R-410A has been around for nearly ten years now and it is now becoming a standard refrigerant for a residential technician to deal with. That being said there are still instances where people are using the wrong tools on an R-410A air conditioning unit. 410A, or Puron, operates at a much much higher pressure than R-22. Depending on the application it could operate between fifty to sixty percent higher than what you are used to with an R-22 system. If the wrong tools are used you could destroy your tools or even end up causing permanent damage to the unit itself.
Recommended Tools
Alright so the question is when working with this higher pressure refrigerant and systems what kind tools should be used? Here at RefrigerantHQ we have taken the time to create a recommended tool listing for when working on an 410A unit. The good thing here is that these tools work well with R-22 as well, so while you are upgrading your tools for 410A they can still be used on older systems as well.
- Manifold Gauge Set – The high pressures encountered when working R-410A requires a manifold gauge set that has a low-side gauge that can read up to 500 PSIG and a high side gauge that can read up to 800 PSIG. This is significantly higher than a standard manifold set. There are many versions of gauges out there and by now I will imagine most of them meet 410A requirements.
- Here at RefrigerantHQ we recommend Yellow Jacket’s 49967 Manifold Gauge set. This is set is rated for both R-22 and R-410A along with a host of other refrigerants.
Yellow Jacket’s official product flyer can be found by clicking here. - Hoses – Hoses used on 410A applications should be UL recognized and have a minimum of 800 PSI working pressure and a 4,000 PSI burst. This covers you by providing a five to one safety factor. I will refer to the recommended gauge set above as it comes with a set of four hoses as well.
- Flaring Tools – Depending on the unit you are working on you may find that you need to flare some of the tubes in order to get everything to fit correctly. While your existing flaring tool may work there is a chance of leaks when working with R-410A due to the pressure. There are flaring tools specifically designed for R-410A that will allow for ease of use and minimize chance of leaks. Our pick at RefrigerantHQ is Yellow Jacket’s 60278 410A Flaring Tool.
You can purchase one on Amazon.com and you can also find an instructional video by clicking here. - Refrigerant Leak detector – There are so many leak detectors out there on the market today it can be a little confusing. Most of them by now can detect R-410A along with other HFC refrigerants. To make things a little bit easier I put together a price point comparison table. This will give you the option to pick a detector that will work for you as well as stay in your budget.
- Recovery Cylinders – Recovery cylinders need to be rated to at least 400 DOT. A standard DOT 350 cylinder will not be able to safely handle the pressures of R-410A.
Here at RefrigerantHQ we recommend that you purchase the Mastercool 62010 thirty pound recovery cylinder. This is a highly rated tank that can handle the high pressures of 410A refrigerant. - Recovery Machine – A recovery machine for 410A must be approved for Class V refrigerants including R-407C, R-404A, R-507, and R-410A per AHRI 740-98. The recovery machine should have the following features: over sized condenser, over sized fan, crankcase pressure regulator valve, and a high pressure cutout switch rated for at least 510 PSI. (Source from Yellowacket.com)
Here at RefrigerantHQ we recommend that you purchase the Robinair RG3 Portable Recovery Machine. This is an overall great unit with tons of positive reviews and it can handle the pressures of 410A without a problem.
Conclusion
Alright folks so we’ve gone through the entire recommended list of tools for 410A. Using these tools or other similar ones that meet the criteria we mentioned above will allow you to service 410A units with ease. Thanks for reading and as always if I missed something or if you find something that is inaccurate please let me know by clicking here.