Warm Cooler Needs Lots Of Work How To Convert Refrigerant The Right Way Fast

[@Troy11194]

I'm gonna have to start saving the old caps, never thought to save em. Just ordered myself a new multi meter off trutechtools and used your code. Love the videos, they have helped me out a ton transitioning from being a refrigeration fitter to being a service tech. Thanks Rick for all you do

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thank you very much, Troy, I love hearing that I made a positive improvement for someone. Means a lot.

[@hvacrnortheastern2110]

Great job best and fast when l see the suction piping like what you got or braze in different sections piping is cut it out on time of cooler and redo the piping what l find is that repair one section of piping and now you cause other section joint to leak.

[@theangrytechnician6649]

I’ve reluctantly started to become a fan of the pliers. But I like the smaller set better, they feel less cumbersome. As always, thanks for sharing Rick.

[@HVACRSurvival]

Right on

[@garypagel8594]

I've never had to convert anything yet, its good to see it done, and done well.

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thank you!

[@brnmcc01]

I like this repair, something I've done many times over the years. I like your idea of using a piece of 1/4" tubing to pull the oil out. Last one I changed the oil on was a Copeland freezer compressor the date code on it was month D of '88. Replaced the valve plate on it, and while the head was off I just pumped out the oil from the top. That was about 2 years ago, but I finally got around to replacing that whole condensing unit this spring. It started leaking again, and the compressor was doing this weird thing where it would run backwards after it pumped down, something funny going on with the valves where the high pressure would turn the compressor into a little steam engine. I took the head back off, and didn't see anything obvious. Anyway, it was undersized from the beginning, only 1.5 hp on a 9000 btu evap, and it was an old indoor R502 unit with just a hood thrown over it up on a roof, so it was never very happy in the wintertime, with no head pressure control whatsoever. I changed it out to a 2.5 hp new old stock Bohn condensing unit made in 2019, pre-covid. Works great now, and actually pulls down to temp and shuts off, the old unit would get down to 0 to +5 on a cool day, but in the summer it struggled to stay below +10. What was happening was the violent shaking from it running backwards kept breaking and cracking the discharge line to the condenser and blowing all the charge, and they were tired of paying for 10 pounds of gas every time it happened. I was keeping it going just to see how long that compressor would last. 1988-2024 is a pretty good run I think :) RIP.

[@HVACRSurvival]

It always feels good to be the person to figure it out. I'm glad to hear that you were able to get it.

[@brnmcc01]

@@HVACRSurvival Just old age. And it wasn't an outdoor unit either. No flooded condenser valve or fan cycling control. Someone just built a flimsy hood over it. 35 years it had a good run :) Now if you could find time to come out here to Indiana, and go thru this rack system with me to figure it out and tell me if/what needs to be done with it... :)

[@Jeff-b4g]

I’m old school. Braze every time. The younger guys in our shop used the press fittings. Most of the time they held, but when they didn’t it was always Friday at the end of the day and I was on call. We did a lot of work at a chemical plant were an open flame was problematic. Press fittings done correctly is ok but not my go to. Great video

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thank you very much, that’s why I mentioned by the time you deburr and sand and prep that pipe the way you’re supposed to you’ve got quite a bit of time in it. It’s not just slide it together like a shark bite lol

[@you4125]

I’m loving your content. I’m still learning, and you show you care about what you do. I went school and I reading books and KZbin videos and watching your content to make me like you someday hopefully.

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thank you very much, my friend. If you have the desire to do it, you can do it. It’s not gonna all come at once you’re gonna make mistakes but every time you do write down what you did wrong so you don’t forget it and do it right the next time. I’m definitely not perfect and I still screw up but writing it down definitely comes in handy.

[@stueyknuxx]

Love the rants Rick 😆 good video 👍

[@HVACRSurvival]

Glad you liked it!

[@PaulMack1249]

Rick, it’s a pleasure watching your videos. Your expertise and ethics are refreshing. I was in the electronics repair business for 50 years and following the hacks who didn’t have a clue was frustrating. Well done, my friend.

[@asmithh2697]

Agree! it’s a pleasure watching your videos. Your expertise and ethics are refreshing.

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thanks guys! I try to do my best. 🫶🙏

[@WswRefrigeration]

Great tech tip on saving the metal caps off old systems. I have a whole bag for caps

[@ronaldclark8187]

You always think of the next guy that has to work on the same equipment behind you. Good refrigeration practice lasts a long time.

