How to refill a refrigerator with freon at home

Freon is an odorless and colorless gaseous substance, which, due to its properties (it absorbs thermal energy during evaporation), is used as a refrigerant in refrigeration technology. It is harmless to humans when used correctly, has a long service life while maintaining all characteristics.

If the cooling in the freezer chamber has sharply decreased or is completely absent, this may indicate a freon leak. In this case, the compressor operates in standard mode.

Attention! A freon leak can damage your equipment. As a result, it is important to identify the cause in a short period of time, eliminate it and fill the refrigerator with freon in the required quantity.

The location of the leak can be determined by visual inspection or by using a specialized leak detector tool. As a rule, this is in places where the evaporator is affected by corrosion or factory soldering.

A mechanical malfunction of some parts can cause a leak, so first you need to eliminate it and repair the failed parts.

All procedures can be carried out independently at home, but be sure to follow all precautions and technology to prevent subsequent leaks.

Preparatory work, tools

Important! Before purchasing freon, we determine its brand; this data can be found on the compressor housing. There we also find information about the amount of refrigerant required for refilling.

To carry out a full repair, you need the following tools, which are best prepared in advance:

• electronic type leak detector;
• tester and digital thermometer;
• vacuum pump;
• pliers;
• set of wrenches;
• pinch pliers,
• Schrader valve;
• and, of course, a cylinder with freon.

To carry out gas-flame work, you will need a protective screen.

Reference! The necessary equipment can be rented, since purchasing it will cost more than repairing it from a professional technician or at a service center.

Before starting refilling, it is necessary to carry out certain preparatory work, which consists of completely cleaning the evaporation system from the remaining refrigerant. Let's look at them in more detail.

The removal of gas from the system is carried out through the following actions: using a needle grip (vice), the filter-drier is clamped and pierced where the area with copper is observed. The part located in this place is subject to further replacement.

To keep the indoor air clean, you can vent the gas through a pipe leading into the window outside. Next, unnecessary pressure is released, and the installation is purged with nitrogen to eliminate excess moisture. And in the end, in the complete absence of refrigerant, a Schrader valve is installed, through which new freon will be supplied.

Important! Before connecting a cylinder filled with gas, make sure that its pressure is less than six atmospheres.If this parameter does not correspond to the norm, you can use a reducer to reduce it to the desired value.

Refueling instructions

After the preparatory operations, we begin the refueling procedure in compliance with all safety measures.

We will need two pressure gauges, red and blue, and three hoses: blue, yellow and red, which, as a rule, are already included.

The blue pressure gauge will monitor the suction pressure, and with the red pressure gauge we will monitor the inlet (discharge) pressure in our system.

Important! Before starting the filling procedure, set the valves on the pressure gauges to the “CLOSED” position.

1. We connect the blue hose to the tube through which we will fill the system; for this we will use a fitting.
2. Then we fix the yellow hose on the freon cylinder.
3. In order to measure the discharge pressure in the system, we connect the red hose to the so-called Schrader valve (soldered pipe on the pipeline).
4. We slowly perform the procedure for opening the valve on the blue pressure gauge and fill the system from a cylinder with freon at a pressure of (0.4 - 0.5) atm. After filling the system and reaching the desired pressure, close both valves.
5. We start the compressor for approximately thirty to forty seconds and then turn it off.
6. We disconnect the yellow tube from the cylinder and attach a vacuum pump to this place.
7. We turn on the connected pump for approximately nine to ten minutes, no more.

Important! Before turning on the pump, screw the blue valve on the pipeline all the way to the “CLOSED” position.

8. Then we connect the yellow hose to the gas cylinder, having first disconnected it from the vacuum pump.We open the valve, and at the same time disconnect the yellow tube from the manifold in advance, moving it slightly to the side in order to release air from the system.
9. After the air bleeding procedure has been completed, we connect the yellow hose back to the system and open the blue valve, the system is filled with gas to the required volume.
10. We turn on the compressor and monitor the pressure in the system using pressure gauges; if everything is fine and there are no deviations from the pressure corresponding to the norm, we bend the tubes.
11. We seal the bent tubes so that there is no leakage.

Precautionary measures

Refilling freon with your own hands requires great responsibility from the performer.

To comply with all safety precautions, before starting work, you must carefully read all the rules for safe handling of refrigerant.

Before starting work, you must disconnect the electrical appliance from the network.

During the repair process, the grounding condition of all equipment must be met. If this is not possible, then all work is carried out only on a specially equipped site using insulation.

When carrying out the full range of work with gas, it is prohibited to smoke and turn on heating devices.

The work is carried out with periodic ventilation of the kitchen, depending on the temperature outside (at least one ventilation every 10 - 15 minutes), since freon vapors can have a negative impact on the human condition. Professionals recommend using a protective mask.

It is advisable to purchase materials for repairs from trusted manufacturers who provide a guarantee on their products.

Compliance with fire safety rules is useful when soldering circuit joints.

Before checking the tightness of the installations, you must carefully read the instructions on safety regulations for refrigerators that operate on freon.

Using the above rules will allow you to carry out the repair procedure as safely as possible.

Who should I contact if I can’t change it myself?

If you do not have the opportunity to change freon yourself at home or purchasing all the necessary tools is quite expensive, you can contact a service center, where specialists will carry out high-quality repairs of your equipment in a short time.

You can also find a good craftsman through private advertisements, and the price will be much lower, but there is a risk of getting a less than high-quality end result.