How To Recharge Freezer or Refrigerator - Adding Refrigerant or Freon to R134A Appliance

Supco Line Tap Bullet Piercing Valve: amzn.to/3BhtWOk
Video Showing Line Tap Installation: • How To Install a Refri...
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In this video I explain the process of how to add refrigerant to your refrigerator or freezer that is no longer cooling like it should. This works some of the time to make a unit last a few years longer so long as the unit has a VERY small leak. If there is a larger leak addition steps will need to be taken in order to fix the leak, replace the filter drier, evacuate the system, and finally recharge the unit the way that I demonstrate in this video. Hopefully this helped you understand the process of how to add Freon to your appliance. Let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions in the comments below!
Thanks for watching and for subscribing! You can support the channel at NO extra cost to you by using one of the above affiliate links or you can donate directly at www.paypal.me/bensahlstrom.
Blessings from Minnesota,
Ben

[@gary-gilbert]

Nice to see you keeping it around instead of sending it to the dump, in this throwaway society.

[@LikeColorBlue]

this video is the best one on KZbin to introduce how to refill refrigerant into a fridge!!!

[@Metalicon-qr6kr]

Excellent DIY video Ben. Clear, concise, informative without all the lead in hype and crappy background music so common among content creators. Your knowledge of coolant system diagnosis and repair is impressive and I assume this is more than a passing hobby for you. I have only recently began looking into how to repair a fridge and there is certainly more to it than one might guess. Thank you for the exception quality how to video.

[@pingpong9656]

Finding the leak and fixing it would be one of your best videos! Do ti!

[@cornelbuckley]

Great instructions! I really like how you take the time and patience to explain the fine details of the process!

[@amosskullie4616]

Thank you for the education

[@chriskupish2692]

great instructions ! very detailed

[@user-tv7ne5tg2y]

Весы не нужны , ЕСТЬ линейка холодильщика на манометре , доза Р - 134 , давление при работающем М К плюс 0,2 бар , температура кипения будет минус 24°С , этого хватит для отключения питания М К по температуре .

[@Michael-uj4zw]

Very good presentation. I worked in the field for many years on a lot of large equipment running AZ-50 at 25" of vacuum. When you get a leak in that, you have a major job on your hands! I wish I had the tools that are available today, it would have made things a lot easier. Just remember, when you think you've seen it all, you haven't!! You will make a good instructor!!

[@markanderson350]

You provide much detail on removing all air in lines, most just say, let out the refrigerant for a second. The advice on pressure and clogged cap tube is helpful and I did have that issue too. I never heard of just adding an estimated charge based on full charge. I am buying more refrigeration gear as I get the funds to do so. Thanks

[@vahekahkedjian7898]

You did a perfect job, I have been 40 years in this business and I testified that you did everything write , and very nicely explaining ,congratulations . Good luck to you

[@Barryd57]

Benjamin is so helpful. I had success with my Maytag after watching this video 3 times and planning ahead! I had to modify my R134 gauge set to have an R12 line to the piercing valve. I bled the blue & yellow lines before opening the pierce service port. Sure enough, it was at -12 PSIG (pounds per square inch gauge). Gradually, very slowly, I added R134 until the low side rose to +1 PSIG and closed it up. Add some R134, turn off the supply, and let the pressure settle. After charging, over the next 4 hours the freezer gradually decreased to -5 degrees. UPDATE: The charge lasted 10 months & I am filling the system again. This time I added more technology to the repair. Using an HBN electric meter, amps were .67 before I added R134. However, when I measured amps 6 months ago, it was .74. I conclude that the amps fell because there is less R134 in the system causing less resistance in the compressor. When I refill the compressor, the amps should return to .74. One thing I disagree with Ben and that's how much R134 to add. If u add more R134 than needed, the suction line will freeze. On my Maytag, +1 lb of low side pressure when the compressor is running, is correct.

[@lukeh8869]

Can you advise where do you get the R134a refrigerant from?

[@berniemac8413]

@@lukeh8869 your auto parts store.. it’s the same refrigerant used in cars..

[@johnchafin3817]

@@lukeh8869 You can get it at Walmart too.

[@justdissin7340]

This man is a genius. Who will give him thumbs down bruh. Not his fault you crappy appliance doesnt work

[@pdih]

Finally, someone explained it to me in a way I understood. Thank you.

