw off the ratio and your unit won't operate efficiently as it should. You also need to keep an eye on the suction line valve on the unit to see if it starts to frost up. If it does frost up, you're adding refrigerant faster than it can boil off in the hose and you risk the chance of liquid refrigerant entering the compressor which may cause damage. Scroll compressors are more forgiving when some liquid enters the compressor but reciprocating compressors can suffer cracked pistons and broken connecting rods. Just take your time and don't rush it. Another thing to watch out for is that some systems shut down after three occurances of detecting low pressure within a certain time frame. Only way to get around that is to cut power and reset the timer or you can wait until the timer expires and try bypassing the low pressure switch again until you're able to keep the switch closed when enough refrigerant has been added. Hope I didn't discourage you from trying to fix your AC. Better to have more information than not enough. Cheers.
@@mojo9288 Oh WOW man, I am floored with so much support I read through all of this. Not a single word of yours was left unnoticed. - Thank you so very much. I can not thank you enough for your invaluable advice !!!
Your suction side pressure doesn't have anything to do with the outdoor temperature on any given day, it's an indication of the indoor coil temperature and airflow. Your charge could be correct but if your indoor airflow is higher than it should be, your suction line isn't going to be "beer can cold". If you're going to be charging without superheat/subcooling you're better off going by your indoor delta
Right, it correlates to the temp of the Evap coil. But for someone who is doing this for the first time it gives them some sort of idea what to look for.
while this video shows how to recover refrigerant, I guess key information missing was how to add and where to get R22 from in case you want to DIY it. Any leads on that? I have a leak in my system which is causing refrigerant leak and require refill every couple years. Any DIY trick to do the repair like Fix-A-Flat?
Its illegal to charge and recovery refrigerant if you don’t have an EPA card. Which allows you to know the proper procedures and dangers of refrigerant handling.
As a preventitive, or troubleshooting. How often would you say the schrader cores leak. on a unit 15 or more years old. Mine is probably 20+ and needs a topping off for sure. r-12 i think too.
the schrader can leak if your service valve was left open during the last time gauges were hooked up. When in the test position, flow can go between condenser and lineset and the service port. When the service valve is in the operating position, the flow is blocked off from the service port, so the schrader valve is not having to seal.
So I checked mine to see if it was beer can cold. It was beer can been sitting out of the fridge for about 10 minutes cold. I'm guessing that means I need more refrigerant.
Nice video and great info. I've been thinking about doing this to my AC. I just paid hundreds to have a pound of refrigerate added. Can you suggest a place to get R22 since I do not have an HVAC license? Is that needed to get a tank? Thanks again!
I have a 3 year old system and I haven’t had any maintenance on it. For the first time this year, I had a tech come out and they said my refrigerant was a little low and recharged it. Does that mean I have a leak somewhere?
I have a dual capacitor. I want to get a second for emergency 45 +5 370v. my existing Fan as 2 connectors, Common has 4 connectors and Herm has 3 connectors to hook my wires to. If the one i want to purchase is marked S, C, and fan, does it matter if S, C, and Fan all have 4 connectors to wire to (instead of 4, 3, 2 connectors)? I thought the manufacturer may have included 4 connectors for each for convenience sake when connecting wires. Is that true?
All My Favorite HVAC Tools: www.amazon.com/shop/thediyhvacguy?ref=ac_inf_tb_vh
for the patreon, will you help and take calls for issues someone in the hvac trade encounters and can't figure out?
Do you consider the Harbor Freight hvac stuff complete junk?
Does low r22 cause compressor not to turn on ?
I can be an asshole. I removed those comments. Go forward at your own expense. Not everyone is able to be educated
people cant just buy Feron they have to have their hvac license and if they don't and they buy Feron that's illegal
To all those that complain. You have forgotten one thing. I bought the appliance!
I am a homeowner, and I am a subscriber for one reason to learn about my appliance that I bought. I have been recently scammed by a big company in my area, and he filmed it for me and gave me a copy. That how arrogant he was, thinking all homeowners are to dumb to know how an air-conditioner works. Luckily I didn't fall for it. and it took channels like this one to figure it out.
I have a right to know how my appliance works. I know the parts and how it works, and that makes be an informed consumer. I will not get scammed again.
I can at the very least change out a fan motor, and a capacitor, and learn to understand how to use a multimeter.
