window air conditioner

[gear jammer]

Can you recharge a window A/C anymore. It's 6 years old 24000 btu.

[Snipe Hunter]

You should be able to. They filled it, there should be schrader valve in it somewhere

[todayIlearned]

Can you recharge a window A/C anymore. It's 6 years old 24000 btu.

You are sure it needs recharging ,most likely it doesn't have a Shrader but one could be installed.

[bottd]

Can you recharge a window A/C anymore. It's 6 years old 24000 btu.

I think they are a lot like RV air conditioners in that most of them are a sealed system with no access points of any kind. By the time you find the leak and fix the leak, install the schrader valve and recharged the unit you could of bought a new unit, especially if you are paying someone a 100 plus hourly rate.

[blackhat]

Most units loose capacity because of condenser blockage. Get it out on the driveway or sidewalk, remove the sheet metal shell and have a look at the inside of the condenser (outside) coil. A garden hose is the weapon of choice.   Washing from the outside in, get the accumulated crud out. Avoid spraying controls. Clean the evap coil and fan as well. Let it dry thoroughly and reinstall.  The biggest part of the job is usually getting it on the ground and back again.

[gear jammer]

I had already had it out and took a hose to it. I didn't see a valve for recharging so that's when I asked here. It is blowing cool but not cold.

I have since found two Westinghouse 14000 BTU AC for less than a 24K. It would work with one at each end for the cabin.

Second question. I haven't price it yet but would a mini split do as much' I was reading where they can heat also. Take the chill off come fall.

[blackhat]

Normally the units don’t have an access valve. One can be added, this is more common with appliance folks than HVAC outfits. 

Mini splits easily have the same capacity as your 2 ton window shaker. Yes heat pump configuration is available

[DaveParkis]

We have a mini split and I couldn't be happier. Replaced a 14k unit in our living room and a small bedroom unit with the mini. The mini is waaay more energy efficient, about 1/10 the noise and I no longer have to kill myself taking the big one in and out. I am looking at getting the Mr. Cool mini for my shop. The one for the house is a Mitsubishi

[MstrCarpenter]

A Bullet Piercing Tap Valve Kit will do what you need. The tap valve alone is less expensive if you already have the other toys. Just be aware that these valves, similar to those frequently used for Ice makers, are prone to leakage too.

Mr. Cool advertises pre-charged line sets, but most mini-splits come pre-charged. The only difference is having to pull a vacuum before releasing the refrigerant (assuming line-set lengths are within spec.s). I personally know of at least three systems where that wasn't done; (No, not me.) and there were no filters or dryers installed either. They've been working fine for years. Most of these type systems do have strainers built in.

If your A.C. fix doesn't work, you can use that compressor for a vacuum pump. You'll probably still want a manifold gauge set though. I haven't brazed or silver soldered line sets (yet). I use Nylog Blue on flares, pressure test with nitrogen then vacuum (test), twice before opening the valves. I refer to charts to determine how much additional refrigerant to add for longer line-sets.

It's not rocket science, but actually checking the charge is much more involved with multi-speed/variable pumps with variable thermostatic expansion valves (TXV) and multiple heads than it used to be. We can get reasonably close with temperature readings but there's always a chance of overcharging and getting liquid refrigerant in the pump. Technical answer is to pump down system and refer to manufacturer charts to charge it. Real world answer, find and fix leak then add a little at a time.