I ignored my 20 year old air conditioning system which was leaking at the dryer connection to the low pressure line. No matter what I tried with different sizes of o-rings, I couldn't hold a vacuum for more than 3 hours. I decided to give it a try and pulled out the vacuum but it still didn't hold the vacuum all night. I decided to just fill the system after creating a vacuum with refrigerant and some sealant. Everything has been fine here for 2 months and I still have air conditioning. I noticed that this thing softens the plastic. There is a spot on my phone case where I got this snot on the surface and now it's soft enough that I can press on it with my finger and it leaves a fingerprint. I assume that's how it works. I would never hook up AC fittings without these again. Highly recommended.