[@HVACRSurvival]

You’re 100% correct. It makes or breaks the longevity of the equipment.

[@HughesManHVAC]

Great video Rick!

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thanks man! Happy Thanksgiving

[@Ted_E_Bear]

Rick, Another amazing project! Keep up the amazing work !!

[@mainj54]

Yea, I was one of those old timers that used Leak Lock. I mainly used it as a thread locker and sealant.

[@DFI429]

Thank you for the words on the flare fittings.. the amount of tape, sealant, BS etc out there is rediculous

[@fshn76]

Good stuff Rick. Didn’t even know they made a packing nut tool. I run the BluVac micron gauge because of the ability to rake psi. Thanks for another great video.

[@throttlebottle5906]

two small flathead screw drivers is the easy go to or make your own tool, but now they sell them. adjustable "pin" wrenches/spanners work too, but sometimes you run out of clearance space

[@HVACRSurvival]

Throttle bottle you’re thinking of a site glass on the side of a compressor. That won’t work on the packing nut because the stems in the way and you can’t cross your screwdrivers. Otherwise, it works great on a site glass on the compressor.

[@throttlebottle5906]

@@HVACRSurvival no, you can use two small flatheads parallel to the valve stem, hold the handles together tightly above the stem and pliers at the bottom loosely around the stem to hit the screw driver blades and turn it. redneck random improvisation is what I'm good at. don't have a specialty tool, quickly make due with what's laying around.

[@Boodieman72]

How do you decide on which refrigerant to use when converting a system?

[@williamholley1232]

Another awesome job, happy Thanksgiving to you and your family 😊

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thank you! You too!

[@mauikawi4290]

Sooo perfect, best channel on lube tube.

[@HVACRSurvival]

Wow, thank you!

[@19thcenturyfuture]

Another great video, many thanks and always a pleasure to watch It is frustrating to fix one leak and think you’ve got it then find another later I’d bet, as resourceful as you are, you could re-pack some of those leaking valves (that one may have been too small) you already have the spanner tool and some picks from your tool box, just need the packing material The old ammonia guys know all about that and really the Freon guys from 60 years ago

[@HVACRSurvival]

I don’t have any wax rope, I don’t even know if that’s what it was they used, do you know?

[@FPHA697]

Happy a Thanksgiving brother. Thanks for the video.

[@zekenzy6486]

Great video. Good job and Nice work. Thank you for sharing. Happy Thanksgiving

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thanks brother. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving too.

[@bryanharayda1975]

Great video Rick. I had no idea they make a packing nut tool, but I do know they make a sight glass tool to tighten a sight glass on a compressor like that one. Happy turkey day!

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thanks Bryan! Happy thanksgiving to you as well!

[@dantoubiana3286]

Great video Thank you and happy thanks giving

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thank you, Dan. It was a good Thanksgiving.

[@randomrefrigeration4564]

No no no sir You are flooding back Copland requires a minimum of 20 deg compressor/system super heat That’s measured 6” from the suction service valve 7-10 deg evaporator s/h is good for a cooler At the evap I enjoy watching your channel Sporlan makes a packing tool that also fits the tiny LLS stem I have a dozen of them and will happily ship you one Thanks

[@HVACRSurvival]

@@randomrefrigeration4564 you’re right. I should have mentioned that. I have mentioned that before but I screwed up. Good catch. Email me and I’ll get you my info

[@manhpham8052]

agree, minimum of 20F compressor super heat, recommend compressor super heat between 30F to 45F degree. by the way where did you buy the packing nut tool? i like to get one, those old receiver king valve leak all the times.

[@HVACRSurvival]

I contacted the factory and they sent me one. It can bend if it’s really tight. I tried making one out of a washer and it worked just about as good. You can use your chopsaw to cut a chunk out of the middle of the washer and as long as it fits down in there, it’ll work.

[@manhpham8052]

@@HVACRSurvival thank you, i will try to make one. It amazed me when watched your video today and saw that tool. So many times i have to replace the whole king valve because it leak

[@coldfinger459sub0]

Crimp connectors, one of the biggest leaks in the industry. Just like those guys who cannot properly braze.. We have the number of technicians who cannot properly crimp.. congratulations they’ve vented more leaks in more possible ways at a much greater expense.

