How to Add Refrigerant to an Air Conditioner

Determine Whether You Need to Charge

• 1

  Shut off your air conditioner by turning off the electricity at the circuit breaker.

• 2

  Attach the hoses from your gauge manifold to the air conditioner. Connect the high pressure hose to the liquid line and connect the low pressure hose to the suction line.

• 3

  Turn your system back on and let it run for 15 minutes.

• 4

  Use the gauge to measure the outdoor temperature, the return air temperature, the suction line temperature and the liquid line temperature. Check the measurement against the charging chart on the unit to determine if your AC system needs refrigerant.

Add Refrigerant

• 5

  Connect the hose from the refrigerant container to the correct line. If your unit uses R22, it goes into the suction line. If your unit uses a blended refrigerant, it goes into the liquid line.

• 6

  Release the refrigerant into the air conditioner in five-minute increments to allow the system time to stabilize as you add coolant. Check your measurements against the ones listed on the charging chart, as you add the coolant, to know when to stop.

• 7

  Run your air conditioner through a complete cooling cycle to verify it’s working correctly.