Amen brother. Thanks for your words. I’m happy this channel is helping you out! It’s clear I’m the climbing subscriber count that it is helping homeowners. Cheers man
Nah bro you didn't do your research when you picked the big company. Or always get a 2nd opinion... if I know my customer is doing anything to their unit, I'm walking out. ( besides changing filter, maintaining drain line, and rinsing condenser)
@@Korrea00lol…has it ever occurred to u that perhaps the homeowner had no choice because of the professions well rounded arrogance…wtf is a homeowner supposed to do when they can find anyone to repair their ac? And it’s 115 degrees outside and there’s kids and they have a medical condition that makes it a necessity? What then? My aunt has a rare blood disorder that makes it fatal if she’s exposed to anything too cold or too hot including food and drink…it causes her blood to coagulate and can kill her….i have some of the same early symptoms she had and yet I can’t find anyone to work on my ac after it was reinstalled by some pos that did a crap job so he could get me to buy a new set up from him…when I told him I couldn’t afford to until the next spring and this machine ran perfectly before…I like paying cash and in full so apparently that’s a bad thing to not want to rip anyone off or leave a contractor hanging for money they deserve…and now I’m reading some sob snob thinks that they have the balls to say what u said!? WTF? U know why I’m blacklisted? Because the hvac guys daughter married my ex husband who is a huge pos and they both went out and committed 64+ felony burglaries and instead of the hvac dude just accepting that his daughter is a pos criminal he instead is helping her scapegoat me for what they did ….its ruined our effing lives….i have no criminal record…went to college…had a great life…before they pulled their stupid bs….now not so good…but instead of giving up and suffering and possibly dying! I’m gonna figure it out and fix the sob myself! U wanna judge people like me? Eff u …ur karma is gonna be 10x worse then what u have caused others with ur pathetic arrogance…scam artist
@@Korrea00 Their unit. They are probably smarter than you anyway. You just scared brah
ok how you got scammed what work did they do and how much you paid could you share on that ?
I called 3 companies to check my AC unit all of them gave me some BS prices and things that " needed to be fixed " needless to say I did not get them to work on my AC unit , one time buying some parts I met an old gent
he knew about my UNIT brand and I gave them some work since he was giving me a decent price and telling me what was going on with my unit
but any homeowner should be careful Lots of Bad AC people , or scammers, just want to make a HUGE quick Bucks for something that you might do it yourself
Thank you!!! I've been adding 3-4 lbs of r22 in my unit for the past 5 years, and this method has kept my unit running cold every summer. I wish I found your video years ago, but it's great to see videos like this encouraging us home owners to save money when these 'pros' try to sell us a new unit every time they come out 🙏
Epa is coming for ya
You have a leak
@@bufflikejesus3268 oh please.......
This is why you have aa trained processional do this for you: you should 100% not have to add more refrigerant in as much as you are and it means you have a leak somewhere, especially with how expensive R22 is. Also, how do you even get refrigerant without an EPA license?
I'm only 2 months in my HVAC school and even I know this guy is putting y'all in a running car with a blindfold on 😂😂
No lie, when you flipped the breaker at the end, my window unit turned off. Took me for a trip there. Great video!
@@kcinimod you're just tripping
Thanks for the video. While I personally would probably hire out this job, it's good to have some understanding of what the job entails. Unfortunately it seems that some hvac techs, like the ones leaving negative comments, are threatened by the possibility that consumers might realize that it isn't rocket science.
Nothing is rocket science. Except for rocket science. I’ve been a tech for 25 years. My problem is the irresponsibility of this guys teaching people things that he learned from a book, and not from field experience. He’s going to get people hurt, or in the case of this video, fined for using refrigerant without and EPA cert. I’ve watched a few of his videos and have seen him do or say things that just aren’t correct.
How do you know he only learned it from a book and has no training? Scared you might lose a few ac system sales due to a bad capacitor?
@@frankiec5570so correct him if he says something wrong. There is nothing wrong with people trying to teach others about a trade. Besides, if the AC companies wouldn’t overcharge so much, people wouldn’t resort to DIY. You’re going to look me in the eye and tell me $350 is a fair price for a single pound of R22 or $130 for a capacitor that you can buy for $7 on Amazon, then add labor in top of that. Come on.
Thank you man, I'm an avid DIY and got my EPA just because I'm so sick of the "pros" gouging us. I did install my own system 2yrs ago and sure, they call it a hack but I enjoy it, go figure that it still works and the 9k that I saved is the cherry on top.
Amen brotha! That’s awesome!
Where'd you get the equipment to do it yourself? Just bought the system outright and installed it?
@@laurentiupetre5620 banana split
They call it a hack because you hacked it. Hope your house doesn’t burn down
Until you go to sell your house and a good realtor finds it was never permitted or inspected -_-
It never surprises me how many HVAC professionals get defensive about you teaching DIY tips. Keep on keeping on, thanks for posting these videos!
Be surprised some idiot trys to DIY get hurt and trys to sue for to much freon or frostbrite fiinger I DIY on car etc no big deal
Why is diy on a car any different? Lol you can freeze your fingers in both scenarios. As I said before, if the customer wants to top it off instead of forking out money to replace an Evap coil, I will do as the customer says instead of forcing their hand like most. Cheers all
@@diyhvacguy Engine wise not the ac i know that you get frost bite from car ac
@@tedhicks5431 very highly unlikely,do to the design of the hose connections! Been doing Hvac including mobile systems for close to 30 years and maybe back in the R-12 days you would get a puff,but thats about it.
