Aircon re-charge

[MontB]

Was down my local lawnmower/tractor shop recently Ernest Doe, think there mainly in East Anglia and they were servicing the AC on a CLK. I asked the service manager if it was his to which he replied no we do all the charging for the local garages. How much is that going to set me back I asked. £15 -£18 he said depending on how much gas we take to refill. So the next time I was down there I got him to put the rig on my A class and he charged away. He got called away to take a phone call and I had to wait for him to do me a bill. He returned after 10 mins pressed a few buttons on the calculator and said give me a fiver. I was under the impression this job cost about £100. What else do they do for the money at the main stealer?

 

[jimmy]

If he only topped up the gas then yes this is a cheap way of doing it. Really the A/C sytem should be totally discharcged and vacuumed until dry and then re-charged with the correct weight of gas. Did he do this? Was there a little pump running?

 

[Simon]

Jimmy,

Have you thought about doing this as a sideline?

 

[jimmy]

Jimmy,

Have you thought about doing this as a sideline?

Yes, at the moment the kit costs too much to invest in this time of year. I may look at it ready for next year.

I have access to the kit occasionally so if anybody local wants it doing it is possible but tricky to work out when the kit will be available.

 

[markku]

Compressor oil

Really the A/C system should be totally discharged and vacuumed until dry and then re-charged with the correct weight of gas.

In addition of gas the system should also be topped with the correct amount of compressor oil after the remained quantity has been measured after evacuation. Evacuation takes about half an hour. Adding a dye to detect the leaks should not hurt either. If the system has been empty for extended period the dryer should also be replaced. This procedure costs ~£100 + dryer.

Ignoring this correct procedure ( =just topping ) will result in seized compressor costing £1000++.

Correct evacuation/refilling procedure is the least exbenzive way of properly maintain the aircon. There is no cheap alternative. Consult the auto aircon professional.

 

[Andy W]

Yes, at the moment the kit costs too much to invest in this time of year. I may look at it ready for next year.

The full charging rig is not required, you need a 2 stage vaccum pump with torr gauge, a set of electronic scales or a charging still, a set of gauges with taps for R134a and a decent leak detector, I recommend the Javac ones. All the stuff is available from ebay, as we speak there is charging station on a trolley currently at £200. I have used individual items for 27 years now.