Your car air conditioning system not only blows cold air into the cabin, but also removes hot air from it into the air outside. In doing so, it keeps the interior of your vehicle cool and comfortable. An air-conditioner comprises of mechanical components such as the evaporator, compressor and condenser, which need to be serviced from time to time. As part of your normal car air conditioning service plan, your auto centre may or may not offer re-gassing or recharging. Ideally, re-gassing must be done every two years or so. Here’s why.
Car air conditioning! What are the advantages of re-gassing?
On an average, your car will lose about 10 per cent of gas annually. When this happens, it will stop cooling you off as much you would like it to! In other words, it will stop producing cold air or not produce enough of it. It will be particularly problematic in summer and you won’t be able to stay comfortably cool inside the car to escape the outside heat.
Air conditioning systems that are not re-gassed periodically will have to work harder to produce cool air. It adds more stress on the engine, and consequently increases fuel usage. If your car air conditioning systems that hasn’t been re-gassed in the last two years, its efficiency would have reduced substantially. So, avoid waiting for signs of problems – such as a fall in cold air production – and get the unit recharged at the earliest, if you have put this service off for a while now.
What does regassing involve in car air conditioning ?
If your car’s AC is low on refrigerant oil, it may not cool effectively. Re-gassing/recharging involves removing old refrigerant gas and oil from your air conditioning unit and replacing it with the right amount of new refrigerant and lubricant in accordance with your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation. Service technicians may also perform a vacuum test to ensure that your car air conditioning does not have cracks through which the gas is escaping. The process may also include system de-bug/decontamination to remove bacterial build-up. It may also be accompanied by deodorization and sanitization to remove the musty odour from the system.
Re-gassing usually takes about an hour. If you think your car air conditioning needs re-gassing, stop by at Baldoyle Auto Centre today.