@@diyhvacguy you should be fined for using refrigerant in an un responsible way.
I’m new to the HVAC field. Used to run power plants and boilers. Thank you for making these informative videos. They are really helpful.
I am another guy who spent money on the tools although I have cheaper tools. They still work. I diagnosed 2 leaks one on a friends unit he installed, and one on mine last summer and fixed them and recharged the systems. I have 5 systems of my own between my shop and 2 houses both with suites. It makes sense to know how to fix your own systems. HVAC guys in my area charge WAY too much money and are booked a long ways out! Like anything there is no harm in knowing how to fix something properly yourself.
and that is if they deem you worthy to even call back. >:o
How did you find the leak? HVAC tech said you could use leak finder but said it might do damage to your system, I have to put 2lbs in every year. TIA
My father was a HVAC big guy in our area. He had a underpowered furnace, and it always blew other hvac guys minds how low the bill was for heat and that it actually worked to heat the entire house without running constantly. The AC we had was 15 or so years old before he changed it for a more efficient one. Always maintained it. I learned some good four letter words at a young age being around the shop guys.
Thank you so much for this video. AC technicians are more like salesmen these days. When the slightest thing goes wrong with your system “oh, looks like you need a new unit. That will be $9,000 for a 2.5 ton unit. But luckily, we have financing.”
Thanks! Three guys missed a leaking valve stem which I only found after using the confidence gained from your video to fill it with fresh r22. All said I needed a new system, 11k was the cheapest.
Thank you so much! 🙏🏻
Short & simple but informative. Good video. We fell on hard financial times after our father passed away from mesothelioma. We have a slow compressor leak & needs recharging every month. We would be paying hundreds for a tech every month because we just don't have enough money for a new unit right now. We were even using multiple window units borrowed from friends until they started to die. This video was very helpful. Thanks.
You should try adding leak seal to the unit next time. Also, don’t get caught using refrigerant without an EPA cert. your fine will be a heck of a lot higher than what a new system will cost.
I wanted to thank you for all your great videos on hvac. You have saved me several hundred dollars already in service calls. Based on your recommendation, I got my EPA 608 certificate and have bought refrigerant from ability refrigerant. I've spent quite a bit on equipment but expect to get it back long term. Thanks again mike
Thanks for this video. I learned all this stuff years ago in technical school, but went a different direction afterwards in careers . So, I had all the stuff here but needed this video as refresher before I juiced up my old R-22 unit today. Ice cold again now. Thanks again!
Thank you so very much. I have an air conditioning unit on a houseboat that I built 10 years ago and I was given one price to come out and put 4 pounds of our 22 into the unit. I couldn’t believe the price was over $1200. I am going to now research on where there may be a leak and I’m going to use your recommendations. Thank you so much I’m currently parked on the coast of the isle of man.
One more key takeaway with the low loss fittings is the refrigerant is still held back into the hoses. You can use the refrigerant from the high side hose when it is disconnected from the system to pump back into the low side as it’s still in liquid form. This way you don’t have liquid spraying out your hoses when you bleed them for the next job.
Also 22 gauges and 410a gauges be good
Nope
I learned this in school and forgot to apply it. Thank you for sharing!! I’ll include that in the next video! Cheers
We have shutoff valves on our hoses, turn them off before removing hose and you get super minimal loss and then can point the hose away while turning valve slowly open so you can vent off the liquid left in the hoses
@@driatrogenesis you can transfer pressure from high side into low side by opening manifold ports
Your videos and explanations have given me the confidence to go forward with obtaining my EPA license so I can maintain my own A/C systems. Thank you for sharing and being a friend to us DIYers!! 👍❤️👍
That doesn't make you an expert or a professional within the scope of HVAC. It's not always low refrigerant and even then adding refrigerant is a bandaid.
If you ever need to add refrigerant, there is a leak that needs to be addressed.
I found it useful.
I do automotive ac. But
Finding a reputable company to seevice my home has been a nightmare. The last company contacted told me they could schedule a sales consultation and service call. When i turned down the sales consultation, they cancelled the service. Another one came out and said my system was too old, even though it is clean and working, so they wouldn't check it. They did offer a discount on a nice new system.
HVAC guys are as bad as used car salesmen and ambulance chasing lawyers! I refuse to hire one because I've yet to find an honest one!
This channel is absolutely amazing!
You shouldn't shut it off to remove the hoses. If you use ball valve hoses. Open both knobs at the manifold until it equalizes then shut off the high side on the ball valve. That will pull all of the liquid out of your hose and suck it back into the system. Then shut your manifold knobs.....you lose a lot less refrigerant this way.
