Vacuum and Evacuation

 System Evacuation
o Montreal Protocol
o Recovery, recycling, reclaiming of refrigerants :

 Purpose of Evacuation the System

o Non-Condensable Gases
o moisture
o Good practices when doing system evacuation:
o Keep the system clean, sealed and dry:

 Vacuum Measurement
 Charging Manifold

o Manifold Body and Hand Valves

o Manifold Body and Hand Valves
o Analog vs Digital
o Procedures of using gauge manifold

 Vacuum Pump requirement for System Evacuation

o Two useful basic principles for using vacuum pump:
o Vacuum Pump Construction:

 Deep Vacuum
 Refrigerant Recovery Procedure

o Direct Recovery Process

o Push/Pull
o Good procedure to speed up the recovery process

 Evacuation Procedure
System Evacuation
Removal of moisture, air and non-condensable gases from a refrigeration system is called system
evacuation. A set of hoses and fittings and a vacuum pump are used to pull the sealed HVAC system
into a vacuum. This removes air, nitrogen and moisture from the HVAC system.

Note : You have to recovered the refrigerant in the system before evacuation.

Montreal Protocol
After several years of negotiations, Montreal Protocol agreement is put into force in mid 1989. The
agreement regulates the production and use of CFCs, HCFCs, halons, methyl chloroform and carbon
tetrachloride. This landmark agreement initially required a production and consumption freeze. The
Montreal Protocol implements a stepwise reduction and eventual production phase-out of various
ozone depleting substances (ODS) in developed countries. For example in the United States,
CFCswere the first substance group that was phased-out of production. Some HCFC refrigerants are
scheduled for phase-out as early as 2020, and by 2030 all HCFCs will be phased-out. When supplies
and productions of restricted refrigerants are depleted, future supplies will come from only
recovered,recycled, or reclaimed refrigerants.

Recovery, recycling, reclaiming of refrigerants :

Release of CFC refrigerants into the atmosphere is prohibited by the law. The condition has resulted
in new procedures to recover, recycle and reclaim the refrigerants. The industry has adopted specific
definitions for these items.

To recover refrigerant means to remove the refrigerant in any condition from a system and store it in
are covery cylinder. It is illegal and prohibited by the law to purge or vent refrigerants into the
atmosphere. A set of approved recovery equipment allows technicians to repair the system and
safely dispose the refrigerant without harming the atmosphere.

Figure 1. A recovery cylinder

To recycle refrigerant means to clean the refrigerant for the purpose of reuse. This is done by oil
separation and single or multiple passes through devices such as replaceable core filter-driers. The
process reduces moisture, acidity and matter. The recycle procedures normally implemented at the
field job site or at a local service shop.

In most cases, recovered refrigerant is returned to the system from which it was taken following
repair of the system. Recycled refrigerant may also be used in another system belonging to the same
owner. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations prohibit a change of ownership of
recycled refrigerant, so that it may not be sold or given away. If a recycled refrigerant is to be sold, it
must be reclaimed.

In most cases, the recovered refrigerant is put back to the system after the system being repaired.
Recycled refrigerant maybe used for other system that use the same refrigerant and belong to the
same owner. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations prohibit a change of ownership of
recycled refrigerant. When recycled refrigerant is to be sold, it must be reclaimed before it can be
used again.

To reclaim means to reprocess refrigerant to be a new product according to the specifications. The
process may include distillation which requires chemical analysis of the refrigerant to determine that
appropriate product specifications are met. Reclaimed refrigerant must meet the ARI (Air
Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute) standard of purity.

Reclaiming process procedures are normally available only at a reprocessing or manufacturing

facility. In some cases, on-site or local service shops that are equipped with highly technical
equipment can do proper job of the reclaiming process.

Purpose of Evacuation the System

System evacuation of a refrigeration system serves two main objectives :

1. To remove non-condensable.
2. To dehydrate and remove moisture.

When it is found in an HVAC system, contaminants (Non-condensable gases and moisture) prevent
the equipment from working properly and may result in premature failure.Some of the specific issues
that can arise:

Non-Condensable Gases
Refrigerants transfer heat when they change phases. It absorbs heat while transforming from liquid
to vapour in the evaporator. When vapour refrigerant enters the condenser, it releases heat to the
ambient air, cooling and condense the refrigerant into liquid.

