Step by Step How to Vacuum Down Mini Split Using Analog Gauges Release Refrigerant Check for Leaks 

I do everything around my home but have always been afraid of the HVAC system. Thanks for explaining things so well and making this feel easy. New tools and skills in my toolbox. Thank you!!

Thanks so much. I'm seventy two and have always been my own Mr. Fixit. But this was a first for me. I have watched several videos on the subject and this is the best. Articulate, concise, and Very Very helpful. Thanks so very much. Oh yeah, totally worked fine and I am now cool.

Man...great video. I've watched a dozen of these vids on minisplits. Thank you for making one just for the vacuum portion of the install.

Excellent video! Thanks for all the details.

thank you I will install my heat pump this weekend👍

Excellent tutorial no nonsense right to the point all this needed thank you so much

The low side connection... the large line that you hooked the blue line to from the gauge set... when fully opened is called being "back seated" and the pressure that is on that blue line is ONLY freon from the valve to the manifold head. There is no reason to "remove it as quickly as you can" to cap it. If that valve is opened until it stops, it will not leak out freon from the system. Remove your blue line and install the cap that came with the system. All is well. When vacuuming the system down, both of the valves should be closed and the only part you are putting under a vacuum is the line set through the evaporator (inside head). Once under good vacuum, opening both the valves fully closes the gauge set off from the condensor and prevents any freon from leaking out unless you have a bad flare on one of the lines. People think HVAC is scary. Fortunately sellers like Senville and all the others (made by the same company BTW) make installation pretty easy. They also make HVAC repair people

Thank you you have show how to vacuum this system so all mini split requires vacuum right?

To which port do I connect the blue hose? I’m assuming it it the one marked “low pressure charge plug” but I want to be sure. I seem to have two ports, and the one i think it is does not need an adapter

Do you put anything on the threads of the caps to help create a backup seal?

A micron guage along with vacume guage will show you a lot . Your vacume guage will give you confirmation that your system has a vacume on it if it is depressing the shrader valve correctly. The micron guage will give you a much better indication of moisture in system. My guage went to almost 30 inhg very quickly. but the micron guage was taking forever to drop down. To below 500 i would like to see 300 or less on the micron guage. Then prefer it stays under 500 after about ten to 15 min isolation test is prefered. The vacume drops the boiling point of water way down. So the vac pump can suck the water vapor out of the system. I was in a hurry and very tired and connected the vac hose and it didn't depress the schrader valve very well if at all. I did not have the micron guage attached. And released the refergerant. After getting some rest i started second guessing if i had it vacumed sufficiantly. So to error on the safe side i recovered the refergerant and started vac with micron guage. Shrader valve removed 29 inhg was obtained quickly but 8 hrs later the micron level got down to 500 micron. Im assuming it took some time to dehydrate the moisture from the oil. HVAC is not my prefered line of work. I do it when required. Have most of the equipment to do it correctly. I do it when required for myself or friends and chillers at my employment. And have to refresh my memory when doing so. My point. Is if you have a micron guage avaiably. Use it.

Thanks, I will use 150 to 200 pounds max.

If both valves are shut closed, how does the vacuum pump able to do its job vacuuming those copper pipes?

The line set should not rolls so many,You should cut the tube make new flare connecting the unit for better oil return.

Are the two-way valve and three-way valve closed when vacuuming the lines?

My ac compressor and condenser have no refrigerant, so I need to do a pressure test on the whole system. Can I open the service hi and lo valves so the nitrogen can go thru both the compressor and condenser or should only the evaporator and its lines be checked? Same question to do a vacuum test? All the system or just the evaporator side?

Good video, but you do absolutely need a micron gauge. Mini split manuals will specifically give a micron value to ensure a deep vacuum is maintained. Traditional Gauges don’t tell you shit as far as vacuum depth. Dish soap will only show the worst of leaks. Oftentimes a slow leak won’t even show up using dish soap. I still appreciate the spirit of your video.

What line should I open first Big one or small one

What line should you open first

Do have that part number for the adapter? Thanks in advance

When I connect my adapter to the service valve it starts shooting out quite a bit of coolant before I can even get it closed. I noticed yours did nothing like this. Why would that be?

What line should I open first Big one or small one