Once again you’ve done a great service for the DYIer! You’re appreciated.
Love your videos, keep them coming. I have a Goodman Model GSH130361CD and just did the condenser clean as you suggested and yes the cap on that went bad and it cost me $300.00. Wished I had seen your video before but thanks to you I know some things I can do myself. So again you are fantastic for sharing your knowledge👍 take care.
Spokane WA
Thanks so much!
I've always thought that if the refrigerant needs recharging that means there is a leak as the system is sealed and it should last for a long time. I have a car that's 23 years old and the air-conditioning still works 've never added refrigerant
Yea those tongfen caps that goodman uses is junk. Also the caps that carrier and icp is also junk. They might last 3 years
As a graduate from hvac school this video helps me refresh a few stuff. I understand we all want to save a couple bucks but if your unit is low on refrigerant especially r22 please do research on how to find leaks or bad components like metering devices, that charge can be gone to the atmosphere in days or hours depending how bad. The sad thing is that it’s bad for the ozone layer.
Exactly what I read in my EPA Book, 1 atom of R-22 kills 140k of ozone atoms:(
Learn and do it yourself. Eventually you’ll realize how much these lazy “techs” “professionals” have been ripping you off. The bigger ac companies are billion dollar bits
Almost forgot to thank this gentleman here. I Appreciate the video bud
QUESTION! You mentioned systems using a piston or TXV. How do you tell the difference and where are they located?? Really appreciate you! Great video!!!
The txv is going to be located at the Evap coil. So you might have to take the cover off, or if there is a bulge in the insulation where the big pipe goes into the Evap coil case, that’s a good indicator that you have a txv. If you need some further help finding out, feel free to sign up for our remote services at Patreon.com/diyhvacguy and we can help you out further. Cheers
Crazy….$200-$300 a pound to charge a R22 system and a 30 lb cylinder is $975 at Ability Refrigerants right now. Great video sir! I wanna buy a set of those digital gauges.
Replace the system..
Do you complain about the cost of food at a restaurant? You could buy the same ingredients for alot less
@@samuelg3586 no one’s forcing you to go to that restaurant but when you’re roasting in your house and your AC is down and you’re at the mercy of some hvac company to get relief that’s F’ed up to charge someone 6-10x what you paid for the refrigerant just cos your average person can’t buy it. You’re already paying the service call. My local hvac company charges $100/lb for R22 to charge a system. Still making a $60/lb profit
Thanks for the video sir, this is going to save my family a ton and we're extremely tight on cash now. Quick question: I've got an extremely slow leak, over the 12 years in my house I hadn't really started noticing it being slightly less cool until last year. It's a '98 r-22 system, so it's getting up there and to my knowledge hadn't been charged before. I was looking at the AC Leak Freeze Pro Nano w/Magic Frost leak sealant. Not sure if it's even needed, but since I'm adding r-22 I wondered if I should go ahead and try the stuff too. Thoughts?
I would professionally advise you to change your system out. They don't make R22 anymore and it's becoming very hard to find by as time goes on. The new system will be leagues more efficient and will be a good investment for your home, and if it's gas heat ( furnace) you need to make sure the heat exchanger is ok, inducer, flu, etc.
I have recently found your channel and do enjoy how you explain SH and SC. I am curious how you label the unit when your done with how much refrigerant you added. I get it, add a little check your numbers. You do a good job explaining the basics, don't forget the scale.
Great video! So we have an r22 system and were quoted $300 to recharge our system (exactly what you stated). Since I'm not a professional I don't know if he added a pound of refrigerant or not, but he did tell me to feel the line and it was beer can cold but the following week it wasn't as cold, so I'm a little worried he didn't add the appropriate amount for $300 🤔
I just got my epa got into technician and this video help me thank you god bless my brother it was helpful
Just a silly question but I’m still learning did you CLOSE THE LOW SIDE on the gauge, turn the breaker off, wait for it to equalise and than remove the hoses
Thank You Sir. I learned so much about this. I will probably have a company do but now I am going to know what they should be doing. Phenomenal job and thanks so much for sharing sir.
This is perfect for me because I like to tinker with things. Im turning my old window AC unit into a water chiller for my computers at home so they can run slightly more efficiently. It may take up more electricity, but in the end, Ill have a nice, quiet rack of computers.
You're videos saved me $11,500.. HVAC guys told me I had a totally bad system. Junk. Nothing we can do but sell you a new one.
I had a bad capacitor in my condenser... cost me $25 and 5 minutes of my time.
I understand where all these guys complaining are coming from… however, I do believe if you possess your EPA certificate, there’s no reason why you can’t do this yourself. Good job to show this even some noobies to the trade this might be helpful for them.
