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Air Conditioner Charging

Some tools are required in the process of air conditioner charging. A set of
gauges is attached to the system to measure operating pressures. They consist of a
manifold with a high and low pressure gauge as well as hoses to connect to the
system's ports. The gauge sets are manufactured for specific refrigerants therefore
you must ensure that you have the proper set for the refrigerant in your system. They
contain a scale with pressure and temperature values on it. The temperature at a
given pressure mark is referred to as the saturation temperature. You will also need
a device to measure temperatures on the pipes that contain refrigerant as well as a
thermometer to measure air temperatures. To measure the temperatures on the
pipes you can use a thermocouple based meter or an infrared thermometer.

Charging Procedures

To check the charge in your unit, you should begin by shutting the unit off.
The hoses from the gauge manifold can then be attached to the pressure ports on
the system. The low pressure hose is normally blue and is connected to the suction
line which is the larger of the two pipes. The high pressure hose is typically red and
is connected to the liquid line which is the smaller of the two pipes.

The next step is to turn the unit on and allow it to run for at least 15 minutes
for the system to reach steady state operation. Then, you should measure the
outdoor air temperature, the return air temperature at the furnace/air handler, the
suction line temperature, and the liquid line temperature.

Most newer units have a label on the inside of the air conditioner electrical
compartment cover. This will give you specific instructions for your unit. It will
typically tell you to measure superheat or subcooling. It will also give you a chart that
has values for superheat or subcooling for a given outdoor temperature.

Superheat is heat that is added to the refrigerant that causes the temperature
of the refrigerant to rise above its saturation temperature. It is found by measuring
the suction line temperature and subtracting the low pressure gauge temperature
reading from it. To increase superheat in a system, refrigerant is removed. To
decrease superheat, refrigerant must be added.

Subcooling is heat that is removed from the refrigerant that causes the
temperature of the refrigerant to go below its saturation temperature. It is normally
found by measuring the liquid line temperature and subtracting it from the value
shown on the high pressure gauge reading. To increase subcooling, refrigerant is
added to the system. To decrease subcooling, refrigerant must be removed.

If you do not have a charging procedure/chart in your unit, you will need to
determine what type of metering device your system uses. This will either be a
thermostatic expansion valve or a restrictor orifice.

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