Had some success with leak sealants. Usually try them if the equipment will otherwise be scrapped. Initially found we had issues with capillaries blocking. The procedure we usually follow now is to reclaim the remaining gas and fit a new filter. We then vac the system as low as it will go (with a leak) and recharge with fresh gas before adding the sealant. This seems to stop contaminants reacting with the sealer within the system.
Thanks for sharing and great to know! Makes sense, what do you generally (ballpark) charge to do that though? Understand logically why this certainly seems like better approach, but that’s a lot more work and ultimately cost for still largely a gamble, right? How do you evaluate probability or risk/reward versus scraping system? I mean, if you put in another few hundred or $500 and doesn’t work - now you’re out that money AND now have a new system cost.
I have only used leak stop one time.- a customer with tiny tiny evap coil leaking who was replacing system in 6 months- asked me about it and i agreed we could try it but with no promises- he wanted to do it. . that is only time. it worked kind of- He said someone had "charged it" 3 months prior---and then called me. It bought enough time to get thru summer and then we put in new system- but it was still leaking. I would never use it in any other situation. It would have to be a temporary fix, in an urgent situation.. I would find/repair/replace whatever was causing the leak. What I dont know is if they are all the same or if some products work better than others. Thanks- awesome video. ALSO---the stuff I used was liquid. I don't know how it worked- some are gooey and thick.
I have used leak sealant as a way to buy some time on older systems that the customer is not ready to replace. It is a bandaid temporary repair, not a permanent fix and I make sure the customer knows that before proceeding.
I've used it a couple of times, not my favorite way to go, but with customers with budgets, it gives me a path to take. I've heard good and bad, and I'm glad they fixed the issue with it clogging TXVs and Pistons. But it works, but I believe it'll only work with microleaks and small leaks only. Anything bigger is well, pinpoint and repair or just toss the coil. Great vid my guu
@@rookierefrigeration4357 Any follow up here? There’s the 2 part question A) did it address leaks and then B) for how long - did it kill condenser or hose something else up, etc. Thanks!
Not quite free .I see you have 50.00 in materials and what an hour or two?There is another 150.00 so total investment 200.00. Was it worth it to you? Great video ,I was curious as to the stop leak additives,was just worried about gummed up metering devices.So far do good though,RIGHT???
I have an ice cream merchandising case with a slow evaperator leak. Do you think stop leak would get it going again? Its 10 years old but my company wants to put it back in the field because it still looks new. For us to purchase a new one it would cost over $500. So being the maintenance guy they want me to fix it.
@@inoahmann7542 if you pump water in through the low side(cold side) it will do the same job as this product... then squeeze all the pipes really hard to make sure the water gets around the system.
Ended up with a throw away deep freeze. Saw it sitting there with a sign that said cools doesn't freeze. Loaded it up and brought it home. Had my wife call and see a cost about it, figured there was a micro leak somewhere. Anyway they said they would have to check all the lines and find the leak before charging it... It was copper tubes attached to the inner and outer skin so to check it was to destroy it. It was quite a few years old and IMHO if it took that long to leak down it would have been fine to just top it off because honestly most systems probably have a tiny leak somewhere. Got a clamp on tap since it was a sealed system with a can of 134a, ran a little into my truck to make sure the line was clear since it has the dryer and all then charged it up. That was 8 years ago and that thing is still running just fine. Doing something like that on free stuff or if the person making the decision knows what they are doing is one thing though. Have heard that stuff will gum up the recovery units so probably want to tag it for future reference though. But to just put stuff into someone's home or business units is another. They have no clue what the stuff is and it's one thing on something that is condemned it's another on something someone will rely on. It's kinda like taking the wife's daily driver and putting experimental parts on it then sending her on her merry way without a clue in the world. It could be fine or you could get a call that the car broke down on the side of the freeway while she was taking the kids to something and then she saw you messed with it... Not good and not worth the headache. If you are going to do some more experiments take a look at this stuff. www.es-refrigerants.com/products/w/id/31/t/134a-replacement/ my best understanding is they are basically using butane or isopropane, MSDS shows UN1075 content. But supposed to be a decent replacement for R134a in cars. It doesn't take a lot and is supposed to work better as well.
Lol.. yea the best refrigerant on the market is propane.. but can you guess why they try to shy away from using it in a sealed system? Try taking a 1lb camping bottle of propane full and put a pressure gauge on it. Now heat the bottle up to about 180°F then check its pressure.. that sealed system will be pressurized at that amount with that much propane i it all the time.. and the pucker factor when playing with a 180° bottle of propane is enough for me but then add a engine thats burning gasoline and has pipes that reach 2500° in some cases then put a 16 yr old girl with a smart phone behind the wheel and youve got yourself a recipe for a bad day...