[@robertscottII]

Awesome timing Ben. For months my under cabinet ice maker has been making less and less ice. Then no ice last week. I half knew how to do this, but I put the piercing valve on and just tried to dump a can in. I didn't realize to bleed the line or that it would be such a slow feed. So I put my vacuum pump on it, drew it down and started over with a new can. Used my kitchen scale to weigh in 4ish ounces. Been making ice like new. Thanks.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Great work!

[@robertfaddis8975]

Very articulate and well explained. You do a great job keep it up.

[@runwayray]

Excellent narration. Crystal clear explanation of the process

[@cassidycue11]

Awesome tutorial! Thank you so much for the detail!

[@miguelbernabe753]

Nice explanation, thank you for sharing and taking the time to go through the whole process.

[@markchidester6239]

Excellent video. I would love to see a video of these gauges in full operation. I have a cheep set of the harbor freight ones. Something about Gilligan and primitive come to mind.

[@frez777]

You are a wonderful teacher!

[@martydennis]

Thanks Ben! Hope you're having a happy & safe Labor Day weekend.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Same to you!

[@northfielder1789]

I love these educating videos.

[@ivanxyz1]

Very thorough explanation. Thank you.

[@tanjogok]

You are very good at work, greeting engineer from Indonesia

[@jamestriplett790]

If these appliances need a recharge, there is a corrosion pinhole leak somewhere on the aluminum tubing. Over time aluminum tubing in insulated wall sweats reacts and causes that. Also aluminum connection to steel or copper tubing corrode. When charging, use the amp meter to not go over the compressor rating of a full charge when appliance is running.

[@joelking8588]

No shit… the refrigerant doesn’t just disappear

[@Babyface_ash16]

Why charge to compressor amps? Works for design, but if your got a lazy comp it’s not accurate. Capillary charge to frost line or subcooling. Or just simply weigh it in as per manufacturer recommendations. Do it by feel. Whatever way makes you happy. You seem opinionated best tech in town aye bud

[@johnmonaghan882]

When connecting 2 different metals you can use whats called a diaelectric between them to prevent the chemical reaction process between 2 metals

[@TuyetPham-on4dq]

Clear instructions ; Thank you

[@thambirajahpathmanathan7080]

Your Art of teach are verry nice!

[@duiliofonseca9755]

very impress how well you explain the hole process ....thanks for share

[@vladislavavadanii8130]

well done job ! Very precise, proper ,accurate and clear !

[@fakku6356]

I think that your videos are very informative and useful the way you explain yourself its easy to understand and in some of your videos is easy to understand what you are doing and please keep making the videos as like I said the way you explain and I saw another video where you explain how to connect the hoses and how to charge the system thank you for your videos 😂😂

[@Nohandle146]

Awesome, one of the best I’ve seen

[@frederickadams213]

Brilliant young man. Thanks.

[@freecheese4143]

Smart Tech. Excellent, well explained, video tutorial.

[@davidmcmillan343]

Good explanation of the process.

[@rss608]

A vert good vid, thank you for taking the time to explain...

[@leohohms8433]

Very educational 👍

[@dzeki29m96]

Great video! Thanks

[@virgilbrown5682]

Great instructions!

[@eugenerohrbach4102]

I got a lot of info from the video thank you.

[@outcast7899]

Good job, very informative Thanks

[@tanjogok]

Your equipment is very good.

[@bernardsullano1868]

thank you Benjamin for the video ..keep it up

[@davidcarroll8533]

Great Video I am going to try it out.

[@Eddy63]

Great little vid & info Benji ... I got a charge out of it ... Lol ...

[@jaygolzari1116]

Great work brother! A+ ty and well done

[@wallyblackburn]

Going to try this with a R410a dehumidifier. Wish me luck!

[@paulchace2391]

Nice, great info...,helping my family save $$$

[@comfortlivinghh]

thank you for your video. good job!

[@donniematz]

You’re so cool. Love your videos.

[@jefferycherrysr6568]

Great and informative video thanks for this

[@amystultz1608]

You are really gifted. In explaining this. I watch the other video where you open to view the inside. That really help my brain see the what's going on inside other bodie of big talkers try to explain the start and relay which I did finally understand but seeing the inside I got the picture. It's looks like a air compressor which I didn't know. Any way thank you I will be watching more one more. Where can I buy commercial refrigerator parts cheap.

[@SeldomRest]

Great video, appreciate you very much!

