AC recharge-gctid825768

[roman1956]

Has anyone ever recharged their AC Units? I have a 1986 4588 motor yacht, Marine Air original equipment compressors, I think I found the recharge port, but not sure. Was told I could even use the same thing one would use to recharge car AC. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.

[Vic_Stewart]

Unless you have a leak there is no reason to add gas.

[smitty477]

Yes - you can use a standard AC manifold gage set on these AC units.

[businessgetmoney]

The only thing i can add is there are many different refrigerants that have been used over the decades and you cant mix and match. Some aren't available anymore.

It should have a label telling you what type it is.

[Alaskanmutt]

Of course if you need a recharge you have a leak. leaks let in moisture.

Any leaks should be found and fixed, Then you need to vacuum the system down to 29.9 inches of mercury ( you cannot get a perfect vacuum but it is pretty damn close.)

This will cause the moisture and air in the system to flash off and be evacuated. To do it right you would then give it a shot of nitrogen to break up any moisture or other gases clinging to the system

Vacuum back down to 29.9

Then recharge as per manufactures directions. If it is R12 you can convert to 134a (unless you live in California) BUT BGM is right, they don't mix.

Or

You can call in a AC mechanic and get it done right.

[captharv]

My marineairrrrr used R22. It is hard to get and the air guy I used said $30/pound. Mine had a leak and I filled it once. It lasted 7 months. Moreover, the unit was 16 yrs old, so I bought a new MARINAIR (No "e" is intentional). This company is an offshoot of the original which was bought by dometic and moved to Indiana. The offshoot units are great, I installed it myself. ( I am 70 years old and 5-6).It weighed about 30#, old one 60#. Mine had a 7000 BTU and was replaced with the new 6000 BTU. The new one is reverse cycle (old was air only) and comes with a digital wall control AND a handheld remote like a TV remote. It was about $1250 with tax and shipping. Works great and its quiet. Very quiet. The loudest sound is the air coming out of the return vent..

No middleman, you are dealing directly with a manufacture.

Installation: you need a drill, screwdriver, and wrenches. My installation was to remove the defective old unit and install the new on, retaining the hoses, raw water pump, the ducting, etc into the same location as the old one.

Note: I have no fiduciary ties with them; I just wanted to tell y'all about a great product.

www.marinair.com

[Chief_Alen]

Exactly the kind of info we need here.

[Mr._Darcy]

"Alaskanmutt" post=825784 wrote:
Of course if you need a recharge you have a leak. leaks let in moisture.

Any leaks should be found and fixed, Then you need to vacuum the system down to 29.9 inches of mercury ( you cannot get a perfect vacuum but it is pretty damn close.)

This will cause the moisture and air in the system to flash off and be evacuated. To do it right you would then give it a shot of nitrogen to break up any moisture or other gases clinging to the system

Vacuum back down to 29.9

Then recharge as per manufactures directions. If it is R12 you can convert to 134a (unless you live in California) BUT BGM is right, they don't mix.

Or

You can call in a AC mechanic and get it done right.

Also...to purchase refrigerants other than what is on the shelf at someplace like Walmart, you need to have an EPA certificate that says you can legally purchase refrigerants. It is not a difficult test to pass in order to acquire the certificate but another hurdle in the process. If there is any refrigerant remaining in the system prior to repair, it is supposed to be recovered using an approved recovery device and method. Easier to hire it done unless you are already in the HVAC trade.

Greg

[Alaskanmutt]

"Mr. Darcy" post=825917 wrote:


If there is any refrigerant remaining in the system prior to repair, it is supposed to be recovered using an approved recovery device and method. Easier to hire it done unless you are already in the HVAC trade.

Greg

One of my "favorite" tv show opening is Dirty Jobs. In it there is a car scrap yard where the guy leans under the hood with a pair of bolt cutters and cuts the high pressure line of the a/c, which of course blows the refrigerant everywhere. I always wondered is Mike Rowe realized how illegal that was...

[Mr._Darcy]

...and can't help but wonder if either of them realized how toxic refrigerants are to breathe. It would be interesting to know the current state of health for the guy with the bolt cutters.

[Alaskanmutt]

Dunno , to get to my main workspace on board the Coast Guard cutter I had to pass through the refrigeration compartment.

I learned what the words Phosgene Gas means real quick.......

[RPrather]

The unit you have would most likely have R-22. There are drop in replacement refrigerants available that would be compatible with the mineral oil that was used with 22. Sometimes its best to just replace a old tired unit as you can spend as much as 50% of the cost of a new one on repairs. Also dont just assume its low on refrigerant it could be a problem with the reversing valve if it is a reverse cycle heat pump. It could be the compressor is not pumping efficiently or a few other different things. The bottom line is have a qualified HVAC service tech check it out or apply the cost of that to a new unit.