Looks like it worked!! My company wouldn’t ever let me use it on a customers system. But if I was going to use it I would just make sure the customer is well aware of the pros vs cons before they decide. Looks like you got a $50 beer cooler though!!
Ive used EasySeal a few times from Nu-Calgon their new formula the SS(small system, up to 2ton) needs more than 10oz charge in it, or so the package says. Ive had it work only once or twice for evap leak. I stopped buying it though. Ill throw it in if the customer doesn't want to replace the coil in an effort to try to slow/fix the leak Seems the reps aren't worried about it clogging captubes etc so.
I just started in the HVACR trade. (Almost 2 Years Now). I was always told by multiple people to stay away from those, though none of them every used it.
You make more money, Putting in a evaporator. $$$ I give the customer the option. I have had GREAT luck, I have units still running with no leaks for about 8 years.
I’ve used them before at a customer that wouldn’t pay to replace the evaps on there heat pumps, it slows the leaks down for sure but after a year we would be back adding refrigerate..... but these were also heat pumps
I use the one from clip light all the time... it's easy and it's fool proof most of the time since the leak seal has dye in it. Call me lazy or whatever, but it does work.
Good video Rookie . Turbo Air Evaporator coils are relatively cheap In price .Your cost for that evap coil would be under $150 . I work in those all the time 😎. I have used leak sealer In the past on budget jobs or just to get customers through the summer .
Rookie Refrigeration yeahhh .hope no new leaks will pop up . Turbo Air uses thin copper 🤭😬. If more leaks pop up , just order a new coil from Turbo Air , they’re in Long Beach CA. Good stuff thou !!.
We have about a 1 to 4 success ratio with it in light commercial HVAC/r under 15 tons - we use the one with UV dye in it so we can tell if it is still leaking after our attempt since we stopped using dye a while back. No problem with compressors after using, just low success repairing leaks, which we bring upfront as a disclaimer with the customer when we provide the sealant option for repair in our quote.
It's been my experience that eventually the cap tube will become restricted or clogged. The only way to get rid of it is to change the cap tube, the compressor, and the filter because it's in the oil. That having been said, the evaporator coil will be leak-free.
If a system is condemned because it has a leak that is not economical to repair and is going to be thrown away then I don't see the harm in a leak stopper, I guess it would only really work on micro leaks and nothing big
Only as a last ditch effort. I have had it work on a condenser coil with multiple leaks, I've also had it plug up a TXV within hours of putting it in. Once it is in there, it is really hard to get it out.
Hah ya'll. Just one important note. The sealer is sold by the ton which matches the concentration. They do sell for small appliances. Don't put 5ton sealer in 1/2 HP refrigeration unit. The 5 ton high concentration is not made to pass through a small cap tube. You have to buy the right sealer for the application. Secondly yes they do work !
They work I use them all the time. Particularly for small units like these. When cost of repair would be more than the unit is worth. they are a good way to get some extra life out of a unit. Note: The one you used is for a 1.5 + ton these need a .5 ton. The best way to use these is 1.when it is running 2. attach it with pressure already on the leak sealer. Or it can blow the contents back into your gauges. I would not recommend checking for leaks with the system running.
i have a couple of questions but my biggest one right now is: what does this do to your gauges? i personally use the Fieldpiece probes, does this product create a coating on the sensor?
@@rookierefrigeration4357 that is my everyday fear. The company I worked for would use that stuff on every leaky system, the company I work for now that is something that does not get mentioned. The owner is not a fan of that stuff and would much rather fix the leak and not patch a leak. In the situation that you are using it, it seems great, I really do hope it works and would like to see a update later in the future. I mainly deal with residential HVAC, you do all kinds of cool stuff, I really enjoy the videos.
@@rookierefrigeration4357 I have used my sman460 manifold twice knowing it had leak seal in the system. Just about a week ago I used my new Fieldpiece probes on another system knowing it had seal leak in the system. Have never had a problem with my gauges or probes yet.
Hello, good call picking up a free cooler. Would you put in less for a small unit? I know this was an experiment, but if you did it again on a regular refrigerator would you use less than the whole tube/unit that says it will treat up to 1.5ton? Thank you
So i have a issue, 8 can't find a leak on an ac unit 2.5 ton. I did a pump down and them pump niteogen into the systems 225 pounds of nitrogen it came down to 223 in an hr, used bubbles to check for leaks didn't see anything or hear anything it stopped at 223 psi. I also checked my gauge for leaks also and didn't see anything. I never used this, so my question is should i use it?