[@kg4muc]

Great job! Happy Thanksgiving 🦃

[@johnwalker890]

Good job Rick, Technicians that do shotty work keep you in business, same thing keeps me in business for electrical............

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thanks John!

[@Eddy63]

Nice job ... Happy Thanksgiving ...Thx

[@HVACRSurvival]

Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

[@stephenbullock-yn3vh]

Excellent work rick👍💪✌️

[@helmsajr]

Nice work Rick. Happy Thanksgiving to you to.

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thanks for watching, hope you’re enjoying the holiday!

[@kastenusa]

Hey. What the low pressure should be on R134a refrigerator? My fridge has two compressors one for freezer one for fresh food. I know the low side on freezer should be 0-5psi. But not sure low side for fresh food compartment. Thank you!

[@HVACRSurvival]

I’d it’s a capillary tube it can range between 14-20 psig . That also depends where the box temp is at.

[@thesilentonevictor]

Good job rick

[@ReferBoyz]

Another great video 🦾

[@mypindiwala]

Thanks again for one more master class . Happy thanks giving.

[@HVACRSurvival]

Appreciate the kind words!

[@rayraap3905]

Well, at least the leak was easy to find, happy Thanksgiving.

[@HVACRSurvival]

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you had a good one!

[@WswRefrigeration]

Oooo I need that tool for the receiver packing

[@DanO181919]

Tried looking that one up online can’t find it.

[@HVACRSurvival]

You’ll have to ask for it from the factory. Just call them. Tell them you seen it on my channel.

[@WswRefrigeration]

@ is it flimsy or does it actually tighten the packing good?

[@NewDestinationEng]

That press fitting looks like RLS right? Always wondered if they were reliable

[@HVACRSurvival]

I’m not sure what brand it was.

[@Davidnichols-p7w]

Nice to have an indoor rack! Most of this bullcrap is on the roof.

[@HVACRSurvival]

This isn’t common at most places I work, just like you mentioned.

[@garypoplin4599]

1:44 - It looks like they don’t know how to crimp either. The jaws were in the wrong position on that coupling. It could also be that either the RLS tool was used on a Zoomlock fitting or the other way around. You should not get pooched-out lips on the ridge of the fitting after removing the tool. 13:32 - Clearly the tool was incorrectly placed onto the fitting! Pouting lips not allowed!

[@HVACRSurvival]

That’s why I didn’t trash the tool. I know there is a lot of prep involved with those fittings.

[@MariosACandRefrigeration]

24:25 better late than never.also why leave the LPS on the suction service vale,and not tie it to the suction line if empty,if someone closes that valve ,good by compressor.

[@HVACRSurvival]

True but I like not having to mess with service valves, and I already did way more than I probably should’ve for the amount of time I had. That was my half ass move of the day.

[@MariosACandRefrigeration]

@@HVACRSurvival I know,replacing that oil was bad ass.

[@jesussanchez3753]

Awesome way you explained why it’s a important to lube the back of the flare

[@H4zuZazu]

Did you ever had a male brass flare part that got so crushed that the shrader core was impossible to remove? Sometimes people want to cold weld the Flares together 🙂

[@throttlebottle5906]

they probably used a flat end cap and cranked it tighter than snot vs an actual flare cap with taper seat. doing that rolls the top edge in and distorts it all to hey.

[@HVACRSurvival]

@H4 yes it’s happened several times. Generally I have to yank this stem out of the schrader core and use the tool to back it out and sometimes even use a drillbit to drill the inside a little bit to open it up. Total pain in the ass.

[@DanO181919]

Is ultra 32-3MAF your go to on Copeland compressors?

[@HVACRSurvival]

It’s the type of POE oil we use for anything that doesn’t require a specific oil such as Trane and Carrier chillers they will require something different generally. Don’t know how they chose it. It’s just what we use.

[@bensreferigeration]

Nice video.

[@Pippy626]

Omg you used an imperial on a metric how dare you sir! LOL love the video screw the haters. You do you

[@HVACRSurvival]

It was the only one I had on hand.😂👍

[@jacobikes805]

No 407a on the truck?

[@HVACRSurvival]

Unfortunately, somebody got enticed by Honeywell and the 2 400 refrigerants we use are 407C and 407F. We might start jumping over to 448A but I was looking at the pressure and I’m not really impressed with the higher discharge. However, it works fine for my ice cream machines.

