How to Charge a Home AC Compressor With R-22 Most homes with an air conditioning system manufactured before January 1, 2010 use R-22 as the refrigerant. The AC compressor circulates the refrigerant through the system's pipes, metering devices and coils. AC systems with a low R-22 charge do not perform at peak efficiency. In a clean and sealed system, an R-22 charge of less than 58 psi forms ice on the evaporator coil -- the inside coil. If the AC system has clean, leak-free coils, a clean filter and both fans operating at the correct speed, then charging an AC with the correct amount of refrigerant maintains peak performance. Turn on the air-conditioning system. Turn the thermostat to its coolest setting. Remove the caps covering the outside AC unit's R-22 refrigerant valves. These are found on the pipes entering the outside unit. Some valve covers twist off by hand, and some require an adjustable wrench. Screw an R-22 manifold gauge's left-hand hose onto the valve on the large refrigerant pipe.

Only charge an AC system with gauges designed for R-22, as stated on the left-hand gauge. Screw an R-22 manifold gauge's right-hand hose onto the valve on the small refrigerant pipe. Purge the air from the manifold's hoses. Open each manifold handle for one second. The air in the hoses will exit the manifold's middle hose. Screw the R-22 manifold gauge's middle hose onto a jug of R-22 refrigerant. Turn the R-22 jug upright, so its valve faces upward.car ac repair burleson tx Open the R-22 jug's valve.gree split air conditioner price This keeps the liquid refrigerant away from the valve. why does my ac unit smell like pee Let the system's refrigerant pressures equalize. The needle on the left-hand gauge will stop falling, and the needle on the right-hand gauge will stop rising when the system has equalized.

This can take from three to five minutes. Look at the psi reading on the left-hand gauge. If the gauge reads below 60 psi, then open the left-hand gauge's handle for 30 seconds. Allow the pressure to equalize. Repeat this until the psi reading reaches 60. Allow the system to run for five minutes. Place a thermometer on the large refrigerant pipe 6 inches from the service valve. Take the thermometer's reading, called super-heat, once it has stopped dropping. Find the refrigerant pressure that relates to the thermometer's reading. If the manifold's left-hand gauge has a temperature scale next to the psi scale, then use it. If not, then use a pressure/temperature chart -- called a P/T chart. Compare the super-heat reading to the gauge's psi reading. If the super-heat reading is more than 20 degrees above the P/T chart's reading, then add R-22 until the super-heating reading reaches the optimal range -- between 8- and 18-degree super-heat, depending on the environmental conditions.

Many technicians charge the system until it has a 12-degree super-heat; about 70 psi at 85 F. If the super-heat reading is below 7 degrees, then the system usually has an overcharge, a stuck metering device or a dirty coil. Close the R-22 jug's valve. Then disconnect all of the hoses, and replace the service valve caps. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: What You Should Know About Refrigerants When Purchasing or Repairing a Residential A/C System or Heat Pump High Performance HVAC: HVAC Refrigerant Pressure Temperature Chart Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Guide: Charging Air Conditioning Systems G&S Mechanical Services: How to Add or Charge Freon or Refrigerant to Your Air Conditioning Equipment You May Also Like The tools needed for charging a system with R-410A are different from those used for R22 charging. How to Use the... How to Charge a R-410A System. How to Change the Heat Pump From R22 to 410A. How to Check Refrigerant Charge....

If your home HVAC unit is not cooling properly, it may need to be recharged, which means you need to refill your... A vehicle owner who wishes to charge his air conditioning system ... How to Read R22 Gauges. Central air conditioning units ...... Part of the series: Car Air Conditioning Repair. What is the Proper Charge for a Car Air Conditioner? Car Air Conditioner... A refrigerant overcharge problem occurs when a technician puts too much refrigerant into the A/C system. It is essential for proper operation... 5 Small Entryway Decorating Ideas How to Find Out If I Am Low on AC Refrigerant How to Calculate Superheat and Subcooling About R22 Refrigeration Gauges How to Use C-manifold Gauges on Home Air Conditioning How to Calculate R-22 Low Pressure How to Clean the Evaporater Coil on Central AEdit ArticleHow to Charge a Home Air Conditioner Four Methods:Understand the Laws Regarding Working on an Air ConditionerCheck the SystemDetermine What You NeedRecharge Your ACCommunity Q&A

One of the most expensive items on your electric utility bill in areas with hot summers is the cost of operating a central air conditioner. If your unit doesn't have the correct amount of refrigerant, this cost can be even higher. Here are some steps to help you charge your home central air conditioner. Know what it is legal for an unlicensed homeowner to do to their own equipment. Understand that a refrigeration supply company will not sell refrigerants or other regulated supplies to unlicensed individuals. Do not work on other individuals' air conditioning units for pay if you are unlicensed, you may be fined or face other legal actions for doing so. Perform routine maintenance first. Before you recharge your AC, it is very important that you perform standard maintenance on it. Replace the air filter Clean the evaporator and condenser coils—if any of the above are dirty, it can cause symptoms similar to a unit that is low on refrigerant. If refrigerant is added under these conditions, the unit may be damaged.

