Anyone ever recharge a R32 portable AC unit?
 

So after about 3 years my LG Portable AC seems to not be cooling anymore. I can hear the compressor running but the air from both coils doesn't seem much different from room temperature (the room vent used to be ice cold, and the window duct baking hot last year).
I understand the R32 it came with is flammable (not big of that), and supposedly these aren't supposed to have charge ports.
I'm wondering if there's some way I can fill it with something safer like R134 on the cheap to bring it back to life... Seems like a big waste Chucking a $400+ AC every 3 years when some Microscopic hole eventually lets the refrigerant charge out.

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It's doubtful that there is a leak, window A/C units are sealed just like refrigerators.
Since it's an LG unit you should type it's model & year into G and see if it's a defective
unit - LG has made a bunch of bad compressors over the last few years and they need
to be replaced. Not likely you will find someone willing to tear into it as it'll be too
expensive to repair.... Those things most likely are made to just run a few years and
hit the recycle bin.... If it's got a "Linear Compressor" guaranteed it's junk now....

Thank you for your attention on this matter....



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Not an in window AC (it's one of those units that sits completely inside the room and has a hot air duct that goes to the window).

I ran it once after posting and the compressior switched off and wouldn't come back on after that. I'm fairly sure it's empty. I'm going to take it apart and try dumping 120V directly into the compressior and see if it runs.

It sounds like that new Automotive R1234 stuff is similar. I may see if I can find a way to pull vacuum and charge it with that. R32 ain't sold to people who don't have an HVAC license and I'm not jumping through that hoop for this.

If my window was conducive to mounting a normal in-window AC I'd probably have installed a vintage unit.

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Good Morning; When you said portable A/C I figured it was one of those "sit inside the room"
units, my parents have one. And from what I have found looking further, LG did not
use their Linear Compressors in those units. But Still, A/C & Refrigerator Compressors
Are more crap today than before. When replacing a compressor on a sealed unit techs
regularly add at least one charge port, you can do this it's not hard. Getting a Refrigerant
handling certificate can be done online, I got one more than 15 years ago so I could buy
R-12 on ebay, silly as it sounds, same for R-22 for our house unit. I think it was $50.
It's a quick course on proper handling of refrigerants & recovery.

As far as using R134a in place of R-32 I don't know about the different temps they
work at, of the proper pressures they work at, internals keep the compressor at
the proper pressures. Condenser, & Evaporator coils are specific sizes to accommodate
the different refrigerants, + the expansion valve is also different.

The oils that are in the compressor are different for each refrigerant too, you should check
to be sure the oil for R-32 & R-134a is the same, and then I guess you'll have to assume
that the oil already in the compressor is one that both R32 & R134a is going to
play nice with.


On to powering the compressor with straight 120v. - Most likely your compressor has
3 leads, a Common, Start, and Run, you will have to identify each and feed them
properly, + the run cap.

Then there is the possibility, remotely, that you have a variable speed compressor,
I forgot what they are called, but they change speed with demand, Kinda like the
GM V8-6-4 but for A/C you most likely don't have that.

You should get documentation on your unit and it's components including the
refrigerant if you really want to fix it.... Also worth the effort.

Also adding refrigerant, you will see on the unit somewhere it will say 12.5 oz of R-32
or whatever it is, this is really precise amount you will need to carefully weigh out
how you will add this. Modern recovery/refill units can do this easily.

Proceed as you wish.....


You are onto it though with installing a vintage window unit, I got an old Sharp
Unit off CL for less than $80. and love it. Our house has old Marvin Swing-Out windows,
NOT Window A/C Friendly at all.....
I had to remove the glass & make a wood holder frame and install this unit custom -
Well worth it.

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