L Austin France wrote: ↑Thu Dec 29, 2022 10:10 am
Ah!
I also ran a HVAC business but I was a designer & employed operatives to do the 'dirty' bit.
I am pretty usefull with my hands but all the gear was sold with the company many years ago so I've no way of vaccuuming out the lines etc & was hoping you were going to say you'd fitted the Airton units which can be bought with pre-charged lines for DIY fitting.
I've had two quotes from 'local' installers but have little confidence in their rule of thumb designs having proved to them both that their suggestions were under spec'd & would not cope in very cold weather.
I wouldn't suggest anything with pre-charged lines and quick connectors. In our experience they always leak once the rubber seals have deteriorated, as do the seals and hoses on vehicle systems. I'm surprised they are still on sale. We wouldn't sell them, and replaced quick connectors with flare or brazed joints if we had to repair such systems
I have just bought two new 12,000 BTU/Hr Diloc inverter split systems through Amazon France at a reasonable price, to replace our old R22 units next summer. They are made in Italy and are on R32, which doesn't seem to have the same restrictions as most other refrigerants. At least, I wasn't asked to provide licence information or details of an installer when I bought them.
You might find that, for less than a "professional" charges, you can buy all the materials and kit to install these yourself if you have the necessary skills to do the "dirty" work. However, as you probably know, if you accidentally lose any, getting new refrigerant is difficult and expensive and repair could involve recovery of the remaining fluid and complete recharging, depending on the refrigerant used.
When installing the Enviracare (R407A) unit, although I still have tools and equipment I had to get a builder friend to drill the very thick concrete block/brick cavity wall, after I cut a window in the 80mm insulated placo for access from inside.
I found my vac pump and gauge set needed overhaul, requiring new parts, special oil, etc. and had to source and buy mounting brackets, anti-vibration mounts, a bending insert set for insulated pipes, and other stuff I always had handy years ago.
I needed oxygen for my gas welding set, but my bottle costs so much to refill in France that I have fallen back on a Campingaz Oxypower set with disposable bottles, bought on Leboncoin, which is quite adequate for my current needs.