Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine May 2025 Issue

HVACR NewsMagazine May 2025

Tech News

even the most basic concepts in the trade to help ensure that nothing gets missed. Thanks for understanding. Before reading this, you need to understand some of the terms surrounding air conditioning charging and diagnosis, specifically the term saturation. Next, you need to know something about the basic refrigerant circuit. I suggest that you understand these words and concepts before you ever attempt to charge an air conditioner; click on the links to start reading about the topics and find a solid starting point.

Refrigerant Charging Basics for Air Conditioning & Heat Pump Systems

Bryan Orr, HVAC School February 24, 2025

Before I start on this one… At HVAC School, we focus on a wide range of topics. Many of them are very basic. My experience as a trainer for over 20 years has taught me that no matter what I assume others SHOULD know, it doesn't change the fact that they often do not. This write-up is very basic, but you may find that some of the content will be useful for you to give apprentices or junior techs, or it may give you a new idea of how to explain it to them — or maybe not. Either way, I feel obligated to cover

Many who start here may ask, “What should my pressures be?” That is NOT how you charge a system, so if you are reading this to try and find that answer, just be aware that it isn't that simple. READ THE MANUFACTURER SPECS ON PROPER CHARGING FOR THE MODEL YOU ARE WORKING ON FIRST WHENEVER POSSIBLE.