AC (Air Conditioning) is one of the most comfortable components in our day to day life. It gives us comfort at our home, office, and vehicles.
But the AC system needs to be well maintained. Today, we are going to discuss how long it takes to vacuum ac system.
How long does it take to vacuum ac system?
It usually takes about half an hour to vacuum AC system. AC systems are vacuumed to get rid of any excessive moisture and condensed water. The vacuuming time depends on several factors. Such as the size of the AC system, efficiency of the vacuum, and amount of moisture and condensed water.
Why pull vacuum on an AC system? What happens if you don’t vacuum AC system?
AC system is usually vacuumed to get rid of excessive air and moisture. Moisture is one of the reasons that damages the workability of the ac system permanently.
Another good about pulling vacuum is that it helps you get rid of condensed water. Condensed water is created due to ac system cooling the water vapor melting it to the dew point and creating liquid in the process.
So as you can see, if you don’t vacuum ac system, the excessive moisture and water will damage your ac system permanently.
Condensed water and air will work together to damage your entire ac system if you don’t vacuum your ac system. In order to maintain a healthy ac system, you have to vacuum it regularly.
Factors that matter for how long to vacuum an AC system:
There are many factors that decide the vacuuming time of the AC system. They are:
Type of the AC system:
There are different types of AC system available for different setups. For example there is window AC system that contains compressor, coil, condenser, and evaporator in one unit.
Vacuuming window AC system does not take a long time because of its medium size and set up.
On the other hand, the central AC system takes the longest time because of its multiple unit and complex setup.
There are other AC systems such as portable AC system, Multi head split AC system. All these AC systems require an amount of time while vacuuming.
AC system of car is another small AC system. Like other AC system, it contains compressor, evaporator, condenser, compressor, fan, and expansion device. But as it is small in size it does not take a long time to vacuum it.
Size of the AC system:
Size of AC system is another key factor that decides the vacuuming time of the AC system. The bigger AC systems take longer time whilr vacuuming it. On the other hand, the smaller AC systems take slightly less time while vacuuming.
That is most of the home AC systems take longer time while vacuuming than the car AC system because of its size and complexity.
Efficiency of the Vacuum:
If you have a high efficient vacuum at your disposal, then it will shorten the vacuuming time significantly.
You will have to make sure that your vacuum is producing a good enough reading and does not have any leak. On the other hand, a low performing vacuum will hamper the vacuuming process and eat away at the time.
Amount of moisture and condensed water:
AC system is usually vacuumed to get rid of excessive moisture and water. If your AC system contains a lot of condensed water and moisture, then the vacuum process will take longer as well.
If your AC system do not contain much excessive moisture and water, the vacuum process will not take much time.
How long to vacuum car AC system?
Generally, it takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to vacuum car AC system. The time vacuuming may change due to some internal and external effects.
If the excessive moisture and condensed water of your car AC system is much more than usual, then the vacuuming time will increase.
Likewise, if your car AC system does not contain much excessive moisture and condensed water, then the vacuuming time will decrease.
The efficiency of your vacuum can also increase or decrease the vacuuming time. If you have a high efficient vacuum, then you will not have to vacuum your car AC system for a long time.
But if you don’t have a high efficient vacuum. It will take you longer than usual to vacuum your entire car AC system. Efficient deep vacuum gauge and vacuum pump will help you a lot in saving time during the vacuum process.
How long to vacuum home AC system?
It usually takes thirty to forty five minutes to vacuum home AC system. But the vacuuming time may vary according to the type of home AC system.
The central AC system takes the longest time when it comes to vacuuming because of its complex and big structure.
On the other hand, simpler home ac system like window AC system, portable AC system, and multi head split AC system take shorter time while vacuuming.
The amount of moisture and condensed water present in the home AC system also changes the vacuuming time.
If your home AC system is full to the brim with excessive moisture and water, then the vacuuming time will be longer. But small amount of excessive moisture and water can be easily evacuated by vacuuming.
How much vacuum should an ac system hold?
An AC system should hold a normal amount of vacuum in order to get rid of excessive moisture and water. Your AC system should hold a vacuum of five hundred microns.
Five hundred microns is roughly about thirty Hg gauge pressure. If you are confused about vacuum pressure while vacuuming your AC system, it is better to seek professional help or follow the AC system manual that came with the AC.
What is a good AC vacuum reading?
Generally, one hundred microns or less is considered as a good AC vacuum reading. If the AC vacuum reading is less than fifty microns, then it is even better. You will have to make sure that your vacuum pump does not have any leaks.
These leaks causes your vacuum to lose its good reading and become ineffective in the process. You will have to make sure that your vacuum pump and vacuum hose are not in top notch condition.
You can try changing the vacuum oil to address any leak in your vacuum pump, gauge and hose.
If even after several changes, your vacuum pump still does not attain a good reading, then it is time to send your vacuum for servicing and replacement.
Does pulling a vacuum remove refrigerant or car oil?
Refrigerant is one of the key elements of the AC system. Refrigerant turns the environmental heat into cool air with the help of compressor and evaporator. There are actually three types of refrigerant.
They are chlorofluorocarbons, R22 and R410A. If you vacuum your AC system, you can remove refrigerant from it. Refrigerant is a reusable product. Thus it can be put back into the AC system as well with the help of a professional.
If you vacuum your car AC system, it will pump out the excessive moisture and condensed water from the AC system.
However, it will not remove any oil from your car or the AC system. So you don’t need to worry about removing necessary oil while vacuuming your car AC system.
Do you have to vacuum AC system after compressor replacement?
You must vacuum your AC system after compressor replacement. The compressor is one of the most important parts of an AC system.
The compressor and the refrigerant work hand in hand to ensure smooth functioning of your AC system.
If your compressor needs to be replaced, then you will have to vacuum your AC system after the replacement process is done.
It will get rid any excessive moisture and condensed water that got into the system during the replacement process. So never forget to vacuum your AC system after compressor replacement to ensure the proper functioning of the AC.
Can you pull a vacuum on a charged ac system?
You can pull a vacuum on a charged AC system. But it is not the right thing to do. Because vacuuming a charged AC system will evacuate the much needed refrigerant from the AC system.
So it is better to discharge your AC system before pulling a vacuum. Discharged refrigerant can be put back into the AC after the vacuuming process ends as refrigerant is reusable.
Final thoughts
The vacuuming process of an AC system generally takes about thirty minutes at the very least. Larger AC systems take longer time to be vacuumed than smaller AC systems. A high sufficient vacuum can also be useful in terms of shortening the vacuuming time.