[@jacobikes805]

@ we have been converting a lot of supermarkets over to 448a from 507 here in California recently. Works great for medium temp, but the low temp applications we have to add liquid injection and head fans if the compressors don’t already have them. Overall, seems to be a pretty good refrigerant though

[@ThePunnisher29]

Just curious, how long did this repair take?

[@HVACRSurvival]

I think it might’ve been three or four hours.

[@melonz4011]

what paint pen are you using? mine never are as bold as yours.

[@throttlebottle5906]

not sure what brand he's using, but I say go for the oil based ones, as they tend to mark with the most density, always shake them up well regardless of brand/type.

[@HVACRSurvival]

It’s oil based and I have links in the description to most of all the tools I use. Plus, if you use the link I get a finders fee and it doesn’t cost you anything extra.

[@FrozenHaxor]

Of course it leaks at the crimp joint, every time I argue with youtubers putting those on that each of them is a future 2 points of failure as it's just 2 orings in a pipe I get so much push back it's unbelievable. Properly soldered / brazed joint with no mechanical stress will basically last forever, rubber won't!

[@HVACRSurvival]

I agree with you.

[@vadimvadim3017]

Hey Rick great job on another amazing video, just wondering if you ever considered 422d it’s a drop in for 22 and no oil replacement needed. Or what’s your thoughts on it?

[@HVACRSurvival]

I used it for AC work and did not like the performance. I’m not sure how it without work for refrigeration.

[@jeanluc397]

how long you been doing Refridgeration? that crimp leaking looked liked pilot error to me for sure

[@HVACRSurvival]

I know there’s a lot of good tools out there and I might be doing some reviews on them in the future so that’s why I also mentioned that it’s very important to properly prep the pipe before crimping it. It needs sanded and deburred and to me that seems like a lot of extra steps versus just brazing it however, I know there’s times we’re brazing is not permitted without a lot of permit work depending on where you’re working at. I’ve been doing this since 1995.

[@willtron71]

You just finger blasting that contactor?! Man, an insulated driver atleast Sheesh.

[@19thcenturyfuture]

Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it

[@brnmcc01]

That style of contactor is 'relatively' safe. The furnas brand ones with the solid face are better, but that little square is a bit too small for my fat fingers. I can barely push one of those in with a pinky finger. The cheaper White-Rodgers style with all the exposed metal tabs, I never touch with a finger. Always a screwdriver with a solid plastic handle.

[@throttlebottle5906]

lmao. probably 208V and he knows it, so finger bang-banging away. 🤣 many of us know the 120v tingle all to well. now that 277+ tingle is no bueno though.

[@HVACRSurvival]

Correct 👍

[@shine-cg9uf]

👍❄️💪🇺🇸 nice work

[@HVACRSurvival]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

[@sterlingarcher46]

They put the defrost clock there so the mice don't mess with it 😂

[@HVACRSurvival]

Are those French mice or dirty American mice😁

[@prothermal_refrigerationHVAC]

Zoom lock is good to make fast repair. but new install common, brazing is not that hard.

[@AirsoftColeraine]

Possibly hot works permit, I know a lot of sites when being built are tight on flames etc that we work on, I do see the advantages of press fit if done correctly

[@johnstrh1]

My boss is pushing us to only use the RLS press fittings. I did a change out the other day and brazed everything and he sent me a nasty text about it. I’m not gonna stop doing it tho lol

[@HVACRSurvival]

I agree brazing isn’t hard if you know what you’re doing. But I see a lot of faulty repairs lol

[@prothermal_refrigerationHVAC]

@@HVACRSurvival Lol! I have use press tool for copper condensate, if it leak, its just water😀

[@thephantom1492]

They say that crimped is good for 10 years so will last longer than the equipment... ... no comment...

[@HVACRSurvival]

🤣👍👍

[@neilcvids2583]

no comments, wut up with that?

[@jameslong3351]

I really don't like the crimp connection crap, just seems half assed and cheap.

[@HVACRSurvival]

Half ass, but they are not cheap but they do look cheap

[@HardKnocks101]

Surprised you did that large of a repair on a 22 year old condensing unit. I would have pushed to replace the entire condensing unit and then the refrigerant change over along with changing out the txv to accommodate

[@HVACRSurvival]

What do they do with their food In the meantime? This was a school. Nothing gets done quickly and the equipment probably wouldn’t be available for a few months.