I kept it for a few months and it worked great. I sold it and haven’t heard back from them so I guess it’s still running 😂. Just make sure it’s on the suction line and not the liquid line or discharge line.
I just tried some on a 12 foot aluminum coil on a meat case, while we are waiting for new coil from hussman, waste of time in my case. Hasn’t seemed to help or harm so far. But I never use the stuff.
I have used them it's been a 50/50 shot worked for me 5 of 10 times I usually tell cust bout it give price and tell them it could or couldn't work let them decide.
It may work, but I'm pretty sure it work by coating all surfaces with a layer of goo, which reduce the efficiency of the unit by a fair amount. However, it could work as an alternative to trashing it. Losing 10% vs replacing the whole unfixable unit... On the bad side, it probably made it last many years less, but you were trashing it. So, I see it as an alternative of a replacement, NOT as an alternative of a fix.
I used nu-calgon easy seal twice. The first was in a 2.5 ton split system and the compressor failed about 1 year later. Second attempt was in a 1.5 ton split system, the compressor failed only a month later. Ymmv, that's just my experience with it.
Old video but I need some help. I may have a leak. I had my system charged. It started cooling and next morning it had gone into defrost and never started cooling again. I have new sensors. So I'm guessing a leak. Do I need to put 134a in then test as the comp is empty.? I dunno if it all leaked out or jist enough to run low.
The One&Done’s are less expensive than NuCalgon and work just as well if not better. They also have more versions. The one he used in this video has everything (Drying agent [dissipates moisture], Revive [similar to NuCal’s Renew] & UV Dye) in it. You get them @ UR or Aireco (VA/MD/DE) nrproducts.com/PDS/PDS-LeakStop.pdf
The One&Done version (All-In-One) he used actually has a drying agent in it to dissipate moisture. They do make regular version w/o it. They also make one just called “Dry” for systems w/ moisture & no leak.
I've used several products for years , as a pro , with no qualms at all . I gave the customer every option including 1 gas and go if it was the first time . Second time a min injection but detection and repair was recommended unless it was 18 plus and they would never spend the money. Its a min effort to repair a leak , its far far more ethical to everyone including the customer then adding more then once . Just if there's moisture in the lines it'll plug the filter dryer
The leak seal is rated 1.5 to 5 tons? A little overkill for that unit. I used leak seal on a 30 yr old two stage liebert 16 ton. Lots of small evap leaks. Still holding as far as I know.
the fieldpiece slr8 heated diode detector is hands down the best ive used in my 20 years. i threw my inficon in the bin cps was always changing tips or getting false readings
to do it right once your sure its not leaking you should reclaim the gas change the drier give it a vac and heat the compressor to get the refrigerant out of the oil then charge with nitrogen and test over night. then vac again and recharge with 134a. the compressor will have a heaps better chance of lasting once theres no moisture in the system. that system would have been sucking moisture through the evaporator leaks for sure. on a small cheap fridge its prob not worth the time and money but if its worth fixing ...
Wouldn't use it on anything that you need to work on ever again. Couldn't imagine what that stuff would do to a manifold. Keep us updated on the cooler and if there are any developments.
@@jeffb8437 all air conditioners and coolers have oil in them. From what I've heard and read about they coagulate and solidify when exposed to moisture. I don't have first hand experience with it but I'd be willing to bet it would trash the manifold set if you were to hook it up to a system that had this in it
@@jspilly82, the vast majority of "Service Valves" have o-ring seals on the shafts, some are square cut type and have adjustable packing gland nut, but many do not and guess where there's always leak? some solenoid valves also have body o-rings.
A guy I used to work with would come out and top someones system off, then have to come back once again. When the customer got tired of it, he would tell them about stop leak goo and sell them the idea. He would tell them they had a 80% success rate (slow the leak is usually what happens for awhile). He would then top it off with freon and leak goo. And at some point, they would call and complain again. Lost the customer everytime. If you have a leak, find it and repair it properly. Never should you have to ADD freon. And at the price of the stuff, fix it right the first time. The people paid as much as a new coil install, just in freon in some cases and were no better off. For a cheap fridge, what the hell? For home HVAC? Fix it right. Up to 200 a pound for freon? You figure it out.
