# Vacuum pump Micron gauge and other optional tools



## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

I like short line sets too. Cause a 180 foot long 2-5/8" vapor line takes a long long time to vacuum. Not to mention the 7/8" liquid line.

I don't work on anything over 100 tons. But work on any size from 1.5 ton to 100 tons. A micron gauge is a small item to protect myself and my customers.


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## Dr Heat (Dec 25, 2008)

Vacuum pumps and Micron Gauges are not knew toys that techs out of school use to show off. A micron gauge is a looking glass into what is going on in the system. I do not know how to tell if a compressor has failed because of contaminants or dirty power or lighting strikes. But I do know how to insure a compressor doesn't fail because of contaminants I added or left behind. 

I just fixed a boiler where the Original installer one piped the system. The Instillation instructions clearly state the unit must be two piped in a residence. He told the HO that it was an efficiency issue and they could not get two pipes out of the house. The big problem was he chose to run the intake and let the exhaust vent into the house. 

It's a good thing he also left out the bleeder valves and the boiler would not stay running the Ho called three other techs and spent a total of $30,000. After all this he called me I installed a circulator and a few valves and a two pipe vent system and the are taking hot showers tonight. 

The mistake this licensed plummer plummer made? He Knew what he was doing and didn't need to read the directions. 

My point Every manufacturer instructs the installer to evacuate an AC system to below 500 microns. Read the instruction unless you know better than the Manufacturer.


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## plummen (Jan 9, 2010)

call me crazy but if somebody is stupid enough to let the exhuast dump into a house and isnt smart enough to know the differance between the 2 he should be beaten with his own tools and dumped in nearest large body of water with them.
And like ive already said Im pretty happy with my personal no lost compressor record on anything Ive installed in last 20 years,and that includes ducane/lennox/rheem/rhuud/weather king/goodman/tappan/amana.
Of the condensors installed by others over the years that Ive changed out due to bad compressors Id say the majority were caused by piss poor maintenance,if people cant bother to keep their condensors cleaned out and furnace filters changed I dont give a rats ass what brand of system you have or how many microns you pulled it down to.
Then I get the ones that the fins are folded over on on around 50-75% of the surface area that have been run that way for years that nobody thinks is a problem till it finally gets hot enough and starts kicking itself out on overload,then people start to worry about airflow.
No amount of vacuam pumping gonna help that either.
Then you get the units that have had a leak in them for years because somebody is either too lazy to look for it or theyve just been making too much money selling people 5lbs of freon every season just to have it leak out in time for start of next season.
Or they have their fancy buzzing leak detector that they cant find anything with because they arent smart enough to remove the gauges and check a shrader valve.:whistling
I actually drove by the house where I did my 1st install after opening my own shop back in spring of 96,the company I worked for before opening my shop installed the york 90plus furnace so I installed a 10 seer coil and york condensor to match.
I havent been there in 10 years or more but the new owners said when they bought it the house from lady I installed it for told her the installer told (me)told her to rinse it out when mowing the grass and keep a clean filter in it every month and thats all theyve ever had to do to it.
If youre having issues with equipment youve installed and the maintenance has been done correctly on it maybe its time to slow down and spend more time on your installs rather blaming it on the way other people do things


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## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

plummen said:


> And like ive already said Im pretty happy with my personal no lost compressor record on anything Ive installed in last 20 years,and that includes ducane/lennox/rheem/rhuud/weather king/goodman/tappan/amana.


That you know of. Few people have all the same customers that they had 20 years ago. People move, new people move in and use someone else. So you may have had compressor failures you don't know about. Not saying you did, but do you really still have as a customer every place you installed a new condenser in the last 20 years.


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## plummen (Jan 9, 2010)

The majority of my installs have been done in the area we call south omaha over the years,everybody knows everybody else in that area.
If there was any major issues with any of my installs over the years I would know about it because everybody would be telling me. :laughing:
I dont advertise my work has been word of mouth since 1996,I used to get so much work that I moved 35 miles south to get peace and quiet problem is all my neighbors pound on my door here at 2 in the morning also to fix things when I dont answer phone also.
Hell Ive even had city inspectors give my number to people to fix stuff other contractors have screwed up many times over the years.
Yeah Im pretty confident in my abilities to do stuff that lasts


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## Dr Heat (Dec 25, 2008)

I never said I was having trouble with my installs. I only asked why people do not follow the instructions. Why do you think that the manufacturers want deep vacuum?

As far as building inspectors requesting help on poor installs I get that all the time. Maybe its because I was an inspector and know all the good ol boys.


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