Factory AC Will Freeze You Out

I ordered a new expansion valve, dryer and evaporator off eBay a few years ago. I charged it with R134 and it works great.

I have been charging ac’s for years as an amateur, but I am still basically at the idiot level.

Here is my idiot procedure which I think most people with some reasonable level of skill could do.

1. Vacuum out the system really well, let the pump run a few hours at least.
2. Be really careful how you operate the valves so you don’t put air back in the system. Purge your lines.
3. Get a bucket of hot water to dunk your can of R134 in. As the gas leaves the can, it cools down reducing the pressure in the can. You may need to get a second bucket if the water cools too much.
4. Get out your garden hose and hose down the evaporator while you are charging. The idea is to keep the pressure in the can higher than the pressure in the system so it will charge.
5. Don’t be in a hurry. Stop between cans and let the system equalize.
6. Charge until the low side hose on the compressor gets cold and starts sweating. If it freezes, you probably put too much in.
7. After the line starts sweating, you are probably full or about there. Take it for a drive & see. If it cools good you are done. Don’t be a perfectionist.
8. You will use about 50 -75% as much R134 as the R12 sticker says.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert, nor do I understand a lot of this. I just do the same thing over every time and it works for me. As long as my ac cools good, I am a happy idiot….