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Old 02-20-11, 06:47 AM   #12
mrd
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Milford, DE
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This stinks, I know I need to fix that flare, and possibly the others. I know I should have done a thorough pressure test. I know I should have insulated the lines first so they wouldn't be messed with after the flares were connected. Ah, with experience comes knowledge :O

To fix the flare I need to get the refrigerant out. I don't have a recovery unit, the cheapest I can find is around $600.. I could call a contractor out, but what will he charge me to recover it all, then come back another day to charge it with a weighed amount? Hundreds, I'm sure..

A little reading and poking through some cobwebs in my head, I determined I could use the compressor to pump down the system refrigerant back into the outdoor unit. The Fujitsu has a 'forced cooling' mode, and so I closed the liquid valves, cracked the gas valves, turned on forced cooling, and watched my gauge. The pressure slowly dropped from 150ish down, down, down... when it was just close to 0psi, I closed the one gas valve, then quick moved the hex wrench to the other gas valve and closed that one too. Then I ran inside and turned off the system.

I considered pulling the disconnect at the outdoor unit, but the Fujitsu instructions for forced cooling just said to press the off button when done, and I dont want to confuse the electronics, if possible, so hopefully an extra 5-10seconds of the compressor running like that isn't enough to hurt anything.

So, this is how the system currently stands. I've just ordered online a nitrogen regulator and an electronic leak detector for the grand total of $100. The magic of ebay. Hopefully they show up this week, I'll procure a tank of nitrogen and do this thing right.

I have my fingers crossed that I haven't lost enough R410A to adversely affect operation. A recovery unit & a scale would be ideal to just charge this with the known proper amount after a proper leak test, but the cost of those items is much more than a hundred dollars. My wallet is getting tight building this house.
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