I had a mini split with 3 heads that had a leak somewhere. I couldn’t find a leak anywhere. I added super seal it’s a can not a tube and this was a year ago and still running fine! I’m actually curious on its acid and moisture removal. If it doesn’t fix leak you have Dye to find it! I like them!
They have a new version coming out that is for “Up to 1/2 Ton” called One&Done “Mini’s”. It will also have the drying agent in it to dissipate moisture since most of the small units & fractionals don’t have a filter drier.
Woooooow, you just changed the game for me showing this, who know how many numerous fridges I’ve had to throw due to leaking evaps, my only fear is clogging the cap tube, pls keep us posted if anything changes
I’m going to try this tomorrow on a portable AC unit. Nice Video
Had some success with leak sealants. Usually try them if the equipment will otherwise be scrapped. Initially found we had issues with capillaries blocking. The procedure we usually follow now is to reclaim the remaining gas and fit a new filter. We then vac the system as low as it will go (with a leak) and recharge with fresh gas before adding the sealant. This seems to stop contaminants reacting with the sealer within the system.
Barry Oldham ah. Very good info. May try it on the next one
Thanks for sharing and great to know! Makes sense, what do you generally (ballpark) charge to do that though? Understand logically why this certainly seems like better approach, but that’s a lot more work and ultimately cost for still largely a gamble, right? How do you evaluate probability or risk/reward versus scraping system? I mean, if you put in another few hundred or $500 and doesn’t work - now you’re out that money AND now have a new system cost.
@@ToughCowboy some of them has uv feature that you canuse uv flashlight to check where is the leak and those already fix
I’ve used it a handful of times, and it seems to work well. Haven’t lost any compressors yet.
I used that stuff on my home. It slowed the leak on the indoor coil down a ton. It's good for a pinch to get by.
I have only used leak stop one time.- a customer with tiny tiny evap coil leaking who was replacing system in 6 months- asked me about it and i agreed we could try it but with no promises- he wanted to do it. . that is only time. it worked kind of- He said someone had "charged it" 3 months prior---and then called me. It bought enough time to get thru summer and then we put in new system- but it was still leaking. I would never use it in any other situation. It would have to be a temporary fix, in an urgent situation.. I would find/repair/replace whatever was causing the leak. What I dont know is if they are all the same or if some products work better than others. Thanks- awesome video. ALSO---the stuff I used was liquid. I don't know how it worked- some are gooey and thick.
I have used leak sealant as a way to buy some time on older systems that the customer is not ready to replace. It is a bandaid temporary repair, not a permanent fix and I make sure the customer knows that before proceeding.
I've used it a couple of times, not my favorite way to go, but with customers with budgets, it gives me a path to take. I've heard good and bad, and I'm glad they fixed the issue with it clogging TXVs and Pistons. But it works, but I believe it'll only work with microleaks and small leaks only. Anything bigger is well, pinpoint and repair or just toss the coil. Great vid my guu
Thanks bro. Good comment
That's cool man. I've always wanted to see a test done like that. Now time will tell....Will the compressor die in a month. Do a follow-up 4sure 👍
Shannon Knight HVAC definitely
That's what I wanted to know also. Please do a follow up.
@@rookierefrigeration4357 Any follow up here? There’s the 2 part question A) did it address leaks and then B) for how long - did it kill condenser or hose something else up, etc. Thanks!
Crazy, man... I’ve never seen one of those used, and obviously have never used one. I’ve heard about ‘em! But... This is new to me
Great experiment Rookie ... Very interesting ...
Man after my own heart! Fun stuff... Thanks for doing this.
I don't use those, the coil only cost 110$ just change it and the cap tube and the drier. easy.
Agreed. These stores replace these units constantly. I guess for a free cooler it’s not so bad😳🤣🤣
Rookie Refrigeration free is me. Lol 🤘⚡️🤘
Not quite free .I see you have 50.00 in materials and what an hour or two?There is another 150.00 so total investment 200.00. Was it worth it to you? Great video ,I was curious as to the stop leak additives,was just worried about gummed up metering devices.So far do good though,RIGHT???
I have an ice cream merchandising case with a slow evaperator leak. Do you think stop leak would get it going again? Its 10 years old but my company wants to put it back in the field because it still looks new. For us to purchase a new one it would cost over $500. So being the maintenance guy they want me to fix it.
@@inoahmann7542 if you pump water in through the low side(cold side) it will do the same job as this product... then squeeze all the pipes really hard to make sure the water gets around the system.
I have not used that one in particular but I've used sealants and they work great as you can now see. Job well done.