[@tigerlin9893]

R134a refrigerant is a single component and does not need to be inverted for liquid filling. It is safer to just use an upright refrigerant tank for gaseous filling, because the compressor inlet must be gaseous. The suction of liquid refrigerant into the compressor will damage the outlet valve.

[@cleronclarke5202]

thank for this comment. I heard this before, but always seen tech invert tank.

[@ranchview3470]

Charge it with vapor not liquid

[@Lupgaroo666]

I'm pretty sure for automobile air conditioning you don't want liquid dumping straight in...besides every small can I've ever used eventually gassed off and emptied into the system. Even the large bottle i used when rebuilding some automobile air conditioning compressors eventually completely emptied. So I was very surprised to see many techs inverting the bottle. Seems counterintuitive to me. My Machinest Mate at my unit in the military would sit the large tanks in a trash can with warm water. Someone in the know should clear this up. Thanks!

[@johnarussoii]

Yes. If you need to give it a little push you can also use a hair dryer or a heat gun - keep temp around 100 F

[@billrimmer5596]

R u sure? I discharge R-134 into an old propane bottle that I evacuated. If I open the valve while in the upright position, gas comes out. If I invert it, liquid refrigerant comes out. I am sure of that. Even the container says liquid one way, and gas the other. So I respectfully disagree. And I have been charging automotive units since we were using R-12.

[@farmperfect]

Awesome information! Thanks

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Glad it was helpful!

[@richardfritz3111]

Very good, to the point, plus sensible but important little points like the bleeding process. Tire of the ford training fake (non)informative videos that are nothing more than just ads for their bs school.

[@mikevictor8390]

Excellent teacher

[@regiegija]

Great video. You are a great instructor. I wonder if you would provide a full training on refrigerator repair.

[@henrymahmoodi9020]

good job! thank you

[@qman9255]

Excellent presentation! You were clear and fully explained everything. You also spoke at a perfect speed. I didn't need to back up once. I'll be at Harbor Freight to buy my set up soon. Thank you.

[@ziyadd2835]

excellent explanations

[@user-ql2bz8on7m]

Great job explained❤

[@blaketaylor1841]

Great video ! very well presented you should be a instructor I am new to the appliance repair field.

[@deanhutchins841]

Awesome! Thanks!!

[@justinmondesire6465]

Get a vacuum pump, also keep the tank out of the sun, I do a lot of automotive 134 and the sun and the tank need to avoid like Dracula and the sun, thanks for the tips so now I'll be able to do a bit more around the house

[@robmccoy21]

Super helpful.

[@ricardobernardo2603]

Thanks for sharing

[@DikyTehnik]

keep up the good work

[@jamesmcgrath5140]

Great video great job two thumbs up

[@murphyjammusashi]

Thank you, Benjamin.

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Glad to help!

[@RickSegui]

You forgot to check and warn people about the tap valve being a leaker!

[@rickrods]

He did but they don't always leak. Put one on about 30 years ago and still holding pressure. If the fridge fails I'll take the tap valve off and put a new O-ring in it and throw the fridge into the dump. lol.

[@kayodeolusesan4391]

Good work brother 👍

[@carlossaenz4075]

Great video u did great

[@gnaneshsiva664]

Thanks for the video

[@ruslanandriievskyi5872]

Good job 👍

[@davidskipperskip5403]

Thank you

[@JoseMunoz-jw9jr]

Great video. Thanks

[@1McMurdoSilver]

For a second there, I thought I had a cricket in my room... haha..

[@BenjaminSahlstrom]

Those things are LOUD!

[@edolson3510]

Great video! This is the first video that I've seen that bleeds the hoses. Always bleed the hoses!

[@garrettmandujano2996]

Thank you so much, very clear instructions and camera angles!

[@davidschwartz5127]

Great Video!

[@vivemarocamourlove9666]

Thank you 👍👍👍

[@mikemacnaughtan261]

Very professional

[@yomomma9070]

I don't recommend those piercing type valves as a permanent installation. They leak as well. Use them to recover, then braze in some Schrader valves.

[@barrythomas529]

But for a quick fix it's ok .

[@TheZooBrooksAB]

Don't Schrader valves have rubber sealants? Wouldn't they just melt during the braze?

[@yomomma9070]

@@TheZooBrooksAB you have to remove the core prior to brazing, then once it cools you reinstall the core.

