Sharp AC880 User Manual
OPERATION
&
MAINTENANCE
MANUAL
AC880
Refrigerant Handling System
Manual P/N 035-80749-00
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AC880
Before Using the AC880 ..................... 2
Safety Precautions.......................... 2
Using the AC880 ........................... 3
Setup .................................... 4
Fill Charge Cylinder ......................... 5
Recover/Recycle ........................... 6
Drain Recovered Oil......................... 7
Deep Vacuum ............................. 8
Charge ................................... 9
Automatic ................................. 10
Access Stored Data ......................... 12
Set Over Charge Amount ..................... 13
Scheduled Maintenance ..................... 14
Filter Maintenance ..........................14
Parts Identification .......................... 15
Troubleshooting Fill Cylinder Procedure .........18
CONGRATULATIONS
You have purchased one of the finest Recovery, Recycling,
and Charging Machines available!
Your AC880 was proudly manufactured for MATCO Tools by
RTI Technologies Inc., York, PA.
Fill out and return the Warranty Card within 90 days to
activate the warranty and free lifetime technical support.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
800-468-2321 (Ext. 259)
tech@rtitech.com
BEFORE USING THE AC880
Check for any shipping damage. Place a claim with carrier if damage is discovered. DO NOT USE A DAMAGED UNIT.
Complete and return the Warranty Card to activate technical support service and warranty coverage.
These general instructions describe normal operation and maintenance situations encountered with the AC880. Failure
to read and comply with these instructions or any one of the limitations noted herein can result in serious injury and/or
property damage.
A few minutes spent reading these instructions can make an operator aware of dangerous practices to avoid and
precautions to take for his own safety and the safety of others. The instructions should not be interpreted to anticipate
every possible contingency.
The AC880 should not be operated or serviced by any person who has not read all the contents of this manual.
It is the responsibility of the owner/user to operate the AC880 in accordance with all specifications and laws which apply.
A regular schedule of inspection of the AC880 should be established and records maintained with special attention given
to Hoses, Compressor Oil Level, Vacuum Pump Oil Level, and Filters.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Recover, Recycle, and Charge only the refrigerant for which the machine is configured.
Wear safety glasses and protective gloves. Refrigerant has a very low boiling point and can cause frostbite.
Follow the AC880 operating procedures sequentially to avoid prematurely disconnecting hoses or opening valves which
may release refrigerant to the atmosphere.
Do not expose the AC880 to moisture or operate in wet areas.
Use the AC880 in locations with mechanical ventilation that provides at least four air changes per hour.
Hoses used with the AC880 must have shutoff devices within 12 inches (30 centimeters) of the connection point to the
A/C System to minimize the introduction of Non-Condensable Gas (Air) into the AC880 and the release of refrigerant
when being disconnected.
Disconnect power before performing any maintenance or service on the AC880.
Connect the AC880 to a properly grounded receptacle. Do not overload the circuit.
Avoid using an extension cord with the AC880. If necessary use a good condition three wire, grounded, #14 AWG or
larger extension cord of the shortest possible length.
Do not connect the AC880 to the liquid side of any A/C System with a capacity greater than 4 lbs (1.8 Kg). Refrigerant
in A/C Systems having larger capacities must be recovered from the vapor side only.
Never connect the Red or Blue Hose on the rear of the AC880 to the Liquid Port of a Cylinder of Refrigerant to fill the
Charge Cylinder. Doing so may cause the Compressor to fail and void the warranty.
Avoid breathing refrigerant or lubricant vapor or mist. Exposure may irritate eyes, nose and throat. If accidental system
discharge occurs, ventilate work area before continuing.
Additional health and safety information may be obtained from refrigerant and lubricant manufacturers.
Special Considerations with R134a
R134a has been shown to be nonflammable at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. However, tests under
controlled conditions have indicated that at pressures above atmospheric and with air concentrations greater than 60
percent by volume, R134a can form combustible mixtures.
While it is recognized that an ignition source is also required for combustion to occur, the presence of combustible
mixtures is a potentially dangerous situation and should be avoided.
Under no circumstances should any equipment be pressure tested or leak tested with Air and R134a mixtures. Do not
use compressed air (shop air) for leak detection in R134a systems.