Not going to lie and say I haven’t used a leak sealant. They work depending on how big of a leak there is. Additives react to oxygen to form a seal.
Company I work for uses it for Walgreens .works great when the evap coil has multiple leaks (walk equipment)
Nice. Thanks for the input. 👍🏽
Thank for the information you give out , guys like you HVAC- R have really shaped my career .
Ended up with a throw away deep freeze. Saw it sitting there with a sign that said cools doesn't freeze. Loaded it up and brought it home. Had my wife call and see a cost about it, figured there was a micro leak somewhere. Anyway they said they would have to check all the lines and find the leak before charging it... It was copper tubes attached to the inner and outer skin so to check it was to destroy it. It was quite a few years old and IMHO if it took that long to leak down it would have been fine to just top it off because honestly most systems probably have a tiny leak somewhere. Got a clamp on tap since it was a sealed system with a can of 134a, ran a little into my truck to make sure the line was clear since it has the dryer and all then charged it up. That was 8 years ago and that thing is still running just fine.
Doing something like that on free stuff or if the person making the decision knows what they are doing is one thing though. Have heard that stuff will gum up the recovery units so probably want to tag it for future reference though. But to just put stuff into someone's home or business units is another. They have no clue what the stuff is and it's one thing on something that is condemned it's another on something someone will rely on. It's kinda like taking the wife's daily driver and putting experimental parts on it then sending her on her merry way without a clue in the world. It could be fine or you could get a call that the car broke down on the side of the freeway while she was taking the kids to something and then she saw you messed with it... Not good and not worth the headache.
If you are going to do some more experiments take a look at this stuff. www.es-refrigerants.com/products/w/id/31/t/134a-replacement/ my best understanding is they are basically using butane or isopropane, MSDS shows UN1075 content. But supposed to be a decent replacement for R134a in cars. It doesn't take a lot and is supposed to work better as well.
Thanks for the story. Will look into that
Lol.. yea the best refrigerant on the market is propane.. but can you guess why they try to shy away from using it in a sealed system? Try taking a 1lb camping bottle of propane full and put a pressure gauge on it. Now heat the bottle up to about 180°F then check its pressure.. that sealed system will be pressurized at that amount with that much propane i it all the time.. and the pucker factor when playing with a 180° bottle of propane is enough for me but then add a engine thats burning gasoline and has pipes that reach 2500° in some cases then put a 16 yr old girl with a smart phone behind the wheel and youve got yourself a recipe for a bad day...
Looks like it worked!! My company wouldn’t ever let me use it on a customers system. But if I was going to use it I would just make sure the customer is well aware of the pros vs cons before they decide. Looks like you got a $50 beer cooler though!!
Exactly bro. Hopefully it lasts a while
Right on, cool video. If it does die, would be cool to do a cutaway of the compressor and drier to see if it settles and solidifies.
Agreed. Will do bro
Ive used EasySeal a few times from Nu-Calgon their new formula the SS(small system, up to 2ton) needs more than 10oz charge in it, or so the package says. Ive had it work only once or twice for evap leak. I stopped buying it though. Ill throw it in if the customer doesn't want to replace the coil in an effort to try to slow/fix the leak
Seems the reps aren't worried about it clogging captubes etc so.
Works great for small coolers. Does not seem to block anything up that shouldn't be blocked up besides the leaks 👍
I just started in the HVACR trade. (Almost 2 Years Now). I was always told by multiple people to stay away from those, though none of them every used it.
Me too bro. That’s why I wanted to try them
You make more money, Putting in a evaporator. $$$ I give the customer the option. I have had GREAT luck, I have units still running with no leaks for about 8 years.
I have been doing this for 44 years, I try new thing all the time, Get a lot of great stuff from the young tecks.
You can always give the customer the option. But some manufacturers wont warranty the compressor if a leak stop has been added.
Well I’ve never seen these used on a cap system very impressed
Great info thanks for sharing. If you have a H10 leak detector try using that after another month to see if the seal still holds.
I’ve used them before at a customer that wouldn’t pay to replace the evaps on there heat pumps, it slows the leaks down for sure but after a year we would be back adding refrigerate..... but these were also heat pumps
I have used Sealers for about 5 years now and have never came across a gummed up metering device yet
I use the one from clip light all the time... it's easy and it's fool proof most of the time since the leak seal has dye in it. Call me lazy or whatever, but it does work.
Which brand do you use?
Clipseal, yellow one
Good video Rookie . Turbo Air Evaporator coils are relatively cheap In price .Your cost for that evap coil would be under $150 . I work in those all the time 😎. I have used leak sealer In the past on budget jobs or just to get customers through the summer .