[@TheZooBrooksAB]

@@yomomma9070 I see. Also, I didn't realize the valves on the coolant cans were Schrader capable. I just thought of another thing.....to put the Schrader valve in, the entire system needs to be bled and recharged, correct?

[@yomomma9070]

@@TheZooBrooksAB that's the way I've done it. I will use the piercing type shown in this video to recover any remaining refrigerant then braze access fittings onto the process tube for permanent installation. You may be able to braze onto the process tubes after the crimp, idk. I've never attempted heating on a charged system; I was taught not to.

[@richardreese5377]

R134a also works in older R12 Just charged a 1948 refrigerator Works great

[@markrichard9788]

Positive knowledge

[@agrota21]

Nice job. Probably should take that piercing valve out though and braze in a shrader valve. That might slow the leak down too. They say those pircing valves vibrate loose.

[@johna6850]

Torquing to full stop with repeat insertions could cause leak. If you rely on threads to locate the seal point it might not return to full sealing force (needle to tube). For example: my piercing valve is 3 turns stop-to-stop ymmv. Go in ~2 1/2 turns to pierce, then back off and charge. Then in to light torque to ~2 3/4 turns, which is plenty for the 30psi resting pressure. Then you know the seal force is point-to-tube instead of thread-to-thread. This also allows for increased depth needed for future recharges.

[@dignopadron372]

Great video

[@rogernunez5853]

Like your channel very good information keep it up.

[@robertmartinez6350]

Cool idea

[@andrewjacks8671]

Very thorough video. You definitely should have pinched off the process stub, removed the bullet valve, and brazed it shut. Those valves are always going to leak. The process for r290(propane) is exactly the same. You just have to be sure to vent out the old gas in a well-ventilated space, pull a good vacuum and charge it back up. It is such a small amount of r290 that you done have to worry too much about it’s explosive properties. But never leave the piercing valve on a system.

[@kingsxkids]

The valve allows him to come back and recharge it. Remember, this isn’t a professional perfection job the system wasn’t evacuated. he’s telling people how to add refrigerant for no money which could be very helpful to a less fortunate family 🙂

[@kongjiewang8346]

thank you!

[@sarahfox6867]

Great video! But I hope you did not replace that freezer. Freezers of that size are very difficult to find now. And the cost of this repair is 277 times less than the average new 20 cu. ft. upright freezer. I watched this video because I live in an apartment where the PM won't repair or replace the failing refrigerator. I wanted to understand what could be done to repair it. Thanks to this video I discovered I can buy a used $50 refrigerator in good condition and just recharge the silly thing.

[@rcrod3192]

Bruh.. You forgot to check for carbon monoxide leaks. Lol... Good vid!👍

[@AnAchievableDream]

After watching 10 or 12 other video's on this topic, I found yours to be the most straight forward and helpful. I need to recharge a Sub-Zero 532 and am located in a remote area where there are no technicians. I have all the parts, pieces and refrigerant and wanted to ask if it would it be possible to consult (hire) you to assist me in the recharge process? Much appreciated.........Cliff

[@crisroblesjr]

Nice, I refresh my mind. I wish I see what is the actual High Side and Low Side Pressure. I read about 6psig when you charge it for Low Side. Other video says 2-3psi is enough.

[@TauMinhHai1980]

Thanks

[@KevinCoop1]

Benjamin, Thank you for this video! I hope I don’t have to add any to our non cooling freezer, but know what to do if so. I’m thinking I have a thermostat issue. How is electrical job going? Respectfully, Kevin

[@myacsupport]

Beautiful ❤️

[@peterwydra6794]

Your video was excellent from a practical point of view. However the way you purged your hoses contaminated your tank. If you repeat that incorect purge you'll contaminate your tank more with each service call. Before opening valve on tank, both valves on gages must be open and the distal ends of both red and blue hoses open to atmosphere. Loosely attaching blue hose to bullet valve and loosely attaching unused red hose to back of gage will accomplish this. Now open valve on tank and quickly tighten blue hose to bullet valve, quickly close blue guage valve, quickly tighten distal end of red hose, close red guage valve. Charge 5 -6 psi suction but no more than 10.

[@robertlandry5733]

The valve on the tank is one way and can not be contaminated. They do that so the bottles can not be refilled. The exception is a recovery bottle.

[@cndbrn7975]

Thanks ..

[@TaterPS]

Great video! Though it took me a minute or two realize that this wasn't actually Elon Musk showing us how to charge a fridge. ;-/