In order for your car airconditioning to run efficiently, it is recommended that you should recharge the system with lubricant and gas every two years. This process is commonly known as aircon regas.
Now, unfortunately, there could be numerous reasons for your air conditioning to develop problems or not run properly. When the refrigerant levels in the AC mechanism become low, the unit is not capable of producing cool air. The refrigerant levels can get low due to things like leakage in the compressor, the O-ring breaking, leaks in condenser lines or evaporator, lack of lubrication etc – the result being that the car AC shuts down due to lack of refrigerant and it prevents further damage to the compressor.
So car-owners, what’s the solution? Well, as I’ve said, it is best that you recharge the AC system once every two years to make sure it’s running properly. However, the service is not included as a part of routine car maintenance and is therefore often overlooked by people – but your car is due for a re-gas if it is older than 2 years. So if you’ve had your car for that long without having a regas – now’s the time!
A good aircon regas service includes removing the old refrigerant gas, lubricant and dye. The system is then thoroughly cleaned and all the moisture is removed. Once the above procedure is completed, new refrigerant, dye and oil will be added to the AC component. A temperature reading is then done to ensure that the re-fuelling of the gas has improved the performance of cold air delivery in the car.
12 Steps to Fixing Your Car Airconditioning Unit
Now of course, we at Cool Car would never recommend you take on the challenge of an aircon recharge without having previous training under your belt so if you have little to no experience then leave it to the car airconditioning professionals!
However, if you suspect you may need an aircon regas and you have previous experience in car AC repair and recharge then there is some equipment that you will need to invest in before-hand such as a charging kit, eye protection, refrigerant and a lot of practical knowledge.
If you do, however, possess the knowledge and the equipment, then we have come up with the 12 main steps you need to follow in order to fix a broken AC component:
- Determine if refrigerant is left in the car system or not;
- Search for obvious leaks and oil residue in refrigerants;
- Check that condensing coils are not obstructed with the debris;
- Tap the refrigerant can by opening the valve;
- Completely shut the valve after tapping the valve on refrigerant;
- Open the valve, tighten the hose and loosen the brass fitting;
- Find low pressure charging port in the refrigerant;
- Turn the air conditioning on high fan or high cool;
- Open valve after hearing refrigerant pass through hose;
- Allow the can to distribute the contents;
- Disconnect hose and close the valve when can is empty;
- Look for cool air from the air conditioning vents in your car!
These points are just a guide and if you are in anyway unsure about undertaking an car aircon regas, then you should call a professional. Get in touch with Cool Car today on 0845 224 0573.