Yeah. This seems to have fixed it though. So
we will see long term
Rookie Refrigeration yeahhh .hope no new leaks will pop up . Turbo Air uses thin copper 🤭😬. If more leaks pop up , just order a new coil from Turbo Air , they’re in Long Beach CA. Good stuff thou !!.
Free cooler I would try it. I used a similar product that didn't work. Like you said , never on a customer product.
How's this unit working now after a few yrs?
I been using these type of sealers on old equipment and units as a last resort.
I have no idea. It worked fine until I got rid of it. Just an experiment. B
We have about a 1 to 4 success ratio with it in light commercial HVAC/r under 15 tons - we use the one with UV dye in it so we can tell if it is still leaking after our attempt since we stopped using dye a while back. No problem with compressors after using, just low success repairing leaks, which we bring upfront as a disclaimer with the customer when we provide the sealant option for repair in our quote.
Where do you buy that leak repair kit? How much is it?
It's been my experience that eventually the cap tube will become restricted or clogged. The only way to get rid of it is to change the cap tube, the compressor, and the filter because it's in the oil.
That having been said, the evaporator coil will be leak-free.
Or any oil additive . 1/2 oz of system renew. After a bit just to keep it from getting crunchy
If a system is condemned because it has a leak that is not economical to repair and is going to be thrown away then I don't see the harm in a leak stopper, I guess it would only really work on micro leaks and nothing big
Yup
Only as a last ditch effort. I have had it work on a condenser coil with multiple leaks, I've also had it plug up a TXV within hours of putting it in. Once it is in there, it is really hard to get it out.
😳
Hah ya'll. Just one important note. The sealer is sold by the ton which matches the concentration. They do sell for small appliances. Don't put 5ton sealer in 1/2 HP refrigeration unit. The 5 ton high concentration is not made to pass through a small cap tube. You have to buy the right sealer for the application. Secondly yes they do work !
They work I use them all the time. Particularly for small units like these. When cost of repair would be more than the unit is worth. they are a good way to get some extra life out of a unit.
Note:
The one you used is for a 1.5 + ton these need a .5 ton.
The best way to use these is 1.when it is running 2. attach it with pressure already on the leak sealer. Or it can blow the contents back into your gauges.
I would not recommend checking for leaks with the system running.
Thank you for this information. Where did you get the leak detector?
I had to replace a txv on a small walk in freezer once that clogged with the crap
Funny story I've actually seen a service port completely blocked up by that stuff because the Schrader core was leaking
i have a couple of questions but my biggest one right now is: what does this do to your gauges? i personally use the Fieldpiece probes, does this product create a coating on the sensor?
Miguel Hernandez 🤷♂️. But can you imagine never using your probes because you never know who has added what to any system. 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
@@rookierefrigeration4357 that is my everyday fear. The company I worked for would use that stuff on every leaky system, the company I work for now that is something that does not get mentioned. The owner is not a fan of that stuff and would much rather fix the leak and not patch a leak. In the situation that you are using it, it seems great, I really do hope it works and would like to see a update later in the future. I mainly deal with residential HVAC, you do all kinds of cool stuff, I really enjoy the videos.
@@rookierefrigeration4357 I have used my sman460 manifold twice knowing it had leak seal in the system. Just about a week ago I used my new Fieldpiece probes on another system knowing it had seal leak in the system. Have never had a problem with my gauges or probes yet.
Hello, good call picking up a free cooler. Would you put in less for a small unit? I know this was an experiment, but if you did it again on a regular refrigerator would you use less than the whole tube/unit that says it will treat up to 1.5ton? Thank you
So i have a issue, 8 can't find a leak on an ac unit 2.5 ton. I did a pump down and them pump niteogen into the systems 225 pounds of nitrogen it came down to 223 in an hr, used bubbles to check for leaks didn't see anything or hear anything it stopped at 223 psi. I also checked my gauge for leaks also and didn't see anything. I never used this, so my question is should i use it?
The refrigerant u are pushing it with is it the one for the refrigerator. And when pushing it is the refrigerator on or off
And u are pushing it from the low side
Any update? Has it held up? And can I add this in throw the service tube coming off the compressor?
I kept it for a few months and it worked great. I sold it and haven’t heard back from them so I guess it’s still running 😂. Just make sure it’s on the suction line and not the liquid line or discharge line.
