Air Con Recharging

[benchan]

Hi,

Can anyone explain to me how "Air con recharing" works?

Kwik-fit are doing a £25 offer and I am tempted - is there any chance they may "damage" my car?

ben

[aygosport]

Hi,

Can anyone explain to me how "Air con recharing" works?

Kwik-fit are doing a £25 offer and I am tempted - is there any chance they may "damage" my car?

ben

No it won't damage your car, as far as I'm aware they just refill the gas. It needs doing routinely, every year I think but check in your manual. If you don't re-charge it you'll find it doesn't get as cold as it should. I think Kwik-fit offer a refund if it's no colder afterwards and probably worth getting it done as the price will probably go up when it gets to summer and everyone wants it doing.

[Jan van de Wouw]

I think £25 is a bit low for what a PROPER recharge is...

A PROPER recharge involves first vacuming out the entire system, filling it with another

gas to check for leaks, vacume again, leave at low pressure for some time to check for

leaks the other way round, then fill the system with an exact measured amount of coolant...

Without vacuming it isn't even possible to put in the correct amount.

Last time I had a "stand-alone" service on an A/C-system it took allmost 2 hours...

[daveyjp]

"It needs doing routinely, every year I think"

No need to touch it until you feel the air isn't being cooled as effectively as it should be. If it needs topping up before this the system needs checking for leaks.

[reece]

Using it for at least 10 minutes a week will keep it in good condition

[Unklian]

I think £25 is a bit low for what a PROPER recharge is...

A PROPER recharge involves first vacuming out the entire system, filling it with another

gas to check for leaks, vacume again, leave at low pressure for some time to check for

leaks the other way round, then fill the system with an exact measured amount of coolant...

Without vacuming it isn't even possible to put in the correct amount.

Last time I had a "stand-alone" service on an A/C-system it took allmost 2 hours...

Same here.

Old stuff out.

Vacuum system.

Check it holds vacuum.

Connect big gas canister on accurate scales.

Start aircon, wait until the Exact ammount of gas is "sucked" in by weight.

Check & re-check.

LIKE THIS

Some of these cheap re-gas people just start the aircon up and

bung in a small canister of top-up gas with a little hand-held gauge.

HERE

Guess work.

It does need to be done "properly"

Ask Kwik-Fit exactly how / what they do.

The should know Exacly how much gas to put in. After they have removed all the old.

Example: My old Honda Accord, was I think 6 1/2 ounces.

Modern cars will be measured in grammes.

The reason it needs re-doing:-

House / factory air-con runs through pipes which don't leak.

You rarely lose any gas.

On cars, because the engine moves about in relation to the body

of the car, you need flexible rubber pipes to connect the two.

The gas leaks through the rubber.

regular use of the air-con coats the inside of the rubber pipes with special

oil which is mixed with the gas thus sealing any minute leaks.

If you don't regularly use the air-con, the inside of the pipes dry

and the gas can seep through more easily.

Even with very regular use, some leakage will always happen.

8 - 10 years is possible before recharging if used very regularly.

Don't use your air-con for a full year and all the gas will have escaped.

Air-con people usually say...."Use it or lose it!"

Hope this helps.

Ian.

[AygoIronman]

I think £25 is a bit low for what a PROPER recharge is...

A PROPER recharge involves first vacuming out the entire system, filling it with another

gas to check for leaks, vacume again, leave at low pressure for some time to check for

leaks the other way round, then fill the system with an exact measured amount of coolant...

Without vacuming it isn't even possible to put in the correct amount.

Last time I had a "stand-alone" service on an A/C-system it took allmost 2 hours...

Same here.

Old stuff out.

Vacuum system.

Check it holds vacuum.

Connect big gas canister on accurate scales.

Start aircon, wait until the Exact ammount of gas is "sucked" in by weight.

Check & re-check.

LIKE THIS

Some of these cheap re-gas people just start the aircon up and

bung in a small canister of top-up gas with a little hand-held gauge.

HERE

Guess work.

It does need to be done "properly"

Ask Kwik-Fit exactly how / what they do.

The should know Exacly how much gas to put in. After they have removed all the old.

Example: My old Honda Accord, was I think 6 1/2 ounces.

Modern cars will be measured in grammes.

The reason it needs re-doing:-

House / factory air-con runs through pipes which don't leak.

You rarely lose any gas.

On cars, because the engine moves about in relation to the body

of the car, you need flexible rubber pipes to connect the two.

The gas leaks through the rubber.

regular use of the air-con coats the inside of the rubber pipes with special

oil which is mixed with the gas thus sealing any minute leaks.

If you don't regularly use the air-con, the inside of the pipes dry

and the gas can seep through more easily.

Even with very regular use, some leakage will always happen.

8 - 10 years is possible before recharging if used very regularly.

Don't use your air-con for a full year and all the gas will have escaped.

Air-con people usually say...."Use it or lose it!"

Hope this helps.

Ian.

I bought my second hand Aygo in July. Had 14000k on the clock. I ve not used the air conditioning at all. Is this bad for the A/C. What happens if I NEVER use it? I ve never had A/C before. My Aygo doesnt leak, but you could say it does with out using the A/C. lol

[Unklian]

I think £25 is a bit low for what a PROPER recharge is...

A PROPER recharge involves first vacuming out the entire system, filling it with another

gas to check for leaks, vacume again, leave at low pressure for some time to check for

leaks the other way round, then fill the system with an exact measured amount of coolant...

Without vacuming it isn't even possible to put in the correct amount.

Last time I had a "stand-alone" service on an A/C-system it took allmost 2 hours...

Same here.

Old stuff out.

Vacuum system.

Check it holds vacuum.

Connect big gas canister on accurate scales.

Start aircon, wait until the Exact ammount of gas is "sucked" in by weight.

Check & re-check.

LIKE THIS

Some of these cheap re-gas people just start the aircon up and

bung in a small canister of top-up gas with a little hand-held gauge.

HERE

Guess work.

It does need to be done "properly"

Ask Kwik-Fit exactly how / what they do.

The should know Exacly how much gas to put in. After they have removed all the old.

Example: My old Honda Accord, was I think 6 1/2 ounces.

Modern cars will be measured in grammes.

The reason it needs re-doing:-

House / factory air-con runs through pipes which don't leak.

You rarely lose any gas.

On cars, because the engine moves about in relation to the body

of the car, you need flexible rubber pipes to connect the two.

The gas leaks through the rubber.

regular use of the air-con coats the inside of the rubber pipes with special

oil which is mixed with the gas thus sealing any minute leaks.

If you don't regularly use the air-con, the inside of the pipes dry

and the gas can seep through more easily.

Even with very regular use, some leakage will always happen.

8 - 10 years is possible before recharging if used very regularly.

Don't use your air-con for a full year and all the gas will have escaped.

Air-con people usually say...."Use it or lose it!"

Hope this helps.

Ian.

I bought my second hand Aygo in July. Had 14000k on the clock. I ve not used the air conditioning at all. Is this bad for the A/C. What happens if I NEVER use it? I ve never had A/C before. My Aygo doesnt leak, but you could say it does with out using the A/C. lol

Yes, it's bad for it.

Use it at least 10 minutes per week.

That will coat the insides of the porous rubber pies with oil and

prevent / slow down leakage.

It only costs pence to run aircon.

I'd rather spend a few bob on a red hot summer's day

being cool and de-humidified than hot & sweaty.

It's also great for de-misting in the winter.

You can "Never" use it.

It will eventually lose all its gas.

Then, it won't work.

You, or the next owner will have to get it re-gassed.

Use it or lose it!

Ian.