When the air in your air conditioning (AC) begins to lose power and the air doesn’t feel too cold, it may be time for an AC recharge. It must be noted, however, that recharging your AC is a temporary fix to a likely bigger problem. If your system is indeed missing refrigerant, your AC system has a leak and needs to be inspected and repaired with a certified mechanic. Refrigerant does not evaporate in an airtight system so air is leaking in. While there have been recent reports of this procedure being completed at home, it is still considered a more professional repair, as it contains work with hazardous liquid and is best left for a certified mechanic. Recharging your AC means adding more refrigerant to your AC system to allow the air to start blowing cold again. Freon is a well-known liquid refrigerant that works with the AC system to help keep the air in your car cool. Note: Some older vehicles cannot have their AC recharged. These vehicles generally fall before the year 1995 and use an R12 refrigerant no longer made.

The only option is AC replacement. Method 1 of 1: How to recharge your AC Because of the sensitivity of this procedure, we will be explaining how to use the AC recharge kits for this procedure. They have shown to be the most effective and the safest option in comparison to trying to repeat a mechanic’s role at home. AC dispenser with trigger and low side gauge Refrigerant (12-28 ounces, depending on vehicle requirement. window ac unit room sizeThis information is located on the underside of the hood).air conditioners window units small window Safety glasses and glovescentral ac india price Tip: Always wear safety glasses when performing work under the hood. It is especially important to be careful to not get any refrigerant on your skin as it freezes quickly and is very painful.

Please be sure to follow all instructions that are included with your AC recharge kit and read every canister’s warnings carefully. Step 1: Turn on your AC. Start your car and turn your AC to Max or High. Step 2: Determine if AC compressor is engaging. An AC compressor is a device driven by the accessory belt that converts the refrigerant from liquid to gas. The compressor has a clutch at the end of it that should be spinning with the accessory belt when the AC is on high. Look for these pulleys moving. If the clutch on the compressor is indeed engaging, then it is likely that the system is low on refrigerant, especially if the air is still blowing slightly cold. You will still want to move ahead with testing the pressure before adding refrigerant. If the clutch is not engaging the compressor, then the AC system is either very low on refrigerant, there is an electrical problem, or the compressor itself has failed. Adding more refrigerant after pressure testing will allow you to know which of these the cause is.

Step 3: Test the pressure. To do this, turn the vehicle off and locate the low side pressure port. The low side pressure service port is generally located on the passenger side of the engine bay. It will have a black or grey cap on it with the letter “L”. Tip: If you are having a hard time finding it, try locating the two aluminum pipes that are coming out of the firewall (the metal wall behind the engine) and trace the larger diameter pipe until you find the service port. Step 4: Attach the recharge hose from the kit. To do this simply place the quick connect fitting, found on the end of the recharge hose, over the port and push down firmly until you hear it click into place. Be careful not to pull the trigger at this time as this will release refrigerant from the AC system into the atmosphere. Step 5: Restart the vehicle. Restart the vehicle and make sure the air conditioner is on the highest settings. Begin to monitor the gauge by watching for the AC compressor to engage the clutch.

Once the compressor is engaged, if the low side pressure is under 40 psi, it is verified that the AC system is undercharged. You want the reading to be as close to 40 psi as possible. Step 6: Thread the refrigerant can onto the recharge hose. This allows you to slowly top off the AC system with liquid refrigerant. Once the can is installed, hold the can upright and squeeze the trigger for 5 to 10 seconds to add the refrigerant to the system. After you release the trigger check the pressure gauge to be sure you are not overcharging the system. Proceed until you are as close to 40 psi as possible. Step 7: Return to the inside of the car. Using a thermometer, insert it into one of the AC vents on the driver’s side, near the steering wheel, and note the temperature. A fully charged system will blow air as cold as 28 degrees. This can vary slightly depending on ambient temperature as well as whether the vehicle has been stationary. If the pressure is over 40psi, that is considered “high” low side pressure.

This can be caused by overcharging the system or if the compressor itself is malfunctioning. If the pressure is reading high, it is time to seek professional mechanic help, as repairs may be necessary. You have successfully recharged your AC! Your AC should be running colder now and your drive should be much nicer. Warning: It must be stressed that if your refrigerant was low to begin with, there is little doubt that there is a system leak. AC repairs are highly specialized and this sort of repair needs to be addressed by a professional for proper procedures and practice, as well as keeping the refrigerant from leaking into the atmosphere and polluting the air we breathe. The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Can I recharge my window unit air conditioner or do I have to send it to a specialist? The AC unit that I have is about 15 years old (nothing lasts forever)... and I happen to have about 20 lbs of R22 on hand... so I wrote this up.