I just tried some on a 12 foot aluminum coil on a meat case, while we are waiting for new coil from hussman, waste of time in my case. Hasn’t seemed to help or harm so far. But I never use the stuff.
I’ve used it a couple a times ,it’s works good on small leaks
Then turbo air cases always have a leak on evaporator coil.
Yes. It is a year later. What is cooler doing a year later?
I sold it a few months ago. That guy has my number and he hasn’t called. So???
I have used them it's been a 50/50 shot worked for me 5 of 10 times I usually tell cust bout it give price and tell them it could or couldn't work let them decide.
It may work, but I'm pretty sure it work by coating all surfaces with a layer of goo, which reduce the efficiency of the unit by a fair amount. However, it could work as an alternative to trashing it. Losing 10% vs replacing the whole unfixable unit...
On the bad side, it probably made it last many years less, but you were trashing it.
So, I see it as an alternative of a replacement, NOT as an alternative of a fix.
I used nu-calgon easy seal twice. The first was in a 2.5 ton split system and the compressor failed about 1 year later.
Second attempt was in a 1.5 ton split system, the compressor failed only a month later.
Ymmv, that's just my experience with it.
Old video but I need some help. I may have a leak. I had my system charged. It started cooling and next morning it had gone into defrost and never started cooling again. I have new sensors. So I'm guessing a leak.
Do I need to put 134a in then test as the comp is empty.? I dunno if it all leaked out or jist enough to run low.
Check the pressures. See if it’s not flat.
I lay out the options and my thoughts on those options and let them decide.
I have used them on a micro channel condenser . With small leak, And never had a call back. We actually recommend against it. But the owner insisted.
Yeah. There’s only so much you can do
Nice video! Btw, what psi you left on low pressure side?
Hernan Anzola I haven’t set charge yet. Haven’t had time. I’ll charge it by superheat another day
@@rookierefrigeration4357 Great! Video please!
CLEAR !!!! Paddles haha at some point we get to actually fix stuff 🤣
Hi has the fridge lasted or did it leak again ?
I've had a lot of luck with Nu-Calgon's UV/Sealant. Great for stopping up slow leakers and saves time when locating leaks.
The One&Done’s are less expensive than NuCalgon and work just as well if not better. They also have more versions. The one he used in this video has everything (Drying agent [dissipates moisture], Revive [similar to NuCal’s Renew] & UV Dye) in it. You get them @ UR or Aireco (VA/MD/DE)
nrproducts.com/PDS/PDS-LeakStop.pdf
Use this type on residential AC. Haven't had an issue yet.
Hardest part is to make sure no air or moisture is in the system. Otherwise it will react with it and solidify.
Yup, I've made that mistake before
Hook a ball valve hose directly to your tank, purge, then charge liquid directly to the sealant on your lines.
The One&Done version (All-In-One) he used actually has a drying agent in it to dissipate moisture. They do make regular version w/o it. They also make one just called “Dry” for systems w/ moisture & no leak.
Might be good as a last resort just do a disclaimer and tell your customer that it’s not forever.
I have used them. They work but not a permanent fix.
I’ve had great success using these sealers.
I've used several products for years , as a pro , with no qualms at all . I gave the customer every option including 1 gas and go if it was the first time . Second time a min injection but detection and repair was recommended unless it was 18 plus and they would never spend the money. Its a min effort to repair a leak , its far far more ethical to everyone including the customer then adding more then once . Just if there's moisture in the lines it'll plug the filter dryer
The leak seal is rated 1.5 to 5 tons? A little overkill for that unit. I used leak seal on a 30 yr old two stage liebert 16 ton. Lots of small evap leaks. Still holding as far as I know.
What a genius you are !!
Lol.
I’ve got a yellow jacket leak detector that’s about 7 years old and it’s never been any good at picking up r134
the fieldpiece slr8 heated diode detector is hands down the best ive used in my 20 years. i threw my inficon in the bin cps was always changing tips or getting false readings
Id use it on customer house as a last dicth effort and with customer full understanding of damages that it could possibly do
Agreed. If you clear the air and place your cards on the table, they shouldn’t get mad.
What damages would it do? It’s oil..
to do it right once your sure its not leaking you should reclaim the gas change the drier give it a vac and heat the compressor to get the refrigerant out of the oil then charge with nitrogen and test over night. then vac again and recharge with 134a. the compressor will have a heaps better chance of lasting once theres no moisture in the system. that system would have been sucking moisture through the evaporator leaks for sure. on a small cheap fridge its prob not worth the time and money but if its worth fixing ...
