A good vacuum pump for refrigeration work is the tool that separates a lasting regas from a callback. Moisture and air left in a system turn the oil acidic, block capillaries and kill compressors. Add a manifold gauge set, a charging scale, a leak detector and a few pipe tools, and a technician can do the job properly. Send your tool list, sizes and the gases you work with, and wholesalers and tool suppliers near you quote. It is free, and you are not bound to buy from anyone who replies.
The core kit for regas work
- Vacuum pump: two-stage pumps pull a deeper vacuum. Size it to the systems you work on; a small pump is fine for household fridges, larger systems need more flow.
- Manifold gauges with hoses rated for the gases you use, or a digital manifold that reads pressures and temperatures.
- Charging scale: household fridges hold only grams of gas, so charge by weight, not by feel.
- Vacuum gauge to prove the system is dry before charging.
- Leak detector and bubble solution.
- Pipe cutter, flaring and swaging tools, deburrer and pinch-off pliers.
Tools for flammable gases
R600a and R290 are flammable. Working on them safely means tools rated for hydrocarbons: a vacuum pump with a spark-free motor and switch, a suitable leak detector, and good ventilation. Never braze on a system that still holds hydrocarbon gas. Many technicians fit a service valve or use crimp or press fittings instead of a flame where the system allows it. Keep a fire extinguisher in the bakkie and check the work area for pilot lights, plug points at floor level and gas stoves before you open a system. Read more on gas types under fridge gas.
What tools cost
As a guide, a refrigeration vacuum pump is about R1,500 to R6,000, depending on size, single or two-stage, and whether it is rated for flammable gases. A manifold gauge set is about R1,500 to R1,900. Scales, leak detectors, recovery machines and brazing kits are quoted per item. Ask what spares are available, such as pump oil, gauge hoses and seals, and whether the supplier services or repairs the tools. Change vacuum pump oil often, since wet oil cannot pull a deep vacuum, and keep gauge hoses capped so dirt and moisture stay out. Cheap gauges that drift out of true cost more in callbacks than they save.
A kit is not a qualification
A so-called fridge gas refill kit lets you connect gas to a fridge, but it does not find the leak or remove moisture. Households with a warm fridge get better value from a qualified technician than from buying tools for one job. If you are training or setting up a small business, buy the core kit properly once, then add recovery equipment as the work grows. To find work or someone to sub-contract to, see refrigeration technicians and fridge gas refill.
What to include in your request
- The tools you need and how many
- Gases you work with, e.g. R600a, R404A
- Pump size or flow you prefer
- Hydrocarbon-rated models needed or not
- Collect or courier, and where to
Refrigeration Tools for different clients
- Households: rarely needed at home; a warm fridge calls for a technician instead
- Landlords, guest houses and B&Bs: a maintenance team's tools for servicing fridges and aircons across properties
- Shops, cafes and supermarkets: a service contractor's kit for keeping supermarket coolers running
- Restaurants, butcheries and caterers: an in-house technician's pump and gauges for a group of restaurant kitchens
- Farms, packhouses and dairies: tools for the farm workshop technician who maintains packhouse cold rooms
- Factories and cold stores: recovery machines, pumps and gauges for a cold store maintenance crew
- Schools, clinics and public buildings: tools for hospital or municipal maintenance staff with refrigeration training
- Technicians and repairers: a full regas kit for a new technician setting up on their own
Frequently asked questions
Which vacuum pump is best for fridge repairs?
How much do refrigeration gauges cost?
Is a fridge gas refill kit enough to regas a fridge?
Can I get tool quotes from more than one supplier?
Refrigeration Tools by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg