Snap On ACT 2500 and ACT 3000-I have them both-can I charge with them?

[watchfatha]

I am always looking at craigslist ads and along the way I have purchased both a Snap On ACT 3000 AC Recycling machine and a Snap On ACT 2500 AC Recycling machine. They both turn on when plugged in and both have very heavy canisters underneath. All of my cars have factory AC, all still working and all still on R12. Question: Can I use either of these machines to re-charge when the time comes that it is required?
Thanks
Norm
Norm

 

[413]

No you cannot. It has labeled itself a recovery and recycling center. It has operating procedures right on it. Does it have a procedure to charge? Does it have a vacuum pump?

Have you ever charged an AC system?

 

[volksworld]

i basically have the same machine...built by the original manufacturer that supplied them to snap on ( White?)...it is a recycler, not a charging station...what it will do is remove the freon from your system and store it in the bottle below...then when its time to recharge you can pull it out of that bottle...but it doesnt pump it in under pressure, its just like pulling it out of a little can or big bottle...but if you only have the charge from your car in the bottle on the recycler, its would be under such low pressure that it would be very hard for the compressor on your car to suck it back out...and i wouldn't trust the contents of whatever's currently in the bottle cause it could be contaminated or be a cocktail of "r-12 substitutes" like propane or even 134 from improperly done conversions...the machine should be marked that its designed for r-12 and have the corresponding fittings...by the time you get a new tank and change the dessicant filter( if you can even get one) it would be easier to just buy new r-12...we were required by NY state law to have one of those in our shop but basically it sat in the corner gathering dust so if an inspector ever came in you could point at it...no idea how we were supposed to properly dispose of a full cylinder of bad freon...

 

[watchfatha]

No you cannot. It has labeled itself a recovery and recycling center. It has operating procedures right on it. Does it have a procedure to charge? Does it have a vacuum pump?

Have you ever charged an AC system?

There is a book but it is a little confusing. It does have a vacuum pump. Yes, I have (successfully) charged systems before but not with this level of equipment. Thanks for the reply

 

[watchfatha]

i basically have the same machine...built by the original manufacturer that supplied them to snap on ( White?)...it is a recycler, not a charging station...what it will do is remove the freon from your system and store it in the bottle below...then when its time to recharge you can pull it out of that bottle...but it doesnt pump it in under pressure, its just like pulling it out of a little can or big bottle...but if you only have the charge from your car in the bottle on the recycler, its would be under such low pressure that it would be very hard for the compressor on your car to suck it back out...and i wouldn't trust the contents of whatever's currently in the bottle cause it could be contaminated or be a cocktail of "r-12 substitutes" like propane or even 134 from improperly done conversions...the machine should be marked that its designed for r-12 and have the corresponding fittings...by the time you get a new tank and change the dessicant filter( if you can even get one) it would be easier to just buy new r-12...we were required by NY state law to have one of those in our shop but basically it sat in the corner gathering dust so if an inspector ever came in you could point at it...no idea how we were supposed to properly dispose of a full cylinder of bad freon...

Much appreciation for your VERY informative reply. I have two of these machines (a 2500ACT and a 3000ACT) both with R-12 fittings and both with pressure in the tanks, albeit of unknown origin. I also have new R-12 and a vacuum pump and manifold gauge set. Looks like these machines will sit on display along side the parking meter in my garage, to add "character" to the place. Thanks for taking the time to explain things so clearly.

 

[Dan Scully]

I picked this one up, had this style in a shop I worked at, always worked great. Recovers, Stores and recharges.

 

[volksworld]

yeah that's much newer than the one i have...and undoubtedly worked a lot better...mine was the first generation that came out ....we were required to buy the machine and pay to go to a NY state DMV class (physically show up...no online testing back then) that taught the evils of R-12 and what was required to do a 134 conversion....once we passed the test we got a card (with our social security number boldly printed across it) that we now had to show in order to buy freon... of course any parts house that we regularly dealt with never asked to see it....