True. But this was a quick fix. Lol
@@rookierefrigeration4357 as long as you have positive pressure on the system it will not draw air or moisture into it.
Fix=A-Flat for AC. :D
Looks pretty cool. Not sure if im sold on it yet. Where's the Guinness?!
Guinness is ok. Ain’t too much into those super dark lagers. More of a Blue Moon, Landshark, Shiner Bock man myself 😂
Where can I get it. Buy
How can you argue with success?
Bravo!
I see throw-out refrigerator/AC units on the sidewalk all the time. Couldn't somebody make a living recycling these?
I have used it, When it doesn't pay to replace the evap, The times i have used it has always worked.
Looking forward to it
Wouldn't use it on anything that you need to work on ever again. Couldn't imagine what that stuff would do to a manifold. Keep us updated on the cooler and if there are any developments.
Will do. I’m trying to keep an open mind about stuff I’ve heard the stigmata about. 🤷♂️
It won’t do anything to a manifold, it’s oil with dye
@@jeffb8437 all air conditioners and coolers have oil in them. From what I've heard and read about they coagulate and solidify when exposed to moisture. I don't have first hand experience with it but I'd be willing to bet it would trash the manifold set if you were to hook it up to a system that had this in it
the way I see, the leaks top additive "may" condition an o-ring seal by swelling them up for a while. I don't see it stopping anything but that.
there are no o ring seals in refrigeration systems. only automotive systems use o rings
@@jspilly82, the vast majority of "Service Valves" have o-ring seals on the shafts, some are square cut type and have adjustable packing gland nut, but many do not and guess where there's always leak?
some solenoid valves also have body o-rings.
@@throttlebottle5906 yeah your right I never thought about those things. fridges dont though
I have used that on an OLD OLD R12 cooler wooden cooler built back in the day 5 years later that system is still not leaking
Damn. That’s good news. I’m hoping this works out because it’s gonna be a great beer fridge
@@rookierefrigeration4357 gotta love circle store 😂
Lol. I gotcha
Great video 👍👍👍
A guy I used to work with would come out and top someones system off, then have to come back once again. When the customer got tired of it, he would tell them about stop leak goo and sell them the idea. He would tell them they had a 80% success rate (slow the leak is usually what happens for awhile). He would then top it off with freon and leak goo. And at some point, they would call and complain again. Lost the customer everytime. If you have a leak, find it and repair it properly. Never should you have to ADD freon. And at the price of the stuff, fix it right the first time. The people paid as much as a new coil install, just in freon in some cases and were no better off. For a cheap fridge, what the hell? For home HVAC? Fix it right. Up to 200 a pound for freon? You figure it out.
Is it still doing good?
That’s cool. I really didn’t think it would work , lol
I had a mini split with 3 heads that had a leak somewhere. I couldn’t find a leak anywhere. I added super seal it’s a can not a tube and this was a year ago and still running fine! I’m actually curious on its acid and moisture removal. If it doesn’t fix leak you have Dye to find it! I like them!
Worth the cost 💯
Where's the Stratus??
Lol. In jail
Is it still working?
Yes
@@rookierefrigeration4357
Bravo!
I use it as a last resort... On larger units like 3 to 5 ton split systems...
I've had a 50/50 success rate in my opinion...
Nice job I will like to have one of that leak tester
I think I'm still good on leak seal.
Lol so I'm not the only one that keeps freezers and coolers that still have a chance that are free.
Breezy TheBoss lol. Make a few bucks off of it if u sell if.
I don’t know why people say it ruins compressors they don’t have proof must people don’t even know how compressors work
No wonder it worked, that one seals leaks up to 5 tons! They make some for only up to 1.5 tons!
I needed the extra protection 🤣🤣🤣
They have a new version coming out that is for “Up to 1/2 Ton” called One&Done “Mini’s”. It will also have the drying agent in it to dissipate moisture since most of the small units & fractionals don’t have a filter drier.
He did get the small system one . Go back with super 8 in a year if it works
Woooooow, you just changed the game for me showing this, who know how many numerous fridges I’ve had to throw due to leaking evaps, my only fear is clogging the cap tube, pls keep us posted if anything changes
I will bro. Gonna keep it updated!!
The leak seals do have their place. I had mixed results with the NuCalgon product.
This was the only one available at United that day. So ...
Wow ,,,nice❤
Looks like it worked !!!
80% if it was a 25% annual loss . Less effective with any larger leaks
2 years later - how is it doing?
No idea. Sold it after the video.
Obviously, if you can't detect leak post repair, it must've been effective to stop the leak.