Air Compressor??

[Phoenix]

My ac project has been on hold for eons now. EVERYTHING is ready to go except that I need an air compressor to flush the pipes.

Anyone know of a decently priced air compressor that actually performs well for automotive purposes. I don't want to pay for a service that costs a decent fraction of the tool itself. I'm very cheap that way 8)

I can make a vacuum pump from a refricerator compressor I think. But I don't have a garage/yard. Would that be a safe thing to have lying around the house. I'd rather avoid breathing a steady mix of freon and air.

Know of anywhere that rents out compressors/vacuums at an ok price/

Ideally I'd like to use the compressor for spray painting too.

[Racefiend]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=3952

Here's a vacuum pump for a great price. Same thing sells at a/c shops for ~$70. As far as compressors go, good luck. Gotta pay to play when it comes to those things. I'd recommend 25gallons minimum.

[pdupler]

Gotta have a big air compressor to run these venturi type vacuum pumps. Under 5hp/20gal won't keep up with it. Remember, you want to pull a vacuum for at least 15minutes, upwards of an hour for complete evacuation so a small compressor would run constantly without cycling and would likely burn up. Even my 7hp/60gal cycles frequently while powering this unit.

You also don't want too small a compressor for spray painting but for a different reason. The smaller the compressor, the more moisture you get in the air and a dryer won't take it all out. The unit needs to be big enough to cycle infrequently while painting giving the air a chance to cool some and the condensate to fall out (the reason you drain your tank every day). And if you want to use the HVLP guns, you gotta have a HUGE compressor and considerable sized plumbing with it - none of your typical portable compressors on wheels will do.

In short, do some research on the tools you'll want to use and don't be so cheap as to buy a compressor thats not big enough to do the job. I also recommend the belt-drive, oil bath type compressors over the direct drive units too because they are much quieter and last a lot longer.

Phil D.

[Phoenix]

Thanks guys. I think I'll hold off on buying a compressor untill I have more money to spend.

About my ac issue. Can I pull a vacuum with a break bleeding hand pump.
Also, I'm converting from r12 to es12a which is totally reverse compatible and uses the same oil. I'm replacing the expansion valve. So do I really NEED to flush the system??? I'd appreciate any advice

[dannymk2]

theres a rental place by me that rents air compressors. im sure other places rent them as well if your not ready to buy one.

[Phoenix]

theres a rental place by me that rents air compressors. im sure other places rent them as well if your not ready to buy one.

I'll have to look into that. What does your place charge for renting compressors?

[dannymk2]

ive never rented one because i own one but think its around $30-40 a day.

[Phoenix]

ive never rented one because i own one but think its around $30-40 a day.

Ahh. back to square one. That's what Karplus were going to charge me to flush the system in the first place. I thought that the machine had to be a low multiple of that figure. I was wrong :(

[Keyfoo]

i used that es-12a because you dont have to vac the a/c sys . mine was apart for 2 yrs and it was 95 today a/c was 38.

[Phoenix]

i used that es-12a because you dont have to vac the a/c sys . mine was apart for 2 yrs and it was 95 today a/c was 38.

Thanks. Keefoo. I have to vacuum it cuz im replacing the drier and expansion valve. I am using es12a. So even though it is better to flush the system, I can get away without flushing it. I still have to vacuum it though, to get the moisture out.

Would it be possible to use a hand operated brake bleeding vacuum pump to vacuum it?

[LVCAPPER]

No a hand vac pump wont work, but the compressor from the fridge will work well. I keep one of these at work and use it pretty frequently. you should use some type of guage to make sure you reach full vac. (27in.hg. minimum) and it holds for at least 2 min. also unless your old compressor failed badly and sent particles through your system you will probably be ok without flushing as long as your using the same oil type. just dont forget that theres still some in there so reduce your oil capacity by an oz. or two. By the way the absolute best flushing agent is freon itself so if you have an extra can or two blow the lines with that. just dont let the EPA nazis catch you.