The AC isn't really leaking, but after about 15 years I have lost a couple pounds. Air conditioners do not magically lose refrigerant. If refrigerant is missing, the air-conditioner leaks; if the leak is not fixed, it will continue to leak. A window unit is almost always a bad economic choice to attempt repairs on rather than replacement; since USA-based persons DO need a license to handle refrigerants, and anyone world-wide needs specialized equipment (and one, hopes, enough training to use it correctly), the cost of service (particularly with older, very expensive refrigerants) is far above replacement, particularly when the power efficiency of a newer unit when running is factored into the equation. The cost of having a qualified, equipped person (or becoming that person) find and repair the leak (on a unit typically not made with ease of service and repair in mind) will almost always exceed the cost of a new unit to replace it. It's a waste of money to try.

Especially if you're the guy who pays for the electricity. Captain Kirk didn't beam the Freon out. First, you'll want to fix your Freon leak. After all, air conditioners are generally sealed units, with only electrical wires entering the envelope that contains freon. However, they use a lot of aluminum, as it is a superb themal conductor, and cheap. Accumulated dust in the cooling coils and fins tends to hold water, a perfect storm for aluminum corrosion. Good chance you have a pinhole in the condenser. Likely you have a foreign made pile of junko, so there is nothing in the unit designed to help you. Every inch of tubing in the unit is welded, and there are no spare parts to be had for the mechanical package. If you have an old school solid American unit, it most likely takes the long-discontinued R12 or R22 Freon, so you are paying top dollar for old stocks. Contrary to what comic books say, a Freon accident will not turn you into Mr. Freeze. Cold is not like fire, you don't instantly feel the pain, you can expose yourself long enough to do damage before you realize it.

And there you are, using third party parts of dubious quality, since no manufacturer endorses even authorized repair of the Freon containing machinery - it is not economical even if they made it easy, which is why they don't. Who pays the electricity bill? If it's you, you're paying again to run an old inefficient unit. Ten years ago I bought a solid Sears unit that did 5600 BTU and drew 5 amps. My friend just bought a private label no-brand junko unit that did 8000 BTU for 5 amps. His unit runs 1/3 less often, so he's saving about 200W or 1 KWH every 5 hours. An older unit would be even worse. This is due to Federal laws requiring ever-increasing efficiency. Then imagine what a quality unit would do. Even if you can get 5 more years out of your old unit, the new unit will pay for itself in electricity costs alone, to say nothing of all that other stuff. So fixing an old unit is a false economy. What you need to know: You are supposed to be EPA certified to work with freon, so the following is only for educational purposes and some pertinent information may be missing.

An air conditioner should be cooling the air by about 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. To check that, hold a thermometer in front of the air conditioner where the air is comming out. It should be about 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the temperature of the air in the room (more specifically, 15 to 20 degrees less than the air going into the air conditioner). Window units prior to 2010 primarily use(d) R22 (also called HCFC-22) freon. R410A (also called Puron) is the standard as of 2015. A 5 ton AC unit has 10 to 20 pounds and a 3 ton AC unit has about 6 to 12 pounds of freon. What do I mean by tons? Tons are kind of like horse power. Tons refers to the amount of ice that would be used to remove a similar amount of heat (and for window AC units, it's around 3 to 5 tons per hour). R22 systems use mineral oil for lubrication whereas R410A uses a synthetic polyolester oil. Mixing refrigerants is illegal in USA. Most window units do not have a port installed so that you can add freon.

The larger copper tube leading to the compressor is the low presure side (and the smaller tube is the high pressure side). Generally, about 1 or 2 pounds of refrigerant should be enough to top off one AC unit. How do you measure that? One way is to put the canister of refrigerant on a bathroom scale and weigh it... a bathroom scale might not be perfect, but it should be pretty close. You probably won't need to add more oil. A self piercing valve (currently the price is about $2 to $5) to the low pressure copper tube. The tubing size may be 1/4", 5/16" or 3/8" so you will need to measure that first or get a "universal" piercing valve that accomodates multiple sizes. A refrigerant refill hose (currently the price is about $10 to $30). Refrigerant: currently the price for R22 is about $260 for 10 lbs and the price will continue to climb until the stocks are depleted; or for R410A refrigerant, the price is currently about $110 for 25 lbs or you can get about 28 oz for about $70.

What you need to do: Measure the temperature to see if you need refrigerant. Check the make and model of the air conditioner to find out if you need R22 or R410A. If you need R22 the cheapest option would be to replace the window unit. Measure the size of the low pressure tube and order a self piercing valve. Order the refrigerant and any necessary hoses or connectors. Attach the self piercing valve to the most convenient/accessible location along the low pressure tubing. Turn on the AC unit (max-high) and add the refrigerant while it is running (warning!!! watch out for exposed electrical wires). Don't forget the bathroom scale, to weigh the canister (before and after). Here's a few youtube videos with some extra info: How To Install Bullet Piercing Valves To Charge Refrigerators Or Air Conditioners Low On Freon Duracool 22a Recharging Kit Helpful Tip: Air Conditioner Repair | Adding R-410A Refrigerant to a System | Browse other questions tagged hvac repair air-conditioning or ask your own question.