It then flows into the expansion device and experience pressure drop, returns to a lower pressure,
cooler liquid.When a non-condensable gases present in a system, it will take up space, limiting the
refrigerant’sability to condense in condenser. When air presents in the system, the system operates
at higher condensing pressure. The conditions occur because the air is trapped at the top of the
condenser and effectively reducing the condenser capacity. The increase of condensing pressure
results in a higher compression ratio and produces a higher discharge temperature. Those conditions
decrease system efficiency and subjected to decreased reliability.

Some of the effects of non condensable gas in the refrigeration system are :

 A higher condensing pressure and temperature than the design.

 A noticeable increase temperature in high side line
 Organic acids are formed
 Early compressor failure
 Figure 2. Pressure check after recovery to find non condensable gases contents in recovery cylinder

moisture
Moisture of water vapor must be removed from refrigeration systems due to several logical
reasons.The water vapor "freeze-up" and become ice at the expansion device (TXV or capillary
tube),causing a restriction in the refrigerant line and create loss of refrigeration effect. If moisture
enters the circuit of an A/C or heating unit, it can freeze inside the control, restricting the unit from
conditioning the air.

Some effects when moisture presents in the refrigeration systems :

 Ice is formed in the refrigeration line

 Ice blocks expansion device such as capillary tube, TXV
 Create loss of refrigeration effect and system problem
 Damage of compressor internal parts may occur

Moisture, refrigerant, and heat combines and become acids. When the acids mix with oil and metal
wear particles, it forms sludge that tends to collect at the hottest areas, usually the discharge valve
plate. When the condition allowed to build up, it can gradually prevent the discharge valves from
properly sealing.

Good practices when doing system evacuation:

 Taking certain measures help to do a successful refrigerant evacuation
 Get use to best practices while assembling field connections and making repairs
 Make sure the fittings and refrigerant circuit components are clean and free of debris.
 Always clean tubing before cutting.
 Cover all open pipe works to prevent rainwater or condensation from entering.
 Replace filter drier as needed.
 Purge nitrogen before and after assembling tubing.
 Use high pressure nitrogen to conduct a standing pressure test.

Keep the system clean, sealed and dry:

 Use short, dedicated large-diameter low loss vacuum hoses.
  When possible connect straight from the CRTs to the vacuum pump without manifold.
 Use clean oil for the vacuum pump, check and test it periodically.
 Isolate and test to make sure there are no leaks or moisture after the target vacuum level has
been reached.
 Do not over simplify and take shortcuts. It could lead to an inefficient unit or premature
system failure.

Vacuum Measurement
At sea level, normal temperature of 68°F, one atmosphere exerts a pressure of 14.696 psi (pounds
per square inch), or 29.921 inHg. (inches of mercury). At this pressure, a calibrated compound
pressure gauge shows 0 psig (pounds per square inch gauge). This pressure is referred to as
Standard Pressure and is equal to one atmosphere (psia).

At 0 psig, pure water boils at temperature 212°F. A pure water when move to an altitude higher than
sea level at 5,000 feet above sea level boils at 203.4°F. This is because the atmosphere exerts less
pressure at approximately 25 inHg, 12.278 psi or 0.835 psia. If we increase the pressure to 15 psi or30
psia, the boiling point of the water rises to 250°F. This condition is known as the pressure–
temperature relationship. The boiling point can be altered and controlled by adjusting the pressure
above the water surface. Consequently, lowering the vapor pressure into a vacuum, any water in the
system will boil into vapor for removal by the vacuum pump.

When the internal pressure of a sealed refrigeration system is reduced to 29 inHg, we can say that we
have evacuated the system. We have removed air and non-condensable gases. At this point, we have
lowered the boiling point of any remaining moisture in the system, but we have not dehydrated the
system completely. To do complete dehydration, we need to attach a micron gauge to the system to
measure the vacuum level between 29 to 30 inHg.

