Thread: looking for AC gas 'sight glass'

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

That's a bit of a bugger. We used to buy those cans of top-up gas from K Mart and Autostore, hook 'em up and gas up until there were no bubbles in the sight glass as per the instructions. How does one do it now? The top-up cans are still widely sold and advertised in the USA. Can they still be bought here?

I remember the tins Brian but have not seen them since they started geting fussy about the ozone layer. pitty as I still have the adapter pipe that cliped on the top of the can.

You can buy R134a off the shelf at any chemist, but it only comes in small cans and you need to filter the particles out...

always wondered why they put the filter in a sealed system.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

nope and its ****ful....

In the US you can by R12 and R404 off the shelf, as well as r134.....

here were down to the envoro green crap that leaks out of everything, requires just the one type of oil which is compatible with basically nothing else and they charge the earth for the crap here.

in the states I could buy and chuck 50 of the 1lb disposables to recharge an industrial AC unit for less than I can get a 4.5kg bottle here.

The sight glass is the quickest and easiest way of charging a system providing you know what gas and oil you already have in there and assuming the system isnt contaminated.

Yeah, they do things a bit differently over there. You can buy disposable oxygen and acetylene cylinders at auto and hardware stores off the shelf. In fact, you can buy a whole kit in a big blister pack, cylinders, hoses, handpieces, nozzles. Better than paying rent to BOC.

you used to be able to do that here to.

now you can get the kit sans bottles.....

Whoah ....

I've tinkered with the A/C on my own cars. In Australia you can't buy R134a unless you have a refrigeration certificate (I wouldn't touch the crap in old cars either way). What you want is HR12, Hichill -20. It's as efficient as r12 for older cars, doesn't leak away as readily as R134a, runs lower head pressure ... And is environmentally friendly. It's a hydrocarbon gas (it's what all the "greenfreeze" type fridges and products run). Disposable cans from bursons are cheap, the fitting for the top ***isn't***. You DO NOT need a refridgeration license to buy the stuff. Don't accept that bull$h!t if they try it on. All hychill is ..... is BBQ Gas. It's a butane/propane/etc mix. If you need a fridgey license to buy it, you also can't buy LPG for your car or BBQ without a license

HyChill Refrigerants - Manufacturers of Hydrocarbon Refrigeration Gases, HC's, HR12, ER12 - CFCs, HFCs, HCFCs, hydroflurocarbons, R12, R22/502, R290, R600a, and R134a Replacements

I'm not sure why viewing glass has been mention. You haven't been able to use them since R12 was in use ( 20years ago ??). You weigh the charge in. Have a look around ebay, I got some 20kg scales for about $25bucks delivered similar to these ...

Euro Chef Digital Commercial Kitchen Scales Shop Electronic Food Weight Scale | eBay

Way accurate enough to weigh 300grams in from a 4.5kg Hychill -30 bottle.

Hychill will also go over both R12 and R134a oil *and* gas.

Gauge and manifold sets are really cheap these days:

R12 R22 R134A R502 A C Diagnostic Manifold Gauge SET Hvac AC Refrigeration Test | eBay

I picked up a 2nd hard 2 stage refrigeration robinair vacuum pump really cheaply a few years back. I've probably invested $300 in A/C stuff. It's paid for itself dozens of times over. I just 'Vac the system down and weigh in the correct charge weight. It's usually only 300gms (versus more than triple that for R134a) and your A/C is more efficient.

I even fitted a twin evaporator A/C system to one of my old cars. There's no way I'd be paying through the nose to get A/C systems worked on in cars. If mine leaks a small amount (eg: it's starts to not cool every 12+ months) I just stick more gas in and don't worry about it. Before all the nutty greenies start jumping and and down and raving at me like lunatics.....Remember it's only LPG.... You'd release more of the stuff into the environment just filling a 9kg BBQ bottle, than the tiny amount that's leaking away from your cars A/C over a couple of years. Remember, it's not R134a which I've read has links to testicular cancer and all sorts of ugly stuff

Yes its IS explosive before anyone points that out. It's only 300gms though. All A/Cs are highly flamable if they have catastrophic leaks. remember it contains oil under pressure.

I have also found if you ask auto refrigeration mechanics about hychill they'll dance around telling you it's full of water and will rott your A/C system out :Rolling : What an utter crock of **** :Rolling : They don't want it or like it as there all setup for R134a... and it allows poeple to do there own A/C at home.

seeya,
Shane L.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

nope and its ****ful....

In the US you can by R12 and R404 off the shelf, as well as r134.....

Same here,you just need to know where to get it,and have the correct tickets.

Its the carbon levy that caused the price issue,but we won't go there

Apart from R22 that is being phased out.

As for glasses on auto air systems,many vehicles still have them,our work Tojo and Mitsy vans have them,they are all late model,one is MY13.

The glasses may be there so you can tell what is going on in the system,particularly if it is not working correctly,not as an indicater that the refrigerant charge is correct.

Originally Posted by scarry

Same here,you just need to know where to get it,and have the correct tickets.

Its the carbon levy that caused the price issue,but we won't go there

Apart from R22 that is being phased out.

As for glasses on auto air systems,many vehicles still have them,our work Tojo and Mitsy vans have them,they are all late model,one is MY13.

The glasses may be there so you can tell what is going on in the system,particularly if it is not working correctly,not as an indicater that the refrigerant charge is correct.

You can buy a manifold and gauge set for about $40bucks these days They will tell you a lot more than a site glass . It still doesn't give you the charge weight in there though. It will however show if you low side is going sucking down far to low (which could indicate low refrigerant levels ).

seeya,
Shane L.