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Question for Lech Auto AC (and other HVAC/R techs)

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Noghri, Aug 9, 2021.

  1. Noghri

    Noghri Junior Member

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    Hiy'all. Long time lurker, first time poster. I was simply wondering what you recommend for removing those awful refrigerant leak stoppers from a system without taking anything apart to do a proper flush. I simply don't have the time or work space at the moment and damn sure don't have the money to pay someone else. However, my mother is 74 and has heart/lung issues and can't handle these 100*F weeks, but waiting until it cools for doctor appointments, et cetera, is not an option.

    I have a recovery machine, a 20 CFM vacuum pump, etc., as well as the accompanying expertise from real estate HVAC/R work to change parts on a vehicle AC system if necessary, but I can't risk ruining them with that leak sealant garbage they sell to laymen for their auto AC systems. (I'm sure glad no one uses that crap in the building HVAC/R fields! [At least not that I've ever seen... I'm sure someone, somewhere has.])

    Tangential curiousity: anyone know the BTU/tonnage/wattage rating for the heat displacement on an average vehicle system?


    Thanks in advance,
    Noghri
     
  2. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Welcome to PriusChat!!
    Pretty sure I've seen that posted here before, and the advanced search feature currently works if you have the time or desire.

    We can ping @lech auto air conditionin for another educational recap (personally can't get enough), assuming he has the time or desire.
     
  3. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Once its in there you will never get it all out. Getting it out won't make the ac work but your right, leak sealants with mineral oil are bad for variable speed compressors in a Prius. Polymer based sealers are not as bad for the compressor hv windings. I might recover, recharge and recover a few times running the compressor each time after the second recharge.

    There are leak sealants for building hvac systems, some techs actually inject it on new installs. Also not recommended by most manufacturers.



    Some vehicle acs are up to 30,000 btus. A Prius gen2 and up compressor is electric and runs independent of the engine. It draws power from the hv battery in significant quantity.
     
  4. lech auto air conditionin

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    Trying to remove it without flushing the best you can do is dilute it as mentioned above recharging recovery and recharging recovering repeatedly.

    As long as you have one of the recovery machines that separate the oil and spit it out into a graduated cylinder container so you can measure what comes out and replace with brand new oil.

    Because the leak sealant is not into refrigerant it’ll be traveling with oil.

    Unfortunately about the best thing you can do cells leak sealant like the cure in the presence of moisture in the air a.k.a. oxygen.

    The leak seal is going to be in there no matter what throw your vacuum pump on the system overnight to make sure you cannot remove all the moisture but at least you can do is reduce the moisture that’s in your system.

    And as long as you know you’re putting a new clean dry refrigerant in the system because the refrigerant inside recycling jeans especially old youth ones is far from clean and dry and sometimes has a few percent air mixed in with it.

    If you see my YouTube channel posting some of my findings with the refrigerant analyzer coming from Shoppes recovery machine I percentages of air

    Just don’t give it any food to react with

    In commercial and residential HVAC leak sealer flies off the shelf like candy in a convenient store across the street from her little kids school.

    I was in a commercial refrigeration house in the city about two months ago. Two new young hires working for the city barely have a clue about HVAC and the job they were hired for was to maintenance different cities departments HVAC systems tax dollars well spent.
    They were asking the guy behind the counter about leak sealant because they have a lot of old units with leaks and they just keep sticking leak sealant in them to stop or hopefully slow down the leak.

    And they were replacing and installing a bunch of new units and they grabbed a bunch a leak sealant to stick it in all the new units because they know they are going to leak to. LMAO Or should I cry because that’s my tax dollars being flushed down the toilet they keep buying new units to replace old ones because they keep burning up compressors.

    And every time there’s somebody new in the city department. in charge they keep buying different brand manufactures units so nobody ever gets good enough at repairing and diagnosing any one brand it’s a mix match of everything.

    It’s just a blank check with taxpayer dollars burn up a compressor buy a whole new unit they have no clue that they were the ones burning up the compressor from bad installation.

    They were asking the parts counter guys about tools and equipment how to service systems been pipes make flares vacuum pumps they literally lied on the résumé that’s what they did for a living and we’re given a budget to buy tools and equipment that they were discussing on how much they were going to spend of the budget right there in the warehouse.
    And asking the parts counter person how to use the tools and what kind of tools were used for what. OMG. Typical city or state or federal employees.

    I have two new videos I’m releasing tomorrow On two BMWs I did today for a shop today that had the vehicle done at a neighboring shop that they have it done much cheaper than what I charge.

    But then the question is why was I called in to redo the vehicles.