Air conditioner discussion

[Liquid_force]

My A/C worked ok most of the summer.

About a month ago I got smart (i.e. stupid) and decided it wasn't blowing quite as cold as it should be so I got my gauges out to play.

I have an interdynamics chart of high/low pressure ranges according to ambient temp and the readings I was getting seemed pretty high.
So - being the smart guy I am I decided it would be helpful to bleed off a little refrigerant (sorry EPA).

That was a bad idea. Since then I've had a semi-cool (at best) ac. I've added back some 134a but I've seen high side pressures at 350-375 and I think my chart says it should be more like 275-300.
Low side seems to be fairly steady at 40-45, but will swing as much as 20-50 with idle speed changes and compressor cycles.

I know, I know -- I should just take it somewhere and have it vacuumed and recharged with the correct amt -- which I will likely do next spring, but the hot season's winding down and I'd rather get it through the next few weeks on my own.

Basically I'm just curious if anyone has monitored their AC pressures and what they typically run at on a hot day -- idle & ~2k.

 

[stephen newberg]

Being somewhat sleeping dog oriented, my AC has always worked fine so I have never touched it at all.

pax, smn

 

[98SF19]

my AC has always worked fine so I have never touched it at all.

- I hate you -
and many others on this forum do as well, especially those of us in the south!

To the OP, you hit the nail on the head - take it to the shop. My situation is that I can't afford to throw good money after bad. I.E. my controller's dead and instead of buying one that's 14 or 15 years old that might croak at any time, I'm saving $ to get the youngest one I can (2008 was last year they made solid state blower controllers that 98 sho can use, AFAIK). But even after this is resolved, I'll be back to whatever the problem was originally (suspect blend door actuator and/or RCC, the latter of which also runs an arm and a leg).

Stephen, do you understand now how much I hate you? At least now we're on the downhill side of the summer heat, but not very far down it!

 

[stephen newberg]

- I hate you -
and many others on this forum do as well, especially those of us in the south!...

...Stephen, do you understand now how much I hate you? At least now we're on the downhill side of the summer heat, but not very far down it!

:angelnot:

Actually, we have had our hottest summer here on Vancouver Island since 2004. All of July and the first week of August were averaging high 20s to low 30s C, 5-6 degrees C above normal. Lets see, in F that means we were running about 85-95F. That is toasting for out here, were we are a temperate rain forest. And then there is the rain thing this summer. Or the non-rain thing, anyway. We had no rain in July at all, and so far in August we have had what they call 'traces', which amounts to none. Normally we would have had 60mm or so in July and another 40mm or so in August. Lets see, that is a total of about 4 inches of precipitation that has just not happened. At the moment the SHO is starting to look a tad dusty and could use a wash, but I am holding off as though the well is fine so far, with things this dry I do not want to test it in ways I really do not have to.

So, I understand your hate, but it is, partly anyway, misplaced.

pax, smn