Does Car Air Conditioning Need Recharging?

When the summer heat hits or the winter dampness causes your windows to fog up, you rely heavily on your vehicle’s air conditioning. Many drivers treat their air conditioning as if once it’s installed, it’ll last forever. It’s only when the vents start blowing lukewarm air that they begin to worry and question, “Does car air conditioning need recharging?”

Fortunately, it’s not an expensive or difficult job to keep your air-con working. Check out our car air conditioning service and air-con regassing to find out the process involved, whether you can do it yourself, and everything else you need to know.

What is regassing?

Regassing is also known as recharging. This is the process of removing older refrigerant from your air conditioning system and replacing it with high-quality refrigerant. Our technicians will also perform a vacuum test to check that there are no leaks in either the pipes or other components. This process involves several specific steps, including:

• Recovery of any remaining gas and oil from the system.
• A vacuum phase to remove moisture, which can cause internal corrosion.
• A leak test to ensure the system is airtight.
• Injecting the correct amount of new refrigerant and lubricating oil.

Most modern vehicles use one of two types of gas. These are R134a, which is found in older models, or there is R1234yf, which is more environmentally friendly and standard in cars manufactured after 2017.

Why does car air conditioning need recharging?

Natural depletion is the main reason why your car’s air conditioning needs recharging. Even in a perfectly functioning system, refrigerant gas still escapes through the rubber seals and hoses every year. Because this happens slowly, you won’t notice the decline in cooling power until the system is significantly depleted, where sometimes it can be too late.

How often should you regas your vehicle?

Most manufacturers recommend that you have your air conditioning serviced and recharged every 1-2 years for optimal cooling performance.

Is it necessary to recharge the air conditioning in cars?

While your car will still drive without a functioning air conditioning system, it’s important to recharge the air conditioning in your car for comfort and safety. Here is why:

Improved visibility

Air conditioning in the UK will often act as a dehumidifier due to the weather conditions. The car system pulls moisture from the cabin air, but if your gas levels are low, your windows will either stay fogged up or take ages to defog. This is an accident waiting to happen due to poor visibility.

Fuel efficiency and performance

If your air conditioning system is low on gas, the compressor will have to work a lot harder and run for longer periods of time in order to reach the temperature that is required. Doing this places a strain on the engine, which will increase the amount of fuel that you use. So, keeping the system topped up allows it to work efficiently.

What happens if I don’t regas my air-con system?

Ignoring the signs that your car’s air conditioning needs recharging can lead to more expensive problems in the future. The refrigerant gas does more than just cool the air, as it also carries a specific type of oil that lubricates the air conditioning compressor.

Compressor seizing

If there is not enough refrigerant and oil circulating in the system, the compressor can seize, damaging it in the process. Replacing the damaged compressor is a lot more expensive than a simple regas from our team. Servicing and recharging your air conditioning regularly prevents parts from losing lubrication, saving you money in the future.

Corrosion

Moisture can enter the system if refrigerant levels are too low, which then reacts with anything remaining to create an acidic liquid. This liquid can destroy and rot internal components, like an evaporator, leading to multiple leaks that are costly and hard to fix.

Bad smells

If the system is not checked regularly, bacteria and mould can grow, especially in the evaporator behind the dashboard. This leads to unpleasant smells from your air conditioning system. During our car air conditioning service, our team can perform an anti-bacterial clean to remove bacteria and freshen the air.

Environmental impact

If your system has a leak and you continue to operate it without repair, you’re allowing chemical refrigerants to escape into the atmosphere, contributing to various global emissions and damaging the environment.

Your next step

If you are based in the Cambridgeshire area, you can book a professional car air conditioning recharge in Peterborough with Vital Vehicle Care to ensure your system remains in peak condition throughout the seasons. Unlike other services, our technicians provide a solution that includes recovering old gas and a vacuum phase to remove moisture and prevent internal corrosion.

Choosing our expert team means you are protecting your compressor from seizing and avoiding the high costs of replacing components damaged by neglect. Contact us now for more information or to book an appointment to keep your vehicle performing at its best.