Thanks for a great video.Outdoor unit fan is running, changed the capacitors, initially compressor pipe got cold for a few mins and then nothing(no condensation and not any more cold) - not sure if compressor is running? But AC is not blowing cold(3-4 years old) and evap coils are not frozen either. Thermostat is sending voltage, contactor is working well, condensation drain switch is not tripped. What else could it be, low refrigerant?
Dear, thanks for this channel, I have such a problem - in the morning it was hot - 27 degrees Celsius and the air conditioner inside the house, when turned on, cooled the air to 20 degrees Celsius at the outlet of the duct, and in the evening I measured the temperature of the pipe at the inlet of the air conditioner and one pipe 24 degrees Celsius at the inlet and the pipe at the outlet the air conditioner was 9 degrees Celsius and froze, and at the same time it was 22 degrees Celsius at the outlet of the duct and 24 degrees Celsius outside. In other words, the air conditioner no longer cools as efficiently after 12 hours of operation - what's the problem here?
Your videos are awesome. Learning so much. At a minimum to at least have a basic understanding when dealing with hvac professionals
Idk about other places but here in the midwest in states like indiana or Illinois between federal regulations and state regulations specialty tools needed change about every 10 to 15 yrs. So if a homeowner goes the " buy once cry once" route they will probably be wasting money. Lets be honest how many times is a homeowner going to service their own system? Once or twice in the entire life of the system? Unless they have a leaky system which means somethings deff needs replaced. Ok they get their epa card? They will still prolly be paying more for their system when it needs replaced because equipment dealers provide special pricing for hvac companies that frequently purchase equipment and matierial from that particular supplier. Im all for people relying on themselves but seriously all of us hvac guys know plenty other licensed hvac contractors that are straight hacks. Now imagine your average homeowner. Example. You can buy all the specialty mechanics tools you want, still doesnt make you a mechanic. Experience deff has a large role to play which is why its good to at least have videos like this around to help regular people. Just know your limits
I totally agree that experience makes a big difference in knowledge and having tools doesn't qualify anyone in any field. At a certain point though, the tools are needed to gain more experience. If I buy a specialty tool I guarantee I'm going to find customers that have a job requiring that tool. Yes I'm a DIY homeowner. Im a self employed carpenter / handyman. I also do appliance repair at half the cost of the large companies in my area and still make really good money! I always save customers hundreds of dollars which builds repeat customers. I enjoy the tools that I only use once on my property (if at all), but use enough at customers houses that the tool pays for itself, as well as helps pay for my house.
Even if I wasn't self-employed, if I bought a $4000 tool for a one time job that would cost that much or more I'd be happy to buy it. Considering friends, family and neighbors I would definitely find multiple applications for any given tool.
can you do one on 410A?.... the pressures are higher I believe, so it would be interesting to know more about the right hose connect/disconnect technique....Thanks
410a is a high pressure refrigerant and use the two finger method with low loss fittings to connect the hoses
Thanks! Really appreciate your efforts to help so many folks!
Thanks so much!!
Thank you. I have that same compressor, and it is low on refrigerant.
I want to change the Shrader valve seats, but Lennox is back ordered until April/May 2025. What can I use instead that is durable? Is there an air-tite cap available that I can use to seal leaky Shrader valves?
Thanks
So glad I found this channel! Love it and keep up the great work! I watch your videos daily!
From my theoretical understanding, shouldn't the gas refrigerant be inserted into suction line and not the fluid refrigerant as this will cause problem to the compressor and operational imbalances? Enlighten me please if I'm wrong.
This is a very good video. Please my question is I added refrigerant to my 1hp Samsung spit AC when the power was turned off and I waited 10 hours to put the power on. Is it okay?
Just subscribed! Knowledge is power no matter what it is! Thank you so much!
Your doing a great job on your channel....:) I like the way you explain things....:) Thanks.
My father bought his house since 1998. We haven’t put any refrigerant or so I don’t think. It still cools but it’s not cold probably can’t drop temperature to 78 on summer (Southern California) i would love to do this one day
Just a nitpick, you almost mentioned it but i feel like a homeowner trying diy could mess this up, considering techs and apprentices do often.. before doing any of this you have to be sure your 100% clear of ice, and either remove or change the filter.. the line freezes but if you turn it off, ice could remain on the inside coil for a long time. If you have a chunk of ice left from a dirty filter, youll overcharge your unit. You might get the right super heat, but the pressures will be whack, or youll get the pressures right and the superheat will be 0-2. If your diy, itd be smart to replace your filter, turn your ac off at the tstat and run fan 6-12 hours to be very sure. And if after that you see either a superheat below 5 or if your pressure and superheat never settle, like every time you check if the psi and sh are a bit lower than before and they dont stay stable, id call someone more familiar.