A micron is a metric measure and is defined as 1 millionth of a meter or 1 thousandth of a

millimeter.Most of U.S. consider of a perfect vacuum as 30 inches of mercury (InHg). The last inch
(from 29-30)of vacuum is equal to 25,400 microns. The micron then is a much more precise method
for measuring deep vacuums.

1 micron = 0.001 mm Hg = 0.000039 inches of Hg = 1 millitorr

Note that : when discussing vacuum in terms of microns, this refers to total ABSOLUTE pressure(psia)
as opposed to GAUGE pressure (psig).

Micron gauge versus Bourdon type gauge:

 Microns are more precise unit of measuring vacuum.

 Microns measures from starting point of theoretical perfect vacuum
 Bourdon tube type gauge does not read fractions in vacuum condition.
 Bourdon tubes use atmospheric pressure as reference point that is influenced by the
weatherconditions throughout the day.

The scale of the electronic gauge ranges from 0 to 5,000 microns. As we continue extracting vapor
from the system with a vacuum pump, gradual pressure decrease is shown on the micron gauge.
When we stop the vacuuming process, the system is to remain in static pressure and no rise in
pressure will be noted on the micron gauge. This means that the system is completely sealed and
dehydrated. When moisture is still present in the system, a noticeable rise in pressure will be shown
on the micron gauge as liquid moisture boils off into a vapor.
 Figure 3. A micron gauge made by CPS

Charging Manifold
Gauge manifolds are the standard and basic tools that HVAC technicians must have. The gauge
manifold is used for service tool as well as diagnosis. A technician must have R-134a, R-410a, R-600a,
R-404a manifolds to service modern refrigeration and air conditioning systems. The gauge manifolds
is used to make pressure checks when the system under repair or maintenance procedures.Manifold
gauges are used for service procedures such as recovery, evacuation and charging of refrigeration
and air conditioning systems. Technicians often have their own gauge manifolds as part of their tool
set. All gauge manifolds have the same basic parts, there are some variations among manufacturers
regarding the number of ports and valves in the manifold. The major parts of a common gauge
manifold are shown in picture below.

Figure 4. A diagram of 3 ports with 2 valves Gauge Manifold

Manifold Body and Hand Valves
The manifold body is made of brass or aluminum. Passages are drilled in the body to connect the
manifold ports. The flow of refrigerant in the manifold is controlled by the manual hand valves. Some
manifold bodies have a sight glass to observe the refrigerant flow. Note that both gauges are always
connected to the refrigeration system pressure regardless the condition of the hand valves. This
means that the gauges can read refrigeration system pressures when the valves are closed.Valve
wheels for the high and low sides are identified by color. The low side hand wheel is in blue color
and the high side hand wheel is in red color.

Manifold Body and Hand Valves

The low and high sides gauges that are used with a refrigeration gauge manifold are either analog or
digital type. In an analog gauge, the position of the needle correlates to the numbers on the gauge
face plate which indicates the pressure or vacuum in the refrigeration system. Digital gauges use a
numerical reading to indicate system pressure or vacuum.

High side gauges that are used for R22, R134a and R404a normally be calibrated from 0-500 psi.

Figure 5. High side gauge

Low side gauges for the same refrigerant types are calibrated from 0 to 100-250 psi. Low side gauges
also have a provision for measuring 0-29.9” of vacuum in.Hg (approximately 50 microns).
 Figure 6. Low side gauge

Analog vs Digital
Digital manifold gauges have gained their popularity in HVAC due to the readings a technician can
get quickly and reliably and also a lot more automatic calculations regarding performance parameter
of the refrigeration system can be displayed automatically and quickly.

Figure 7. A digital manifold made by RobinAir

Analog manifold gauges are still very popular and used by almost all HVAC technicians because of
many reasons. It is more economical than the digital one and to some people the needle movement
can shows many things that are not noticeable in digital scale.

