A list of general precautions that should be observed while servicing the
system include:
- You must be certified to work on air conditioning systems in order to
buy any refrigerant.
- It is illegal to service an air conditioning system unless certified and
trained to do so.
- Keep all tools as clean and dry as possible.
- Thoroughly purge the service gauges and hoses of air and moisture before
connecting them to the system. Keep them capped when not in use.
- Thoroughly clean any refrigerant fitting before disconnecting it, in order
to minimize the entrance of dirt into the system.
- Plan any operation that requires opening the system beforehand in order
to minimize the length of time it will be exposed to open air. Cap or seal
the open ends to minimize the entrance of foreign material.
- When adding oil, pour it through an extremely clean and dry tube or funnel.
Keep the oil capped whenever possible. Do not use oil that has not been
kept tightly sealed.
WARNING
Use the correct refrigerant only. R-12 and R-134a must never be mixed, even
in the smallest amounts. These two refrigerant systems are not compatible,
mixing these will result in damage to your air conditioning system.
Completely evacuate any system that has been opened to replace a component,
other than when isolating the compressor, or that has leaked sufficiently to
draw in moisture and air. This requires evacuating air and moisture with a good
vacuum pump for at least one hour.
NOTE: If a system has been open for a considerable length
of time it may be advisable to evacuate the system for up to 3 hours.
Use a wrench on both halves of a fitting that is to be disconnected, so as
to avoid placing torque on any of the refrigerant lines.
