Getting R134A evacuated from system

[pottymouth]

So I need to replace the compressor on my car and this is the first time I have had to do AC repairs on a system that was not leaking. I want to have the R134A removed by a professional but am not sure who to go to. I called a couple places in the phone book (yes, I'm an old man.) One still hasn't returned the call and the other said he will not perform the evacuation unless I pay him to do the recharge. I was upfront with him that I will recharge it myself and he gave me some [censored] about liability concerns.

So, who here has had their system professionally evacuated and how much did you pay? Bonus points to anyone who can refer me to someone in northern/central NJ who does this.

 

[mattd]

i think you will find it hard to find a shop that will evac the system, but not recharge it...

After evac, you need to deep vacuum the system for 45 minutes, then recharge to proper fill. You will need a specialty machine for evac and vacuum.

And by law (at least where i live), you need to be certified to touch a R134A system.

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: mattd
And by law (at least where i live), you need to be certified to touch a R134A system.


A shop needs to be. Not an individual. Correct?

 

[mattd]

Both. I had to take a test to become certified to handle R134A. I was not allowed to do A/C work at my shop until i was certified, even though i was already quite capable.

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: mattd
Both. I had to take a test to become certified to handle R134A. I was not allowed to do A/C work at my shop until i was certified, even though i was already quite capable.


I get it. But I don't think any agency is regulating home use.

I'm not advocating it, but opening the system at home isn't going to get anyone in trouble. Systems are leaking into the atmosphere everyday, and there's no regulations on that.

 

[mattd]

Much more refrigerant will come out at once, than slowly leaking out....i know no one is "watching" but if, god forbid, someone from the EPA or whomever, was driving by and noticed, thats a big fine.

My point to the OP was, there is special equipment to handle A/C systems, and most shops will not just evac a system without recharging.

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: mattd
Much more refrigerant will come out at once, than slowly leaking out....i know no one is "watching" but if, god forbid, someone from the EPA or whomever, was driving by and noticed, thats a big fine.

My point to the OP was, there is special equipment to handle A/C systems, and most shops will not just evac a system without recharging.


EPA doesn't regulate individuals at home, just businesses .

 

[mattd]

You seemed to have missed my point.

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: mattd
You seemed to have missed my point.


I got your point.

Just made a point of my own.

 

[Chris142]

I get $65 to hook up the machine and evacuate. $10 for oil with dye in it and $25 a lb for R134a. If you brought the car to me I would remove your R134a and give you a card showing how much I got out. When you want it recharged I won't charge you the amount
I removed. Only charge you for the extra needed if any to fill the system to spec.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: MarkM66
Originally Posted By: mattd
And by law (at least where i live), you need to be certified to touch a R134A system.


A shop needs to be. Not an individual. Correct?


An individual does not need to be certified in ANY way to perform R-134a maintenance on their own car. Doing it for others for pay, or working in a shop = different rules.

Its illegal for ANYONE to vent an R-134a system to the air (although the same ANYONE can buy a can of electronics duster at Office Depot or "freeze spray" at an electronics shop and spray it all over the place, and its.... R-134a. Don't even get me started).

 

[Trav]

They claim R12 was worse.I just let the stuff go if i need to.
Most of the systems i do are empty anyway from leaks.
As pointed out by others there are folks spraying dust off all over the place.

For decades junk yards just cut the lines and let the stuff go and that was R12,now the EPA is going to come after me for a few ounces? I think not.

 

[Paulson]

Well I just took the pressure transducer off my intrepid (isn't working right) and it's supposed to have a valve that would shut once the transducer came off... yeah it didn't shut and out went the $40 I spent filling the system

Now the issue is trying to find a replacement part (nowhere to be found other than a dealer.)

 

[motorguy222]

R134a is also used in asthma inhalers.I have one.

 

[carlprop]

Originally Posted By: motorguy222
R134a is also used in asthma inhalers.I have one.


Actually, most asthma inhalers now use HFA-134a as a propellant that is very similar in composition to R134a. I have asthma myself and have wondered about the effects of the new propellants as compared to the old CFC propellants in inhalers that I have used for many years in the past.

 

[pottymouth]

Thanks for the replies. It is perfectly legal in my state to purchase and handle R134a for use in your personal vehicle. I already have 3 cans of refrigerant to tackle the job.

Obviously, a specialized piece of equipment is required to evacuate and capture the refrigerant. If not, I would do that myself too. As far as charging goes, that's not really such a great investment. I have a set of manifold gauges and a basic vaccum pump that is more than capable of doing this job. I'm sure they're not a fast or fancy as professional equipment, but I have used them several times before with great success. They have already paid for themselves in the money saved over "professional" recharges.

Originally Posted By: Chris142
I get $65 to hook up the machine and evacuate. $10 for oil with dye in it and $25 a lb for R134a. If you brought the car to me I would remove your R134a and give you a card showing how much I got out. When you want it recharged I won't charge you the amount
I removed. Only charge you for the extra needed if any to fill the system to spec.


$65 seems a little steep to me for a simple evac, but I would probably be happy to pay $50 for the job. Problem is I can't find a single place to do the work. I donlt need a deep vacuum drawn or dye/oil put in as I am perfectly capable of doing this myself. $50 (plus the value of the refrigerant they recover)seems a more than fair price for maybe 15 minutes of time.

I have a strong feeling my system is about to spring a serious leak.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: pottymouth


$65 seems a little steep to me for a simple evac,
Ya well somebody gets to help me buy a $5000 AC machine, Upkeep on the AC machine that is over $1000 per year, $2000 refrigerant identifier, that the state says I must have, Rent @ $2200 per month, electric, phones and lets not forget the $1200 per month for the phone book add, $300 per month for permits and a whole bunch of other stuff I didn't include.

How does $65 sound now?

 

[pottymouth]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: pottymouth


$65 seems a little steep to me for a simple evac,
Ya well somebody gets to help me buy a $5000 AC machine, Upkeep on the AC machine that is over $1000 per year, $2000 refrigerant identifier, that the state says I must have, Rent @ $2200 per month, electric, phones and lets not forget the $1200 per month for the phone book add, $300 per month for permits and a whole bunch of other stuff I didn't include.

How does $65 sound now?


$15 too high. Exactly how much of those expenses do you expect to allocate to my 15 minute job?

 

[onion]

And this is a good example of ONE of the reasons I'm getting out of the repair industry.

 

[Chris142]

You originally asked how much to have your refrigerant recovered then later vacuumed and recharged. I answered with what I get to do the job. Sorry if you don't like my prices but that's the way the ball bounces. You can choose to take your car to whoever you want. Probably end up taking it to a shop that does not have a refrigerant identifier because they are $15 cheaper than any body else in town.

No wonder that no shops want to touch your car.

After visiting that shop it may work ok or maybe you will get a Blend of R134a, R12, R22, Propane and butane. You will always wonder why it never seems to be as cold as it should be.

The Ac machine has a 6.5in vacuum pump, not a junky 1.5in one. I vacuum all cars I work on 30 minutes, then the machine does a 10m minute leak test then it vacuums it another 15 minutes.