You’re sitting in your car hoping for a cool breeze, and the AC doesn’t work. That’s frustrating, right? It’s time to vacuum your car’s AC system. We’ll show you how to vacuum an AC system and how long it takes.
The Steps To Vacuum An AC System
Now let’s take a closer look at the way of vacuuming an AC system before we find out how long to vacuum an AC system. This is an easy guide that anyone can follow.
You may experience diminished performance if you fail to vacuum the dust or moisture from within your AC system. Maintain the cleaning periodically to keep the AC running.
Step 1. Configuring Service Ports
Start by parking your car in a garage or somewhere flat. Don’t start the car or the AC. Put on goggles and gloves for protection. The next thing you need is a set of manifold gauges. Make sure you know where the high and low services ports are before you attach them.
High-service ports are bigger than low-service ports. It is located between the orifice tube or expansion valve and the condenser. Observe the air conditioning’s compressor linkages and to its bottom, you’ll see a nozzle. It is the low-side service port that is stuck between the compressor and the evaporator. After this, the real vacuum work can begin.
Step 2. Installing The Manifold Gauge
After the ports are identified, you need to connect the manifold gauge. The gauges connect the AC system with the low and high-pressure ports. Install the vacuum pump’s hose on the manifold gauge’s low-pressure port. This is the port that connects two gauges on the gauge set.
Connect the blue-colored valve to the lower port and connect the red-colored valve to the high-pressure port. The yellow valve indicates the connection to the vacuum pump. Remember to close the valves before connecting to the AC system.
Step 3. Developing The Connections
Now, on to vacuuming in a car and vacuuming the air conditioner. Simply lift the connector ring in an upward direction, then push it down to connect the gauge to the right pressure port. For the service valve located beneath, turn the red valve clockwise to activate it. The same procedure applies to the low port.
When all connections are snug, it’s important to taunt the small valve which, in turn, activates the plunger. It facilitates the opening of the port valve on the refrigerant lines. You can vacuum an AC system without a pump, but it will not be that efficient.
Step 4. Vacuuming In Action
You can now connect the other end of the yellow hose to the vacuum pump by ensuring both gauges show “zero”. Turn the vacuum pump on. The vacuum pressure should be measured and should be up to 27 Hg or 29 inches. It would take between 30-45 minutes to vacuum a system. It will take this much time to clear out the moisture and dust inside the AC system.
Vacuum effectively by opening the low port’s valve. Once the vacuuming is done, turn off the pump by closing the low-pressure valve. Your gauge should read 27-29 inches of pressure. There could be a leak if the reading is off. If everything is okay, you can detach the vacuum pump and put the hose in a refrigerant.
Start your car, turn on the AC, and slowly open the low-pressure valve on the gauge. This step is performed to maintain a constant flow of refrigerant in the AC. Put back the hood and the caps.
The Length Of Time It Takes To Vacuum An AC System
It takes 10-45 minutes to vacuum an AC system. Usually, if there is no leak in the pump, it will take about 30-45 minutes to vacuum an AC system.
Vacuums with a gauge pressure of 29.92 hg or 500 microns are needed to remove moisture from any non-condensable gases in the system. Replacing the AC receiver/drier or accumulator should be done at the same time as pulling a deep vacuum.
Vacuums are sometimes left on for less than 30 minutes, sometimes for longer. Some leave the vacuum on for only 10 minutes. With vacuum, you can optimize your time by following a process. Pulling the system down to a vacuum first, turning off the gauges, and turning off the vacuum pump will accomplish this. In 10 minutes, see if you have less than 1 inch of vacuum.
Thus, you won’t waste time vacuuming down the system and tearing it apart just to find a leak. Afterward, vacuum the system for 20-30 minutes, and then charge it.
Conclusion
When you know how long to vacuum the AC system and how to do it step by step, you can do it on your own. You’ll feel proud when you fix the vacuum system if you follow the instructions. You’ll save time and money by doing it yourself, instead of paying a mechanic.