Page 2
USING THE AC880
Note: The purpose of this discussion is to familiarize the user with the features and functions of the AC880 Refrigerant
Handling Station. The procedures discussed in this manual assume that the AC880 has been set up in accordance
with the figures which are referred to and that the AC880 has been connected to the proper power supply. This manual
does not illustrate correct A/C service, but rather how to correctly use the AC880.
The AC880 is microprocessor controlled with a menu driven user interface. All of the functions of the AC880 are accessed
by pressing a few simple key strokes and following the prompts. The internal Charging Cylinder is attached to a strain gauge
measuring device (load cell) and the weight is electronically displayed.
The AC880 has a Fill Cylinder feature that allows refrigerant to be loaded directly into the Charging Cylinder without going
through the normal Recover/Recycle mode. When selected, this feature allows the AC880 Charging Cylinder to be re-filled
in just a few minutes, at which point it will automatically stop at approximately 13 lbs (6 Kg).
The AC880 Recovers and Recycles simultaneously in a true “single pass” through the filters and stores the refrigerant in the
Charging Cylinder where it is immediately available for use. This process automatically stops at 17.5 lbs (8 Kg) or when a
15 In Hg (-0.5 Bar) vacuum is sensed. The AC880 will wait for a minimum factory default of two minutes for “out gassing”
of cold refrigerant to raise the pressure back up to 3 psig (0.2 Bar) which would cause the Recover/Recycle process to start
again and reset this two minute Recycle Hold Timer before displaying that the process is complete. The Recycle Hold Timer
can be changed every time a Recover/Recycle procedure is run. Longer times should be selected on colder days or for A/C
Systems with large liquid capacities. Increasing this value may increase total time to Recover/Recycle while decreasing the
time may result in an incomplete Recovery of the A/C System. Refer to the chart below for guidelines on setting the Recycle
Hold Timer. The value entered is stored in the memory of the AC880 and becomes the default value each time it is set. NonCondensable Gases are vented automatically during Recovery/Recycle. The Amount of refrigerant recycled is displayed at
the end of the procedure. This value is added to the Total Amount Recycled and stored in the memory of the AC880 (See
Access Stored Data on Page 12).
0
Temperature Less than 50
Recycle Hold Time 10 minutes 5 minutes 2 minutes
F (100C) 500F (100C) to 800F (26.50C) Greater than 800F (26.50C)
An integrated Deep Vacuum Pump draws on both the High and Low Hoses, ensuring complete evacuation of the A/C
System. The amount of time that the Vacuum Pump has been programmed to run will count down on the display. The value
entered is stored in the memory of the AC880 and becomes the default value each time it is set. The Low Pressure Gauge
can be used to monitor a rise in A/C System pressure. When programmed to do so, the AC880 will pause and start a count
up timer indicating how long the Vacuum Pump has been off, thus allowing the operator to determine if a vacuum leak is
present based on increasing pressure over time. A rapid rise in pressure indicates the presence of a large leak that should
be repaired. A slow rise in pressure may simply indicate that a longer Recycle Hold Time or Vacuum Time value should have
been entered. A relatively constant vacuum reading over a long period of time (less than 2 InHg rise over ten minutes) is the
most accurate way to check for vacuum leaks. The AC880 can also be programmed to pause to allow oil to be added to the
A/C System after vacuuming and prior to charging.
Charging is done from the internal Charging Cylinder. The A/C Capacity is entered using the Keypad. The value entered is
stored in the memory of the AC880 and becomes the default value each time it is set. The AC880 can dispense liquid
refrigerant through either the High or Low Side Hose by changing the position of a selector switch. As refrigerant leaves the
AC880, the display will show an increasing weight to the programmed charge amount plus a factory set one ounce (0.03 Kg)
Over Charge Amount necessary for compensation of refrigerant loss in the hoses. This Over Charge Amount can be changed
to accommodate different operating conditions (see Set Over Charge Amount on Page 13.) An integrated heater
automatically engages whenever Charging occurs. The amount of refrigerant charged is added to the total amount charged
and stored in the memory of the AC880 (see Access Stored Data on Page 12).
The AC880 can be programmed to perform the Recover/Recycle, Deep Vacuum and Charge in a completely Automatic
mode. The AC880 will always go through the Recover/Recycle procedure, but will go immediately to the Recycle Hold Timer
if the A/C System is empty. The following matrix outlines the most commonly used options that can be programmed:
Recover/Recycle XXXXXXXX
Deep Vacuum XXXXXX
Vacuum Leak Check X X X
Add Oil XX
Charge X X X X X
Page 3
SETUP
1 Low Pressure Gauge 7 Oil Charge - High Side 13 Fill Port
2 Keypad 8 Red Hose - High Side 14 Refrigerant Cylinder
3 Power Switch 9 Blue Hose - Low Side 15 Yellow Hose w/Anti-blowback
4 High Pressure Gauge 10 Oil Charge - Low Side 16 Oil Drain Pressure Switch
5 Display 11 Oil Charge Bottle 17 Oil Drain
6 Attention Light 12 High/Low Charge Selector 18 Oil Measuring Cup
Page 4
WEIGHT= XX.X LB
FILL CHARGE CYLINDER
AUTOMATIC
?
>>>>
WEIGHT= XX.X LB
FILL CYLINDER
ENTER
?
CHECK HOSES
START
ENTER
?
WEIGHT= XX.X LB
COMPRESSOR ON
FILL COMPLETE
FILLED= XX.X LB
ENTER
*
HIGH PRESSURE
SEE MANUAL
#
#
NNNN NNNN NNNN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NNNN NNNN NNNN
Always connect Yellow Hose (15) to Cylinder (14) first and then connect
other end of hose with anti-blowback valve to Fill Port (13) on AC880.
#
Note: For large capacity or multiple A/C Systems where recharge will NOT
be done between successive recoveries, it may be desirable to skip
this procedure.
1. Set up the AC880 as shown on Page 4 and then turn the Main Power Switch
ON. An adapter is provided with the AC880 (R134a) which permits the Yellow
#
Hose (15) to be attached to the 1/4 SAE Flare fitting that is on some cylinders
of R134a refrigerant.
Note: The AC880 uses 15.4 lbs (7 Kg) of refrigerant when Filling the first
time. If the Refrigerant Cylinder (14) is emptied, the AC880 will
appear to stop filling (the Weight will stop rising) and will stay in
this condition until the RESET key is pressed.
2. Using the Keypad, press the “Up Arrow” key four times to display “WEIGHT=
XX.X LB” “FILL CYLINDER?
read “CHECK HOSES” “START?
3. Open the LIQUID Valve on the Refrigerant Cylinder (14) connected to the Fill
Port (13) with the Yellow Hose (15).
4. Press the ENTER key when ready to start filling the AC880.
The Display will read “WEIGHT=XX.X LB” “COMPRESSOR ON”. When the
level is approximately 13 lbs (6 kg), 75 percent of the full capacity, the AC880
will turn OFF, the Display will read “FILL COMPLETE” “FILLED= XX.X LB
(the amount of refrigerant removed from the cylinder) and the Attention Light
will turn ON. Close the Liquid Valve on the Refrigerant Cylinder.
#” and press the ENTER key. The Display will
#”.
#”
**
CYLINDER FULL
GO TO CHARGE
PROBLEMS ?
Refer to Page 18 should
problems be encountered using
the Fill Cylinder procedure.
Pressure differential between
the cylinder of new refrigerant
and the internal AC880 charge
cylinder greatly affect the
efficiency and speed of the Fill
Charge Cylinder procedure.
Note: Press the RESET button on the Keypad to stop the
Fill Cylinder procedure at any time.
5. Press the ENTER key to return to the Main Menu.
#
* While filling the Charging Cylinder, this screen will display periodically
concurrent with the Attention Light turning ON. This is normal and
nothing to be concerned about. The screen should revert to normal after
a few seconds.
** This screen will display when the Charging Cylinder fills to capacity,
approximately 17.5 lbs (8 Kg). If this occurs, the weight can be lowered
using the Charge procedure on Page 9 before the AC880 can be used
to recover more refrigerant. Press the ENTER key to return to the Main
Menu.
Note: The AC880 Charging Cylinder can also be filled from the GAS or
VAPOR side of a cylinder by following the Recover/Recycle
procedure on Page 6.
Note: The AC880 will use 1.1 lb (0.5 Kg) more refrigerant than the
displayed value the very first time it is used or after performing
a Calibration Procedure in order to prime the internal
components.
Note: The Yellow Hose (15) can be removed from the Fill Port (13) and
connected to either the Blue or Red Hose connection port on the
rear of the AC880 to recover the refrigerant left in the Yellow
Hose (15) using the Recover/Recycle procedure on Page 6.
Page 5
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