Before you do this make sure of a few things first. First make sure it’s not a super hot day, every system has a maximum operating temperature and once crossed it’s working hard, so wait for the ambient to drop before testing. And make sure both coils are clean and air is moving. Look at indoor blower, you can actually have dirt built up on the squirrel cage that reduces air flow. So now that its clean and free flowing go outside and hold the suction line and have some one turn it on. As it gathers speed a temperature change should happen that you can feel, it’s called a flash point. You will know when this flash point happens, trust me you will feel it, IF it’s there in your system is just right!
Where is this squirrel cage located and where is the location of the coil inside my house furnace I can’t access it first time home owner learning these things
@@rockfordhx2768 Find your indoor unit, air handler and open covers on split system and if it’s a package unit just start taking doors off. If you do clean your A-coil go easy and never against the fins. Toilet brush works well.
Ideal charging temp is 95 degrees
@@jacobscott8355 That’s it’s max operating temp!
Hey friend, my last refilled of the refrigerant that was in 2007 but it still running good up to today and it looks like it will never be running out, how long it will be last for the future?
Thanks my friend. You should run for president. We need honest people like you in office. I got scammed by my warranty company whom referred their hvac subsidiary company. Charged me $75 for service call plus $800 to repair a leaking coil last August. I turned my ac unit on in March no cool air. I called the hvac company to have someone come out to verify the issue wasn't the same problem i already paid for. They tell me i only had a thirty day warranty. Amazon gives a better warranty than that. I have a construction company. I give my customers 1 year warranty on my work. I won't be scammed again. Thanks for your selfless insight. I hope the universe returns gratuity to you 10 fold
That’s what you get for using warranty companies
@@user-vr4zm4vk3h it doesn't matter. Warranty companies don't do the work. HVAC companies do. A couple not referred by the warranty company wanted to come out to recharge my unit at $100/ pound... I need 9 pounds so that's $1000. I bought 25 pounds for 300 and did everything myself. Do the math then let that sink in. HVAC are ripping consumers off. You're just mad when good people are honest and expose your decit. I have a construction company. If you can do what I do have at it. Consumers can definitely do HVAC maintenance themselves
Tech just tried to charge $150 a pound for R410A after a $125 service call fee. That's a 900% markup on the freon which led me here. Luckily I found a Vietnamese guy the next day who charged $65 a pound and no service call fee. Always do your research ladies and gents, don't let people take advantage of you.
Thanks do much for this video. I have older imperial 4 port manifold with low loss fittings on red, yellow, blue lines. (No ball valve shut-offs on lines). When red and yellow are disconnected after recharge, can I open still attached blue and suck the left over refrig in lines into unit? Obviously I don't want to suck in air. Thanks do much. My low loss fittings are yellow jacket.
Thanks for really helping me through this. I just ordered a 2lb. bottle of R22, the manifold and like you said the low loss hoses.
Question: For purging the air out, I understand just cracking open the low and high side hose fittings at the manifold but is cracking the fitting on the center hose enough for purging the manifold it self? Thanks for this!
Basically yes, and the middle hose also
Never ceases to amaze me how many negative Trolls there are. Great job teaching HVAC Guy!
Thanks man! I appreciate that!
I liked your simple way to check the system "80-90 degree day 60-80psi on low and 150-175psi on high", I noticed your gauge said r22 suystem, will these pressures be the same on a r410 system or what will those values be?
This is just for r22. For 410a you should be 120-140 low, and 320-375 high
Very informative . Nice job as usual, I enjoy watching your channel . Keep up the good work young man!
OK how much Ref was Needed in lbs? how much was that pink bottle
did the system had any leaks and how much a homeowner would pay an AC company to DO it average prices ?
Thank you it was very interesting video
watching you from NV
Can you use A/C manifold guages from automotive A/C setup & just swap out the hoses? They look similar, are they the same, minus the automotive quick clamps? The threaded ends look the same? If not, what end should we look for when shopping for hoses? Thanks.
Finding and repairing leaks next please! How about the Parker push to connect fittings too?
Any tips on why a condenser fan motor will run, but the condenser only runs about half the time that it should? Seems like the hotter it is outside (when you need AC!) the more likely the condenser won't run, but the fan motor will. Could it be low refrigerant?
Hi! Could I just fill some freon from the bottle using the hoses connected to the system? It happens that i have a leak in my system and need about 2 lbs of freon every year. I have seen some 30lbs bottles of r22 for $35 online... Thank you so much for your answer.
Thanks for detailed home owner and professional....amazing video!
Very good video-thank you.
Just one question-with low loss fittings attached to your manifold gauge and seeing that you did not purge your lines after completing your recharge on this unit with R22 I would hope that you do not attach this gauge set to your next job that has a R410a system because any r22 that is in your hoses will be dispensed into the R410a system causing contamination to that unit and a compressor failure.