Figure 8. An analog manifold made by CPS

Procedures of using gauge manifold

1. Connect the high pressure side of the cooling line to the red port on the gauge. The red port and
red gauge are always the high pressure gauges. You will want to attach a code-approved red hose,
which is made to withstand high pressure, using the flare fittings that are included with it, to the high
pressure port on the cooling unit. The high pressure port is typically of a different size and thread
pitch than the low pressure side in order to avoid the potential for accidental incorrect connections.

2. Connect the low pressure side to the blue port on the gauge. The low pressure side will be
connected with a blue low pressure hose to the blue pressure gauge and the low pressure side of the
cooling unit. This will allow for the proper flow of vacuum pressure or a micron meter in order to
determine the vacuum pressure in the system already.

3. Attach a waste hose or vent hose (yellow color) to the center of the manifold set up. If you
aregoing to discharge a unit, or if you are going to recover refrigerant by attaching the unit, you will
need to attach low loss fitting pressure hose to the center port of the manifold. By doing so, you will
be able to attach a refrigerant recovery bottle to the manifold set and do the process quicker.

4. Attach micron meters or other gauges to the additional ports. The additional ports on the
manifold can be used to attach micron (vacuum pressure) gauges, or a vacuum pump.

Vacuum Pump requirement for

System Evacuation
Modern deep vacuum pumps that have ability to evacuate down to 20 microns in field situation
should be used for this purpose. Equipment manufacturers determine their recommended vacuum
levels. Usually a vacuum of 250 microns, if can be achieved, that is usually considered adequate.

Care must be taken to assure that the vacuum measured at the gauge is equal to the vacuum level in
the system being evacuated. Use as large a hose as possible with low loss fittings to connect the
evacuation equipment to the refrigeration system. It is recommended to remove any Schrader cores
prior to connecting evacuation lines so as to eliminate restriction and considerable pressure
drops.After the system is evacuated, it is recommended to isolate the vacuum pump from the system
and observe if the system holds the low vacuum. Some increase up to about 500 microns is
acceptable, but if the system vacuum level exceeds that, a second and even third evacuation is
required. If during the equalization time the system vacuum level goes back to atmospheric pressure,
a leak is present and should be repaired.

When a vacuum pump is no longer able to pull a deep vacuum, it is usually an indication to replace
the oil in the pump since it is contaminated. Be sure to use oil specifically produced for vacuum
pump applications that has a much lower vapor pressure than conventional oils. It is recommended
to replace the vacuum pump oil at scheduled intervals in order for the pump functioning properly
pulling deep vacuum. The oil should be replaced while still warm, enabling better drainage.
 Figure 9. A vacuum pump made by RobinAir

Two useful basic principles for using vacuum pump:

1. A vacuum pump creates a void toward which the system pressure flows.

2. As pressure decreases in the system during evacuation, flow also decreases. Therefore, it is
IMPOSSIBLE to increase the pressure or flow through a gauge port with a larger pump.

 Pumps in the 1.5 to 10 CFM class are adequate to handle 99% of air conditioning and
refrigeration work.
 CFM rule of thumb: CFM squared = maximum system tonnage. Thus a 7 CFM pump is rated
for 49 tons; a 3 CFM pump is rated for 9 tons.
 Depending on the system line sizes of large-tonnage systems, it is better to put two smaller,
easily handled pumps, at different locations.
 This will overcome some of the pressure drop problems and actually be faster than a single,
large pump.

Vacuum Pump Construction:

 Rotary-vane deep vacuum pumps are best suited for air conditioning and refrigeration
service.
 Piston-type pumps, due to the clearance necessary between piston and head, are incapable
of producing deep vacuum.
 Single-stage compressors, similar to hermetic compressors, will not evacuate a system into a
micron range nor condense any moisture vapor in the system.
 Two stage pumps have the ability to produce consistently lower pressures and are efficient at
removing moisture vapor.
 The pump should have a blank-off valve or attach an external blank-off valve in order to
perform isolation tests (pressure rise) required in deep vacuum procedures.
 The gas ballast should be on all pumps used in refrigeration. At the start of evacuation, water
vapor is quickly removed. If a system is laden with moisture, the oil gets contaminated fast.
 The gas ballast is a fine metering device connected to the second stage of the pump that
allows a small amount of relatively dry, ambient air in to help prevent moisture vapor from
condensing in the oil.
 Figure 10. Part name and location of a vacuum pump components

Deep Vacuum
Deep Vacuum Method of evacuation is the only method to use to be sure the system is dehydrated
properly and free of non-condensable gases and leaks.

