AC compressor short cycling...

txab · June 27, 2022

Pull apart a refrigeration system that has had leak sealer installed, it can be a mess inside. Most sealants do their job when they hit oxygen where ever the leak is. It hardens/thickens and plugs the "hole". If you open your system to work on it after you've installed this spooge, you've now exposed all of it to oxygen. Flushing can only remove a small portion of it

Condensers tend to plug up. Compressor valves get gummy. the desicant becomes contaminated.

They've made the sealants "better" over the years, but there are plenty of products produced for short term gain that can prove detrimental. Best to fix the leaks properly and recharge with clean refrigerant.

I haven't looked into what the current "seal conditioners" are using in their mix.

stu_pidasso · July 2, 2022

On 6/27/2022 at 1:25 PM, txab said:

Pull apart a refrigeration system that has had leak sealer installed, it can be a mess inside.

100%, these recharge kits with sealants in them are no different than the rad stop leak bottles you can buy. There is a chance they solve the problem, but they will leave goo everywhere and eventually when you decide to solve the issue permanently, you may have a mess to clean up.

On 6/27/2022 at 12:56 PM, Twodose said:

I don’t know why anyone would make a product that was detrimental to a system in any term short or long.

Not to be rude, but you bought it, that's why it's sold. People buy it. Nothing wrong with it if you want a quick fix or a slow leak you just don't want to pay to have fixed and delay the inevitable. My old GMT800 'Do had a leaky compressor. Took a year for it to leak out, so I'd just top it up with 134 in May. Depends on how serious you want to get with this. If you want to do it right, find the source of the leak and fix it, vacuum, get a bottle of 134 and a scale, recharge to the right weight, and ensure pressures are in the right range. But I wouldn't worry too hard about moisture at this point, sounds like not all of the gas was lost when the problem surfaced. Id probably blow a little bit of gas off to try and get it back to a 1.8lb charge, but I'd say you're okay to forget about it and enjoy the cold air.

Edited July 2, 2022 by stu_pidasso