Thank you, I’m making it a habit now to disconnect the high side first, equalizing pressures by opening both knobs. Then removing the low side. Thanks for the tips! Cheers
NOTE: They sell Low Loss adapters that you can thread onto the end of your non low-loss hoses.
Yesir, cheaper then buying the hoses but it creates 3 more spots to leak that’s why I prefer the hoses with them built in. Cheers
True pro.
You explained how to,
where we could understand the system. THANK YOU🎉
awesome man!!!! thank you for sharing love all your work man you are very patient and easy to understand does this also apply to package units???...
Great Bro! Keep doing what you have been doing and ignore those noises in your channel. They just can't face the fact that the time is changing and old school way to keep the ''trade secret" is not working any more. 🙃
@@chriseh09 I bought all the equipment and tools to install my own system. It wasn’t too hard or expensive. You don’t need professional grade tools for a 1 time job. I spent around $500 in tools. Maybe around $3k total for everything including tools, R410A, condenser and evaporator. Just to top of a system you can get $75 gauges and a little refrigerant along with the knowledge of how air conditioning works.
@@chriseh09 Correct. Everything is available online. Everything is consumer grade except for a professional vacuum gauge that I believe was about $150 so I could tell when I pumped down to 250 microns.
@@chriseh09 right on! Its not trade secrets,we as trade professionals are trying to keep people safe! I get it,there are hacks,there are scam artists,gougers, etc! I know guys that have done this stuff for years and still blow stuff up,and I know some really good techs also! Your not really helping people by giving them false hope,or giving the confidence to do things they really werent cut out to do! If that were the case we would all be plastic surgeons and heart doctors! There is alot more to it than meets the eye,alot of knowledge,and what most Diy guys dont know is yep you saved some money on a piece of equipment with no warranty!
Question, when charging a unit after having previously removed all refrigerant would it be normal for the low pressure pipe to frost during charging?
Should always disconnect and clear your liquid and charging hose through the suction line first, then remove the suction line. Between the charging and liquid line hoses you can potentially walk away with 4 ounces of refrigerant that the customer has paid for, of course this depends on the length of your hoses.
Great concept video, not sure how you actually took wet bulb measurement indoors. I once had a tech punch a hole in my duct with the thermometer. (he told me to seal the hole myself)
Need to puncture a hole in the return and use a fancy thermometer
I have a pocket psychrometer that measures wet bulb. Made by field piece
@@diyhvacguy testo makes good ones too, I use the fieldpiece pocket one every now and then
Is there a replacement you can use in place of R22 on these old systems?
The drop in replacement for R22 is R458A (Bluon TdX 20). Way cheaper than a jug of R22.
Do you need to have a leak in your HVAC system/unit in order to require addition of Freon? My Carrier Unit is only 5 years old and has worked beautifully up until the time I turned it on and air blowing out house vents but not cool air. That fatter hose is not beer can cold. I believe I need Freon but do I have a leak somewhere?
have you checked your filters? or if the outside coil is relatively clean? it shouldn’t need any specially in a newer unit
Hey man I’m new to all this and I wanted to know what my low side and high side PSI should be at my temperature outside are between 80-100f
On r22? You should be somewhere around 75 on a hot day, maybe 65 if it’s closer to 85-90, and maybe 225-250 on the high side.
@@diyhvacguy sorry I meant r410a
Hey again you wouldn’t happen to have a chart or maybe something online where I can find the low side psi. I can find the high side chart online btw this is for r410a my temps are 80-90f
Do you always charge by liquid on the low side . Awesome video
This man here doing the Lord's work helping us DIYer's. Thank you, sir.
What if it’s 410A what are the pressure’s supposed to be at in a hot day
Typically somewhere around 135-150 for low, and 325-350 on a hot day.
I like valve off fittings instead of low loss. Easier to rebuild and use the same parts as every other fitting. You will switch to valve off eventually....its a journey of every technician,
Do you need to purchase the red and blue lines seperately also ?
well done, clearly explained, nice job! Thanks…
Great video !!! How would you charge up a system that does not let the compressor come on because of the Low Pressure Switch preventing the contactor to close ? ( would you use vapor first as to not to hit the compressor and fill it just enough for the compressor to come on or would you fill with liquid right away ??? ) Thank you so much for taking your time and trying to answer my question !!!
Yes you are absolutely correct.
@@diyhvacguy or should I bypass the Low Pressure Switch, so the contacter pulls in and starts the compressor and refill liquid ( upside down tank ) ? What would you do version 1 or version 2 ???
You may or may not be able to charge by liquid depending on the pressure in the refrigerant cylinder and the pressure on the high side of the system. If the system pressure is higher than the pressure in your refrigerant cylinder, the system won't take in the liquid refrigerant. If that's the case, you'll have to add refrigerant on the low/suction side using vapor. If your system uses 410A, you'll have to flash it in on the low side using a kwik charge low side charger or if you don't have a kwik charge, it can be done by opening and closing the low side manifold valve as long as you don't let the pressure jump more than 10 psig at a time.
