DIY install Question

[CybergamerUK]

Hi All,

I hope you dont mind a DIY install question.

About 2 years ago, i purchased a second hand but nearly new DIY split Air conditioner 9000BTU, Marked up as from Wickes but was a Gree Unit.

Installed the system and all seems well and running. However because of the 2 year delay in installing i thought i should check the gas levels. With the unit off the low pressure side is showing very high pressure. Is this normal? should i only check it with the unit running?

Also the outside pipes are insulated and in a white sheaf running down the brickwork to the wall mounted unit. Is there any exterior trunking i could use to make it look a little neat and can you use an adhesive to stick the trunking down?

Thank you in advance for your comments.

[The MG Pony]

unless you understand refrigeration guage readings will be meaningless to you.

There are many vanity plating systems you can get to hide line sets, and yes a high quality adhesive will stick to the foam, how ever any repair costs will reflect the poor tech having to fight it off! 3 screws is all you need, 2 top 2 middle 2 bottom and that aut to be enough to keep the lines nicely hidden with out making your tech un happy with you in the futur.

Being I am in Canada I can't recomend any materials, and will cuation you to look into the localy acceptable practices for doing a vanity plate installation to conceal refrigerent carrying lines.

[passandscore]

With the unit off the low-side will always show higher then when it is operating. Check the operation when running and get back to us.

[The MG Pony]

leave the gas alone unless you are qualified, 410a is a high pressure gas and one little mistake ends in very big consequences! unless you are trained to do so it is very UN-Recommended. Aside from the fact we need far more then just gas pressures to give any real answer.

guage readings are a drip of water in a big ocean in of them selfs quite meaningless

[r.bartlett]

unless qualified this is illegal.

[The MG Pony]

unless qualified this is illegal.

there is that factor too! It drives me nuts that people shove gauges on things for no reason! as if by magic a flashing sign will pop up telling them the answers to the univers!!!!!!!

Unles tall ells hase been checked you should NEVER go for the gas system, it is a sealed pressurized closed loop system! and unless you know what you are doing touching the gas is a waste of time and will cuase even more issues!

This is why when I build microchiller systems I make them with out service ports and I use all manual reset safeties!

[Rob White]

Hi All,

I hope you dont mind a DIY install question.

About 2 years ago, i purchased a second hand but nearly new DIY split Air conditioner 9000BTU, Marked up as from Wickes but was a Gree Unit.

Installed the system and all seems well and running. However because of the 2 year delay in installing i thought i should check the gas levels. With the unit off the low pressure side is showing very high pressure. Is this normal? should i only check it with the unit running?

Also the outside pipes are insulated and in a white sheaf running down the brickwork to the wall mounted unit. Is there any exterior trunking i could use to make it look a little neat and can you use an adhesive to stick the trunking down?

Thank you in advance for your comments.

To work with refrigerants you have to be qualified and this
is a legal qualification, just the same as gas fitters need to be
qualified as gas safe.

It is against the law for you to work on the refrigerant side of the
system and if any one gave you advise they would be complicit in
that crime.

Regards

Rob

.

[CybergamerUK]

To work with refrigerants you have to be qualified and this
is a legal qualification, just the same as gas fitters need to be
qualified as gas safe.

It is against the law for you to work on the refrigerant side of the
system and if any one gave you advise they would be complicit in
that crime.

Regards

Rob

.

Rob,

That is very interesting. How do they sell DIY refill kits legally like 1 Kg R407c REFRIGERANT GAS DO-IT-YOURSELF RECHARGE KIT. Available in the UK and Europe.

I feel a tricked if its illegal to use it on your own unit.

They even sell these recharge kits in Halfords for Cars. Are you sure the law on this applies to offering a commercial service?

I would hate people to read this thread and come away with the wrong information.

[The Viking]

Dear Cybergamer,

You are of course right, everybody should have the right information before they start doing things. Here on this board we are mainly simple engineers, to see for yourself what the law say you should go straight to the horse's mouth...
DEFRA is the government's department that deals with these issues here in UK, may I humbly suggest that you look at THIS page from direct.gov from that page you can follow the link to RAC3 that outline the legal responsibilities for people in anyway involved with refrigerants, the main bit for your research can be found in paragraph 4.6 of RAC3:

Applicable from 4th July 2007 to all sizes of RAC system.
Personnel carrying out leak checking, gas recovery, plant installation, maintenance orservicing on equipment that contains or is designed to contain F gas refrigerant must have an appropriate qualification.

The automotive industry used to have an exception but I believe that is now, or are being, phased out.

Also applicable to your "DIY kit" is paragraph 4.8:

Applicable from 4th July 2007 to all sizes of RAC system.
The use of non-refillable containers for transporting or storing F gas refrigerants is banned.Placing on the market of non-refillable containers used to service equipment was bannedfrom July 2007, except for those shown to be manufactured (i.e. filled with refrigerant)before July 4th 2007.

And paragraph 5.8:

Applicable from 2010 for all sizes of systems.
Personnel carrying out leak checking, gas recovery or other refrigerant handling activities,such as plant maintenance, must have a suitable refrigerant handling qualification. SeeInformation Sheet RAC 5 for further information about qualifications.

If you follow the link to RAC5 from the main page above you will find the different requirements on qualification.

Happy reading!



Mellow?? Ba Humbug!