The Best Way To Replace Freon In An Intellipack AC Unit

DIY vs Contacting a Professional

There is an argument to be made for both methods. With the internet having all sorts of information available, the DIY scene has been constantly growing, and people prefer to learn how to do things by themselves. Opting to do the technical work by yourself can be a learning process that ends up being rewarding, so at the end of the day, if you have the necessary tools and are driven enough to sit down and learn how things are done, then there’s nothing wrong with the DIY method.

The actual process can take about an hour (minimum), but it shouldn’t be rushed, due to the fact that things have to be done safely. In order to get the job done you will need some tools, a face cover mask, and of course, a freon tank, which can be purchased from hardware stores. The DIY method might not be the best approach in case the AC unit is still under warranty, due the fact that it will end up voiding it.

Contacting a professional in order to replace freon can also be a good approach, due to the fact that perhaps the AC units suffers from other illnesses. For example, Intellipack units might require a freon replacement in case there is a leak. Contacting a competent technician could be the easiest solution.

When To Recharge The AC Unit?

The unit itself doesn’t consume refrigerant. The reality is that freon should last longer than the system itself. In most cases, the need for the unit to be recharged is because of a leak. Given the fact that you might not be checking the system every day, leaks could go unnoticed, but there are some signs that you can look out for.

One of the biggest signs is when the AC blows room temperature air through the vents. There might be other issues that are causing this to happen, but generally speaking this could be a sure-fire sign that a recharge is necessary. However, the change in temperature doesn’t happen overnight, so it might not be noticeable until it’s really running out of refrigerant, but it pays to pay attention.

Another sign that there is a leak somewhere and the unit is losing freon is if there is a buildup of ice on the unit itself. The refrigerant will freeze virtually everything, which means that if there is a leak, things will start being covered in ice.

What Causes The Leak?

Leaks are the result of damage done to the unit. In some cases, some units might be poorly manufactured, which means that it could be a good idea to simply replace the system altogether, as it might be a better investment in the long run. Regular maintenance is recommended in order to make sure that everything is working as it should.

Simply Replacing The Freon Won’t Fix Things

If the unit gets recharged, then chances are that it might get you through the summer without issue, but if there is a leak then at some point the AC will have to be recharged again. This could be a financial burden. Simply replacing freon within the system will not solve the underlying issue, which means that the best course of action is to find the leak and fix it before recharging the unit, in order to make sure that something like this won’t happen again. If you don’t plan on replacing the unit but the leak is nowhere to be found, one method to find it is to ask the technician to put a UV dye with the refrigerant. This way, the technician will be able to locate where the leak is the next time the AC is running low on freon.

Replacing The Refrigerant

When it comes to replacing R-22 in Intellipack units, you can do the job by yourself, but you will need to put safety first. While you might have taken your time to learn how things are done and are confident that you can get things done quickly, the process shouldn’t be rushed. Allow yourself time to do things properly.

It’s also important to note that freon (and any refrigerant for that matter) is toxic. Wear a face mask when handling things in order to keep the refrigerant out of your nose and mouth. In addition, you should wear protective glasses and keep some distance between the unit and yourself, in order to avoid any injuries as a result of pressure release.

You should know what is the recommended weight of the refrigerant for your unit, and then learn to read the gauges on the freon tank. Having a good grip on what things mean will make things a lot easier. The valves of the tank that you bought from the local hardware store should be closed until you start the process of recharging the unit.

Make sure that you don’t replace the unit’s refrigerant if it still has freon left in it

After you turned off the electricity (and implicitly the AC unit), remove the unit’s service door and get the tank ready. A power drill could come in handy in order to remove the screws faster when taking off the service door. This could also give you an opportunity to clean up the service door area in case things have rusted. Make sure to be careful when removing anything, because you want to remember where everything goes, and you want to not damage the unit in the process. Take your time.

Attach the freon tank to the AC but without opening the valve. The fittings should be very tight and the pressure should be level. When you are ready, open the valve to the tank and let the refrigerant flow into the system. Add only what the unit can handle. Read the instruction of the unit in order to know how much is necessary, and you can subtract it from the weight of the tank, in order to figure out how things are going.

When you believe the unit is full, turn off the freon tank. When you close the valve the rest of the refrigerant will flow into the unit’s system, and then you can close the valve on the pipe’s near-end, then remove the freon tank. The last step involves turning on the system and virtually flooding it with freon.

Once things are done, you will have to turn on the AC unit, and turn it to its highest possible setting. Let it run for a few minutes, allowing the freon to flow through it, and then you can simply turn it back down. This is an important step if you want to get the best result. It might seem risky for the system, but given that it will only run at the highest setting only for a few minutes, things should be fine. After this, with freon filling the system, you can simply set the AC unit to your preference.

Freon Being Phased Out

It’s important to note that Freon is slowly being phased out, with the refrigerant regulations taking effect in 2020. What this means is that the use of replacement is currently growing. Newer AC units don’t rely on Freon anymore, and there are new industry standards in terms of refrigerants. AC units that still use Freon are going to function the same, but when it comes time for the Freon to be replaced, technicians will have to source recycled Freon in order to keep things running.