410A is a blended refrigerant. Some manufacturers may say that you can top off a system using vapor only but you may not get the proper ratio of each refrigerant in the blend, especially if your system is already short of refrigerant, adding new refrigerant will throw off the ratio and your unit won't operate efficiently as it should. You also need to keep an eye on the suction line valve on the unit to see if it starts to frost up. If it does frost up, you're adding refrigerant faster than it can boil off in the hose and you risk the chance of liquid refrigerant entering the compressor which may cause damage. Scroll compressors are more forgiving when some liquid enters the compressor but reciprocating compressors can suffer cracked pistons and broken connecting rods. Just take your time and don't rush it.
Another thing to watch out for is that some systems shut down after three occurances of detecting low pressure within a certain time frame. Only way to get around that is to cut power and reset the timer or you can wait until the timer expires and try bypassing the low pressure switch again until you're able to keep the switch closed when enough refrigerant has been added. Hope I didn't discourage you from trying to fix your AC. Better to have more information than not enough. Cheers.
@@mojo9288 Oh WOW man, I am floored with so much support I read through all of this. Not a single word of yours was left unnoticed. - Thank you so very much. I can not thank you enough for your invaluable advice !!!
Can overcharging your system cause a locked up or bad compressor?
Your suction side pressure doesn't have anything to do with the outdoor temperature on any given day, it's an indication of the indoor coil temperature and airflow. Your charge could be correct but if your indoor airflow is higher than it should be, your suction line isn't going to be "beer can cold". If you're going to be charging without superheat/subcooling you're better off going by your indoor delta
Right, it correlates to the temp of the Evap coil. But for someone who is doing this for the first time it gives them some sort of idea what to look for.
while this video shows how to recover refrigerant, I guess key information missing was how to add and where to get R22 from in case you want to DIY it. Any leads on that?
I have a leak in my system which is causing refrigerant leak and require refill every couple years. Any DIY trick to do the repair like Fix-A-Flat?
If you shoot me an email at diyhvacguy@gmail.com I’ll give you some insight on this. Thanks, Dave
Its illegal to charge and recovery refrigerant if you don’t have an EPA card. Which allows you to know the proper procedures and dangers of refrigerant handling.
As a preventitive, or troubleshooting. How often would you say the schrader cores leak. on a unit 15 or more years old. Mine is probably 20+ and needs a topping off for sure. r-12 i think too.
the schrader can leak if your service valve was left open during the last time gauges were hooked up. When in the test position, flow can go between condenser and lineset and the service port. When the service valve is in the operating position, the flow is blocked off from the service port, so the schrader valve is not having to seal.
So I checked mine to see if it was beer can cold. It was beer can been sitting out of the fridge for about 10 minutes cold. I'm guessing that means I need more refrigerant.
MAN I wish you were closer to me Wish I could contract you I just bought a home last year and need the 25 year old system updated! wicked bad!
Wish I could help! Get a few bids and pick someone you think you can trust! Cheers man
Is freon the brand name for r22 or r12?
So how do you charge a unit that only has 1 service port then?
I understand that you find the high side pressure on PT chart but how do you know what the correct range of psi for low side should be?
Experience and the correct training.
Wish you had gone through the R410a differences to expect. Thanks for this though.
How do you know the actual SH number without probing the temperature on the pipe? Thanks
Nice video and great info. I've been thinking about doing this to my AC. I just paid hundreds to have a pound of refrigerate added. Can you suggest a place to get R22 since I do not have an HVAC license? Is that needed to get a tank? Thanks again!
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U make ac companies so much money 😊
🙌🏼🙌🏼 win win thanks for watching
@@diyhvacguy don’t watch ✌️
@@Iceblockjoe shut up joe.....
I have a 3 year old system and I haven’t had any maintenance on it. For the first time this year, I had a tech come out and they said my refrigerant was a little low and recharged it. Does that mean I have a leak somewhere?
I have a dual capacitor. I want to get a second for emergency 45 +5 370v. my existing Fan as 2 connectors, Common has 4 connectors and Herm has 3 connectors to hook my wires to.
If the one i want to purchase is marked S, C, and fan, does it matter if S, C, and Fan all have 4 connectors to wire to (instead of 4, 3, 2 connectors)?
I thought the manufacturer may have included 4 connectors for each for convenience sake when connecting wires. Is that true?
So where do you get the R22 refrigerant ? And how much is it?
Wait! So, do add refrigerant (liquid) you add it through the low side (the bigger line)?
Yes
@@diyhvacguy 😊
Where should the outlet a/c temp should be measured in the house?