Summary of Pump Needs :

 Two-stage, Rotary Vane

 1.5 to 10 CFM with blank-off valve (or purchase external one) and gas ballast (needed for
refrigeration)
 Systems are evacuated to 300-400 microns, so pump should be able to produce a vacuum in
the low micron range with a safety factor of at least 25 microns total absolute.
 Lightweight and rugged construction. This is a large dollar purchase so invest in this
product.You can buy a pump that is not repairable and buy a new one every time something
breaks, or spend a little more money and have a pump that will last through the years.

Refrigerant Recovery Procedure

There are two typical methods known for the recovery procedure. The first one is a direct recovery
method and the second one is a push/pull method. You should be always familiar and understand
the operation procedure of the equipment that you are going to use for the process.

Direct Recovery Process

A typical procedure to do this method is mentioned below. Figure ..... An equipment setup for direct
recovery method.
 Figure 11. Direct process recovery set up

1. Make sure that all valves at recovery cylinder, recovery machine, manifold, hoses are closes at start
up

2. Setup the equipments and hoses as shown in the diagram shown in Figure .....

3. Take note of the initial weight of recovery cylinder and ZERO/TARE the refrigerant scale.

4. Open hose valves, core removal tool valves or service valves.

The below steps will vary with your recovery machine

5. Set the recovery machine to recover.

6. Open the high side of the manifold for liquid recovery. (Note this is only when liquid is accessible
from the service valve)

7. PURGE THE HOSES OF AIR loosen and unseat the hose connected to the recovery tank until
refrigerant is present and then retighten.

8. Fully open the vapor valve on the recovery cylinder.

9. Turn on the recovery machine.

The below steps should be standard to most recovery machines

10. The manifold high side valve may need to be adjusted to throttle refrigerant flow into the
recovery machine to avoid liquid slugging.

11. When the liquid recovery is complete, fully open both the high side and low side manifold valves.

12. Many recovery machines will turn off once the system reaches vacuum.

13. PURGE THE RECOVERY MACHINE – this one can be pretty specific – so check your manual if
you’re unsure.
14. Close all valves and recovery is complete!

Push/Pull
If the system has 15 or more pounds of refrigerant, this will be your faster option. The more
refrigerant the system holds, the more time you’ll save. Tip: Using an inline sight glass during push-
pull recovery will allow you to determine when the liquid flow has stopped visually.

Figure 12. Push-pull process recovery set up

1. Start with all valves closed (recovery cylinder, recovery machine, manifold, hoses.)

2. Setup hoses as shown in the diagram shown in figure ......

3. Take note of the initial weight of recovery cylinder and ZERO/TARE the refrigerant scale.

4. Set the recovery machine to recover.

5. PURGE THE HOSES OF AIR (this is done a little bit differently than in direct recovery.)Open the
liquid line service valve or core tool and then loosen and unseat the hose connected to the liquid
port on the recovery tank until refrigerant is present and then retighten.Open the vapor line service
valve or core tool and then loosen and unseat the hose connect to the vapor port on the recovery
tank until refrigerant is present and then retighten.

6. Turn on the recovery machine.

7. When liquid recovery is complete, switch to Direct Vapor Recovery.

Good procedure to speed up the recovery process

Valve Core Removal Tools

 If you were only going to change one thing – this is it! If you’re stuck pulling through valve
cores,get two of these. They’ll even help speed up your evacuation.

Recovery Cylinder
  Make sure the cylinder is clean and has been evacuated to 500 microns or less. And NEVER
fill beyond 80%, this allows for the expansion of the refrigerant.
 If it’s practical to use a larger cylinder, this will make the recovery go quicker.

