Air Conditioner commissioned without a vacuum pump & N2?

[rollingstein]

I bought a new home AC (split; 1.5 ton) and the tech the company sent to install it didn't seem to have neither a vacuum pump nor a N2 cylinder in his kit.

I am leery. Is it really possible to install an AC without these items? Can he do a reasonable job evacuating the lines & leak testing any other way?

I've stalled the tech for the moment. Should I be looking for a better tech?

 

[nsaspook]

Are the lines 'pre-charged/evacuated' with some sort of air-tight connection? If not then you need to evacuate/purge the lines to get the moisture out.

 

[insightful]

This isn't a 'mini-split' system, is it? They can come with pre-charged lines. Otherwise, this may interest you:

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?108650-ac-installed-without-pulling-a-vacuum

 

[rollingstein]

Are the lines 'pre-charged/evacuated' with some sort of air-tight connection? If not then you need to evacuate/purge the lines to get the moisture out.

Not sure about the lines. I will check. But the refrigerant is inside the out door unit itself. No external charging from a cylinder.

That's not what you meant by "pre charged lines" though, is it?

 

[rollingstein]

This isn't a 'mini-split' system, is it? They can come with pre-charged lines.:

How do they do the piping in a pre charged system? Is it possible to bend & join pipes that contain refrigerant inside them?

 

[nsaspook]

Not sure about the lines. I will check. But the refrigerant is inside the out door unit itself. No external charging from a cylinder.

That's not what you meant by "pre charged lines" though, is it?

They might use pre-charged lines systems with a small auto purge of the gas on the specialized“quick-lock” while the connection is made. Most of my experience is with He cryogenic refrigerant systems where gas purity is pretty important at 10K or lower so all of our lines are purged and pre-charged before installation using special connectors.

 

[insightful]

Gas-charged lines can be bent. Have you contacted the manufacturer for installation requirements?

Edit: Pre-charged lines seem to be rare. In all cases, most of the refrigerant comes in the outdoor unit.

 

[rollingstein]

Most of my experience is with He cryogenic refrigerant systems where gas purity is pretty important at 10K or lower

Sounds fancy. May I ask what kind of systems you were cooling so low?

Or would you have to kill me if you told me?

 

[rollingstein]

Have you contacted the manufacturer for installation requirements?

I have. But I haven't heard back yet. This is an LG unit.

 

[nsaspook]

Sounds fancy. May I ask what kind of systems you were cooling so low?

Or would you have to kill me if you told me?

It's nothing fancy, mainly for cryogenic pumps for vacuum systems.

 

[rollingstein]

Otherwise, this may interest you:

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?108650-ac-installed-without-pulling-a-vacuum

The compressor damage described here sounds pretty bad. Maybe I should insist on a vacuum pump after all.