Cleaning Expansion Valve
10-21-2004, 07:44 PM
#1
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Cleaning Expansion Valve
Anyone have experience cleaning and re-using expansion valves when doing AC r&r? Are the expansion valves the same for R-12 and R-134a?
10-21-2004, 09:41 PM
#3
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I think expansion valves are considered "wear items" they get plugged ,they leak . Right or wrong A/C shops seem to always change them possibly just because they are changing the seals anyway .If recharging with Freon the value of the freon and labor makes the $50 for the new valve seem somewhat less important.
10-22-2004, 12:55 AM
#4
Drifting
I cleaned both of mine and reused them. Flushed using an aerosol can A/C flush solvent.
Expansion valves have an internal o-ring seal, so depending on the age and amount of corrosion in your system, your's might not leak. The new replacement expansion valves have an o-ring compatible with both R-12 and R-134a.
My system had some corrosion, but very little particulate matter removed from flushes. I replace all hoses, including rear A/C hoses, replaced all mechanical joint o-rings. Also replaced some o-rings on the compressor adapters.
But I reused my Compressor and expansion valves and recharged with mineral oil and R-12. With the old compressor and expansion valves, I was able to easily pull a vacuum to 600 microns before recharging.
Expansion valves have an internal o-ring seal, so depending on the age and amount of corrosion in your system, your's might not leak. The new replacement expansion valves have an o-ring compatible with both R-12 and R-134a.
My system had some corrosion, but very little particulate matter removed from flushes. I replace all hoses, including rear A/C hoses, replaced all mechanical joint o-rings. Also replaced some o-rings on the compressor adapters.
But I reused my Compressor and expansion valves and recharged with mineral oil and R-12. With the old compressor and expansion valves, I was able to easily pull a vacuum to 600 microns before recharging.
10-22-2004, 01:08 PM
#5
The only new exp valve I ever bought was bad. So I always use them over and over, untill they dont work anymore. But the bad side is that its going to cause you to discharge and break the system down again, if they go bad.
10-22-2004, 03:01 PM
#6
Drifting
okbarnett,
For repairs like you suggest, the residual refrigerant can be recovered for recycling. So repairs are not something that should degrade the system performance or integrity.
In fact, recovery and refill should be part of routine maintenance since water accumulates in the system over time due to difusion thru the seals and hoses (even with the new seal compounds and barrier hoses).
For repairs like you suggest, the residual refrigerant can be recovered for recycling. So repairs are not something that should degrade the system performance or integrity.
In fact, recovery and refill should be part of routine maintenance since water accumulates in the system over time due to difusion thru the seals and hoses (even with the new seal compounds and barrier hoses).
