When is a drum of freon empty?

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There is no note on the drum what is weighs empty and even then you wont get all of it out when there is pressure in the a/c system. Other than saying its empty when you can't get any more freon out, when should I start shopping for a new 30 pounder? I must have 3 or 4 "empty" drums from the last 20 years.
 
I recently had to take the Universal test for handling freon. Not sure about a drum, but a machine isnt considered empty until it has a fifteen inch vacuum on it.
 
They weigh about 8 pounds empty.

For practical purposes, it is empty when there is no more liquid phase. At that point the pressure will drop below the saturation pressure expected from the temperature of the drum.

When the pressure gets lower than the low side of the car, no more can be removed by direct charging without a machine. Less than 1% of the original contents remain then.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
There is no note on the drum what is weighs empty and even then you wont get all of it out when there is pressure in the a/c system. Other than saying its empty when you can't get any more freon out, when should I start shopping for a new 30 pounder? I must have 3 or 4 "empty" drums from the last 20 years.

Shop for a new one when the old one gets under 8-9 pounds total weight. Not sure I would advertise that I didn't have a recovery unit nor tanks...
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It's at 12 1/2 pounds including the heater strapped to it. How much do you need to leak test an empty system? The near empties should be good for that.
 
If you pick it up and shake it and don't feel the "slosh" of liquid in the bottom there isn't much left.

But as you said you should conduct the first leak test on a system that has leaked down to zero at only a couple psi. If there is a big leak and you use a lot you'll fill the whole garage with refrigerant and your leak detector will make false alarms everywhere.
 
Originally Posted by Timmastertech
A full 30 pound cylinder of refrigerant weighs right around 36 pounds when new.


This is correct for R22.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
Originally Posted by atikovi
There is no note on the drum what is weighs empty and even then you wont get all of it out when there is pressure in the a/c system. Other than saying its empty when you can't get any more freon out, when should I start shopping for a new 30 pounder? I must have 3 or 4 "empty" drums from the last 20 years.

Shop for a new one when the old one gets under 8-9 pounds total weight. Not sure I would advertise that I didn't have a recovery unit nor tanks...
27.gif




Bullwinkle: I would not advertise that either. I have 4 "recovery cylinders " that are correct colors and labeled
smile.gif


Some things never, ever change
 
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