My "Ghetto" "Air Compressor"
- Thread starter Jure
- Start date
countrytech
Well-known member
who's the poor sucker that can't figure out why his air conditioner stopped working after last night? 
Seriously It's creative. I didn't know an air conditioner had enough pressure to inflate a tire. How high of PSI does it go? Does it actually work properly?
Seriously It's creative. I didn't know an air conditioner had enough pressure to inflate a tire. How high of PSI does it go? Does it actually work properly?
who's the poor sucker that can't figure out why his air conditioner stopped working after last night?
Seriously It's creative. I didn't know an air conditioner had enough pressure to inflate a tire. How high of PSI does it go? Does it actually work properly?
they threw it in the trash on my job so i took it,also i have one more so now i have 2 xDCatalyze
Well-known member
Good job recycling!
Craig
Craig
My first one was the little black “can” from a curb side refrigerator.
1/8 inch tube going to a curbside water softener tank.
It took it over an hour to get up to 80 lbs.
But it filled a lot of leaking tires for less than $20.00 of 1970 dollars.
Don’t ever be afraid to look outside the box!
1/8 inch tube going to a curbside water softener tank.
It took it over an hour to get up to 80 lbs.
But it filled a lot of leaking tires for less than $20.00 of 1970 dollars.
Don’t ever be afraid to look outside the box!
jabberwoki
Well-known member
Nice job reminds me of the stuff i saw in Cuba!
Garage5.9
Well-known member
I plan on building a vaccum pump from a fridge compressor soon
That seems to be the more typical re-use for the fridge compressor... best thing is they are very quiet!
Garage5.9
Well-known member
yup just gotta source a fridge now. Hows this home made recovery machine
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=199655
Garage5.9
Well-known member
where you gonna use it and for what?
vaccum seal drugs when i send it in the mail. j.k . not but really to pull vaccum when i work on a/c stuff
70Camaro
Well-known member
I did that to pull a vaccume on a/c lines. Works well!!
ranger_dood
Well-known member
Question regarding these alternative uses for compressors - is there any issue with the compressor oil circulating or blowing out of the lines, and then the compressors seizing from lack of lubrication?
I know on fridges, if you sit them on their back, you're supposed to let them sit for 24 hours to let the oil settle back down to the compressor... I figure if the system is no longer a closed loop, all your oil is going to be blown out the lines, no?
I know on fridges, if you sit them on their back, you're supposed to let them sit for 24 hours to let the oil settle back down to the compressor... I figure if the system is no longer a closed loop, all your oil is going to be blown out the lines, no?
diesel research
Well-known member
garage5.9, maybe you knew, maybe you didn't, maybe you don't care.
Your idea will work, BUT it will be illegal to charge anyone or except any goods or services in trade when using said machine.
Basically, federal law will allow you to use said machine for individual use, but anything deemed even slightly "commercial" (with some type of cash/goods/services compensation) is prohibited and punishable by fines, which are enforced when ever a disgruntled witness reports.
Your idea will work, BUT it will be illegal to charge anyone or except any goods or services in trade when using said machine.
Basically, federal law will allow you to use said machine for individual use, but anything deemed even slightly "commercial" (with some type of cash/goods/services compensation) is prohibited and punishable by fines, which are enforced when ever a disgruntled witness reports.
Garage5.9
Well-known member
Yup this is true but people have gotten around this before and all has worked well from what ive read. I forget what they have done but ill get back to you on the subject.
Garage5.9
Well-known member
Never heard this before thanks for letting me know but honestly i dont really care. Ill only be working on my own and friends vehicles out of my own garage so chances are slim anything will happen. Just wondering why it is illegal to accept money or goods ? Im guessing because uncle sam wants a piece of the pie ?
70Camaro
Well-known member
Same here.
never had that problem with A/C compressor.
diesel research
Well-known member
Doing your own personal fleet is perfectly legal. Your fleet could be a farm you run, close family, or the vehicles in your driveway.
You don't run into problems until you go "hollywood" or start charging others. Their definition of charging is pretty broad, so don't think you can use a loophole like "I didn't charge for recovery, just for parts". Not acceptable to them. Free labor, free parts.
There is no piece of the pie for them by using an approved machine. There is no piece of the pie when you repair your own fleet of 200 farm tractors (damn that would be huge!) There IS consumer protection. If your machine doesn't work on your stuff, you are only ripping yourself off, not others.
There is also a stipulation that you DO NOT **** up junkyard refrigerant with homebrew machines. People do this because you get paid for old refrigerant, and some junkyards might also pay you a small fee.
The commercial units have to be tested for leaks, and the ability to draw a minimum of 4" vacuum. A homebrew can easily pass that, but unless it is submitted for testing, it cannot be documented/proven.
The other thing is when someones system ran empty and then was topped off, it may have become contaminated with air/water throughout the years. Your homebrew machine has no way of bleeding off air w/o leaking refrigerant, so you may run into problems reinjecting the soup back into the system.
That air bleed function is something I would love to figure out how to do. Even the most basic junkyard type recovery machine (prepackaged version of what you want to do) cost $700 and doesn't bleed air. More expensive ones run $2-$5k. Who has that kinda cash laying around for backyard work?
willy3486
Well-known member
My BIL worked on ACs before he retired. When he moved I hauled off old the old junk he didn't want ot deal with to my house. I tried to sell a bunch of the large cooler pump units on craigslist and no one wanted them. I would up hauling them off for scrap last week and got more than I was asking for them. I still have a nice purge unit that looks new and two other complete units I may put back on. I have them advertised for 100 bucks and no one wants them. I guess its the scrapyard if no one calls. I may save a couple of compressors for a air pump or vacuum pump if I haul them off.