Ac Leak at Receiver
21 - 27 of 27 Posts
Joined
·
5,523 Posts
Which is the correct way for sure.
What I was getting at was ,,,,, say your system was fully charged but you have a damp spot .
You determine the O ring is at fault but the schrader weeps when you remove the switch.
IF you did not have the want or means to recover , evacuate, recharge a new o ring would stop the leak.
Yes ,if you have the means, replace the shrader. It is the correct thing but have nothing to to with the leak.
What I was getting at was ,,,,, say your system was fully charged but you have a damp spot .
You determine the O ring is at fault but the schrader weeps when you remove the switch.
IF you did not have the want or means to recover , evacuate, recharge a new o ring would stop the leak.
Yes ,if you have the means, replace the shrader. It is the correct thing but have nothing to to with the leak.
Joined
·
5,523 Posts
You can evacuate from just the low side.
The one wild card is oil .
A recovery machine will separate any oil that comes out with freon so you can put back the correct amount ,,, ASSuming you had the correct amount before !
Slow bleed down ( if anyone still does that) you dont lose measurable oil but you are still assuming what is in there.
Hard to know sometimes.
We have real certified AC guys here , possibly they could weigh in.
My own car when I swapped I removed washed and baked the evaporator and the condensor and replaced everything else so I knew where I was starting from.
The one wild card is oil .
A recovery machine will separate any oil that comes out with freon so you can put back the correct amount ,,, ASSuming you had the correct amount before !
Slow bleed down ( if anyone still does that) you dont lose measurable oil but you are still assuming what is in there.
Hard to know sometimes.
We have real certified AC guys here , possibly they could weigh in.
My own car when I swapped I removed washed and baked the evaporator and the condensor and replaced everything else so I knew where I was starting from.
Joined
·
101 Posts
I don’t think vacuuming should remove any oil from the compressor just removes all moisture from the system
Joined
·
414 Posts
Harbor Freight sells a fairly thorough green (nitrile) o-ring kit.
The shrader valve only comes into play (closed and sealed) when the switch has been removed. Otherwise once the switch is installed, it spends the rest of its life depressed (wide open). So why in the heck does it matter if it leaks? I wouldn't focus on that tangent. The o-ring does all the work once the switch is installed.
Step 1: Replace the o-ring in the switch. Smear some of that (clean!) leaking PAG oil from the shrader on the seal with a Q-tip before installing. Ideally you would use a drop of fresh PAG oil. So unless you have a container of that laying around, there aren't many free options. Buy some. You may need it later if you want to do a full purge and charge to fix other issues. Alternatively, take chances and apply a tiny drop of clean motor oil... would be better than nothing. But the o-ring shouldn't be installed dry no matter what.
Step 2: Reinstall switch. Do not overtighten the switch! Hand crank it on only. Then 5 degrees turn with a wrench once seated. If you overtighten the switch, you will tear/crush the o-ring and/or crack the switch housing.
Step 3: Add some refrigerant to build pressure in the system and do a soap bubble test for leaks all around the switch. If still leaking, try to turn another 5 degrees. But after that, if still leaks, it may be cracked. Replace switch.
Note that the charge port shrader on the dryer is another source of leak and often needs replaced. Same goes with the high port on the tube. Both are likely leaking if they are original. Both can be replaced. But system needs opened then vacuumed to do so properly.
The shrader valve only comes into play (closed and sealed) when the switch has been removed. Otherwise once the switch is installed, it spends the rest of its life depressed (wide open). So why in the heck does it matter if it leaks? I wouldn't focus on that tangent. The o-ring does all the work once the switch is installed.
Step 1: Replace the o-ring in the switch. Smear some of that (clean!) leaking PAG oil from the shrader on the seal with a Q-tip before installing. Ideally you would use a drop of fresh PAG oil. So unless you have a container of that laying around, there aren't many free options. Buy some. You may need it later if you want to do a full purge and charge to fix other issues. Alternatively, take chances and apply a tiny drop of clean motor oil... would be better than nothing. But the o-ring shouldn't be installed dry no matter what.
Step 2: Reinstall switch. Do not overtighten the switch! Hand crank it on only. Then 5 degrees turn with a wrench once seated. If you overtighten the switch, you will tear/crush the o-ring and/or crack the switch housing.
Step 3: Add some refrigerant to build pressure in the system and do a soap bubble test for leaks all around the switch. If still leaking, try to turn another 5 degrees. But after that, if still leaks, it may be cracked. Replace switch.
Note that the charge port shrader on the dryer is another source of leak and often needs replaced. Same goes with the high port on the tube. Both are likely leaking if they are original. Both can be replaced. But system needs opened then vacuumed to do so properly.
21 - 27 of 27 Posts
