When working on any air conditioning system, the ability to pull a hard vacuum to remove all moisture from the system is critical. One of the best tools available to the A/C technician is the Robinair 15600 two-stage vacuum pump. This article will take a look at why this AC pump is so useful, and will end by showing you where you can save a lot of money if you want to buy a new Robinair 15600.
Why We Need an A/C Vacuum Pump
Our main goal in A/C service is to ensure that all air and water have been removed from the system before it is recharged with fresh refrigerant and the appropriate amount of lubricant. Water and air are enemies of cooling efficiency. Both are very difficult for the compressor to actually compress, leading to flow restrictions in the system. Water threatens to freeze up the evaporator core and reacts corrosively with the refrigerant charge, leading to expensive and difficult repairs. On many cars, replacing an evaporator core is a nightmare, requiring many hours of labor to remove the dash for access.
To remove water from an A/C system, we reduce the pressure in the system, thereby reducing the temperature at which water boils. At sea level, water boils at 212 F, but if we pull a vacuum of 29.40 in/Hg that boiling point falls to only 60 F. And if you can pull 29.86 in/Hg, water will boil off at a mere 10 F. It always helps to do this job on a warm day with the car's cabin heated thoroughly by leaving the windows closed. But there's no substitute for a really good vacuum pump.
Why the Robinair 15600 Two-Stage Pump is Superior
- The Robinair 15600 is very powerful, pulling a super-hard vacuum in under 60 minutes. The cheap venturi-style pumps can never come close to this kind of performance. In most cases, a venturi pump will not fully evacuate the system, and that means performance and reliability problems down the road.
- As an electric pump, it's much quieter than running an air compressor for a venturi pump. This is much appreciated if you're working in a confined shop, or you like to be considerate to your neighbors at home. Either way, it's nice to be able to hear yourself think!
- It's easy to take to different job sites because you only need one piece of equipment. There's no need to lug an air compressor around with you.
- As a two-stage pump, there is no risk that the system you're working on will be contaminated by pump oil. This design also contributes to the strength of the pump.
- With a huge 6 cfm capacity, the Robinair 15600 can handle larger applications if necessary, such as RVs or commercial vehicles. This is a pump that can handle just about anything for years to come.