Check for any obstructions, including buildup of debris on the air handler blower fan and make sure the condenser fan is operating correctly. Conduct a thorough inspection of the rest of the components of your system. Determine the type of refrigerant you need for the AC system. Determine what type of charging connections your system is equipped with.quick connect Turn your air conditioner off at the thermostat.on/off Turn the power off on your air conditioning system. The outside unit should be equipped with a fused disconnect or circuit breaker located near the unit. Remove the fuses or turn the breaker off before continuing. With the AC unit off, hook up the gauges according to instructions. This will be with the low pressure side (the small hose/blue hose) on the gauges and the high pressure side of the system (the red hose). Older manifold gauges may not have color coded hoses, usually, the low pressure gauge and connector is on the left facing the gauge, the high pressure is on the right, and the supply hose, which is connected to your refrigerant tank, evacuation pump, or other attachment, is in the middle.

With the gauges hooked up, turn on the AC and wait 15 minutes for the system to stabilize. Take a reading on the gauges. The blue gauge should have dropped if the system needs to be recharged. To verify this, use a temperature gauge with a probe attached to the low pressure side - or return line—which is the larger of the two lines. Recharge if the temperatures on the blue gauge do not correspond to the number recommended in the equipment manufacturer's specifications. Use the site glass. Another way to determine if your system needs recharging is using the site glass on the unit. Many residential units are not equipped with site glasses, but if your unit has one, it will be on the outside of the unit on the return line between the inline dryer and the compressor. Once you have located the sight glass and cleaned the view port, look into it while the unit is running. See if there are bubbles mixed with the liquid refrigerant. A properly charged AC unit will be free of bubbles.

You need to recharge the unit if there are bubbles mixed with the liquid coolant. Note that on a unit that has been improperly charged, bubbles may result from air or moisture trapped in the hermetically sealed refrigerant system. Take the following steps. Attach the hoses from the gauge manifold to your system's pressure ports. The low pressure hose is normally blue and is connected to the suction line—the larger of the two pipes. The high pressure hose is generally red and is connected to the liquid line, which is the smaller of the two pipes. Turn on the AC.This will give you a comparative analysis of how the system is performing, with the following measurements: The outdoor air temperature The return air temperature at the furnace/air handler The suction line temperature The liquid line temperature Newer units will usually have a label inside the electrical cover with specific instructions for your unit. It will typically tell you to measure superheat or sub-cooling.

It will also give you a chart that has values for superheat or sub-cooling for a given outdoor temperature. Determine your metering device. Check the charging procedure chart in your unit to determine what type of metering device your system uses. It will either be a thermostatic expansion valve or a restrictor orifice. If your system uses a thermostatic expansion valve (TXV), use the following values: System superheat: 18°F (-7°C) System sub-cooling: 25°F (-4°C) If your system uses a restrictor, you can use the table below as a guide. It contains recommended superheat values for given indoor and outdoor air temps: To find the required superheat value, draw a line from the outside air temperature down to the return air temperature. The value in that row/column is the required superheat temperature.If the tests show that refrigerant is required, check for evidence of leaks and repair them. Leaks can typically be found around any joints or connections:

Welded or brazed joints Any place where refrigerant lines may vibrate or rub against the unit chassis or other components. Connect the charging or supply hose from your manifold to the refrigerant container with the container in an upright position.Slowly, and in small amounts, introduce refrigerant into the suction line of the system, and allow 5 to 10 minutes for the system to stabilize between addition of refrigerant. When charging a new system, or recharging an evacuated system, the refrigerant is added by weight, according to the system specifications, but trimming a unit, or adding to an existing refrigerant charge, is less precise. Check pressure and temperature readings, and determine if more refrigerant is needed. Repeat until everything looks normal. Observe a complete cooling cycle. Superheat is heat added to the refrigerant, causing the temperature of the refrigerant to rise above its saturation temperature. To find it, subtract the low pressure gauge temperature reading from suction line temperature.

Add coolant to decrease superheat, or remove coolant to increase superheat. Sub-cooling is heat removed from the refrigerant, causing the temperature of the refrigerant to go below its saturation temperature. To find it, subtract the liquid line temperature from the high pressure gauge temperature. To increase sub-cooling, add refrigerant, and to decrease sub-cooling, remove refrigerant. The cost of the manifold gauges and refrigerant canister can be more expensive than opting for an HVAC technician's service call. Use bleach to clean you coil. Do not mix refrigerant types. This causes damage to the AC system. Do not charge AC units when the outdoor temperature is below 55°F (12°C) Recharging is not for everybody—and in many cases, illegal to do if you're not licensed. You need to be aware that if your AC unit uses the CFC type of refrigerant, you will need a licensed AC technician to recharge the system in the United States. It is against the law in the U.S. for anyone not licensed to buy or use ozone-depleting CFC or HCFC refrigerants.