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134a recovery

cinjo on Tue August 02, 2005 8:47 AM User is offline

Can you recover to an approved tank with just a set of gauges or do you need a Recovery Machine also?
Thanks.

UK Tech on Tue August 02, 2005 11:56 AM User is offline

You need a recovery machine to force it into the tank. Just like you need a regular compressor to force air into a tank.

cinjo on Tue August 02, 2005 12:35 PM User is offline

Thank you, that's what I thought.

Bigchris on Tue August 02, 2005 12:38 PM User is offline

It seems to me I read about someone doing this without a compressor by chilling the recovery tank with dry ice, but it didn't sound to me like something you'd want to try more than once.

CCWKen on Wed August 03, 2005 1:42 AM User is offlineView users profile

I'd keep your plan under wraps. The only "approved tank" for recovery is a recovery tank. Refilling a standard tank is illegal. Do as you will but don't get caught.

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Ken Kopsky

Custom Car Works
"Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools."

cinjo on Wed August 03, 2005 7:41 AM User is offline

Where did you get the idea I was not going to recover to an approved tank? I asked a simple question. Read the post and you may understand the question.

RxSteven on Wed August 03, 2005 11:49 PM User is offline

Quote
Originally posted by: Bigchris
It seems to me I read about someone doing this without a compressor by chilling the recovery tank with dry ice, but it didn't sound to me like something you'd want to try more than once.

Think I read that also, did a google search and dry ice is -78c, the boiling point of 134a is -26c, so if you have your approved recovery tank at close to -78c , and your auto well over zero centigrade, it stands to reason that the auto would have a higher pressure and the refrigerant would "boil" off to the recovery tank.
Just the price of the dry ice is the issue.

Chevybob on Thu August 04, 2005 12:14 AM User is offlineView users profile

I have done this before and only because I was desperate to keep my R12.
I have a homemade vacuum pump made from a fridge compressor, a couple of gauge sets and a used R12 recovery tank I bought for 40$ off an online auction. I vacuumed the tank for about 15 min after reaching about 29 inches vacuum and closed the valves and then connected both low and high sides of my gauges to the car and connected the yellow line to the inlet of my vacuum pump. I connected the outlet to the tank with a spare r12 gauge hose. I then left the tank valve closed, loosened the the pump outlet to the tank to watch for refrigerant bleed, turned on the pump, and slowly cracked open the gauge valves and let the refrigerant flow from the car. As soon as the air was bled from the gauges and lines and spit out a bit of refrigerant at the tank, I quickly tightened the hose and opened the valve. The tank took all of the refrigerant and the vacuum gauges went all the way down to about 27 inches which was close enough for me. I think I got most of the refrig out of the car and safely into the tank with the pump. That's the cheapest way to do it but not legal unless only for yourself I believe.

Chevybob

Edited: Thu August 04, 2005 at 12:19 AM by Chevybob

ice-n-tropics on Thu July 08, 2010 3:04 PM User is offline

Caution:
The few times that I've used solid CO2 to chill a recovery pressure container, I've planned to avoid ever locating the dry ice in a space like a car interior or small room. The reason for this caution is that the dry ice sublimes to a large volume of CO2 gas which displaces Oxygen and all the air in the room. This has been a big negative for CO2 green A/C systems in Europe because car occupants can die without O2 from a evaporator leak of CO2.
hotrodac

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Isentropic Efficiency=Ratio of Theoretical Compression Energy/Actual Energy.
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