Hoses

 Avoid hoses with “anti-blowback” or “low loss” style fittings.

 Standard hoses are ¼” – using larger diameter hoses will get you a faster recovery, they’re
often marketed as “heavy duty”, “charging” or “vacuum” hoses.
 Use hoses which are as short as possible.

Temperature

 Cool down the recovery cylinder– this will drop the pressure of recovery cylinder.
 With many recovery machines, you can use the fan to draw air over the tank.
 Water will work even better, but you’ll need water flow.
 Cool down the refrigerant! This one tends to be your best bet if you’re dealing with large
volumes of refrigerant – there are heat exchangers available for just for this purpose.

Use Filter Drier

 If you suspect the system refrigerant to be dirty, use an inline filter drier at the inlet to the
recovery machine.

With methods ranging from nothing new required to a whole new rig for recovery, you’ve got
choices to speed up your recovery in just about all applications. Give some of these a try and see
how they work for you.

Evacuation Procedure
Pulling a proper vacuum is vital to the operation and longevity of any refrigeration or cooling
system.Moisture and other contaminants that are not removed can wreak havoc on system internals
over time and can cause premature failures.

Figure 13. System evacuation set up

Steps of pulling a proper vacuum.

1. Start with fresh oil in your pump, vacuum pump oil has the ability to grab hold of moisture and
contaminants. New oil will speed up the evacuation process. When changing vacuum pump oil, it is
recommended that you change the oil while its warm, warm oil holds more contaminants than cold
oil. Changing the oil while its warm will help remove maximum contaminants from the base of the
pump.

2. Attach vacuum rated Schrader core removal tools to the service fittings that will be utilized during
the vacuum process and remove the Schrader cores. By removing the cores, you are removing 90%
of the restriction that slows down the evacuation process. Keep in mind, some manufacturers use
service fittings with non removable cores, pay close attention to this.

3. It is recommended not to pull a vacuum through a charging manifold due to many potential leak
points. Use a vacuum manifold, such as the Yellow Jacket Super Evac, and attach it to the 3/8” port
on the vacuum pump.

4. Attach, at minimum 3/8” vacuum rated hoses to each core removal tool, attach the other end of
each hose to the vacuum manifold. Use Nylog, thread and gasket sealant at each connection
point,this will help to maintain a leak free process.

5. Attach a micron gauge to the system at the furthest point from the vacuum pump, if possible. The
other option, is to attach the micron gauge to the tee of the core removal tool. It is important to
keep the micron gauge mounted above the system piping, this will prevent system oil from entering
the micron gauge and possibly causing the gauge to malfunction.

6. Now you can begin the evacuation process. Please read the manufacturer’s vacuum pump start up
procedure before starting the pump.

7. The evacuation process is not dependent on time or when your compound gauge hits 29.92”
Hg.Use the reading on the micron gauge to determine when a proper vacuum has been achieved. It
is common within the industry to set a vacuum target of 500 microns.

8. Once the target vacuum has been achieved, isolate the system from the pump and observe the
micron gauge reading. A common term for this procedure is called a “decay test”. If the system is
leak and contaminant free you may see a slight rise on the micron gauge which will level off and
flatten out or you may see no rise at all. If a system leak exists or contaminants are still present, you
will see a quick rise on the micron gauge that will continue to climb. Note: It is very important to use
vacuum rated hoses and core removal tools and ensure that each connection point is sealed
properly.If the equipment used is not vacuum rated, connection points on your vacuum set up may
begin to leak during the decay test, mimicking a system leak that is not actually present.

9. Now that you have achieved required vacuum level, the refrigerant charge must be added. Add
refrigerant slowly until the system pressure is reading a slight positive. It is very important to know
the positive pressure your micron gauge is able to withstand so it does not get damaged during this
process. Once positive pressure, below the upper limit of the micron gauge, has been achieved, the
Schrader cores can be re-installed and the micron gauge can be removed.

10. Add the remaining charge.Note: When pulling a vacuum on a system with a solenoid valve, it is
highly recommended that the valve is completely open at all times during the evacuation process.