O/T - How Regularly Should Car Air-Con Get Re-Gassed?

[upthealbion1970]

Are you trying to make us believe the refrigerant gas acts as a lubricant and therefore degrades over time the same as engine oil? Really?
The air in the tyres is much closer to the truth ...

Periodical air con gas replacement is a rip-off - it's a fix on fail component to a car unless you have more money than sense [and a dodgy dealer]

The only way to add oil is when you re-gas. PAG oil to be specific. The oil does degrade over time as do all lubricants. AC service is manufacturer recommendation as is cambelt - nothing to do with what a dealer or independent garage decides.

 

[Notters]

Unfortunately, most people talk about a/c systems as if they are one loop. A/c is simple. 2 interconnected systems make one a/c unit. The closed (gaseous) part does not contain bacteria. All of the other parts do (evaporator plate and hose, airways, vents and blower). The moisture in the airside breeds bacteria. Do nothing about it and enjoy the sick car syndrome in your vehicle. Remember legionnaires disease? Air Con bourne bacteria.

It's probably a lack of understanding on my part but doesn't air con dry out the airflow on the inside of the car? The moisture that collects is surely on the other side of the system?

 

[Notters]

Never heard of 'Sick Car Syndrome'? It's real.

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I have to investigate sick building syndrome as part of my job and there's very rarely a definite cause, and often psychological.

 

[Blue3]

Assuming the system has not sprung a leak it will never require re-gassing you know when it has a leak as the air con no longer gets cold simple

 

[Blue3]

It's probably a lack of understanding on my part but doesn't air con dry out the airflow on the inside of the car? The moisture that collects is surely on the other side of the system?

I suspect You might be getting two systems mixed there is true air conditioning systems and air cooling systems.

True air conditioning removes the moisture from the air as part of a drying and filtering process and then injects moisture back into the cooled dry air to achieve the desired humidity if the moisture injection is not working correctly this can result in dry air which is not comfortable unless you are driving something very expensive in the Far or middle East where it's either very hot and dry or very hot and wet it will be extremely unlikely cars in the UK have or need this level of control.

In the UK cars do not need true air conditioning what they have is air cooling and this works slightly differently the air from inside the car passes over the refrigerant and is cooled and if cooled enough reaches the dew drop temperature when water vapour collects into water droplets and is dumped onto the road the now dryer cooled air is then mixed with some air filtered from outside the car which warns and adds humidity to to the cooled air.

True air conditioning can adjust the air for any temperature and humidity required.

Air cooling can cool the air and reduce humidity but has a very limited ability to control humidity required.

The U.K. Has a fairly high humidity which helps air cooling systems but if we were to have a hot dry period these systems will produce cool dry air and if we were to have a hot and very wet period causing high temperatures and very high humidity air cooling systems will produce cool air with higher than desirable humidity.

Finally cars made for the UK market use a refrigerant that is of a different coefficient to refrigerant used in other parts of the world so take your UK specked ford to Spain and it is likley you will never get the inside of the car to the desired temperature.

Hope this makes sence

 

[Bwian]

Are you trying to make us believe the refrigerant gas acts as a lubricant and therefore degrades over time the same as engine oil? Really?
The air in the tyres is much closer to the truth ...

Periodical air con gas replacement is a rip-off - it's a fix on fail component to a car unless you have more money than sense [and a dodgy dealer]

The motor trade gets a lot of bad press-mostly unjustified. Things like regular preventative maintenance is way cheaper than distress work. Timing belts a rip off too? Fail to replace for about 300 quid or wait for it to fail and face a bill more than the car is worth. A/C systems need lubricating-it really is simple and bears no similarities to air in tyres. None whatsoever. A/C has the refrigerant, a uv dye and oil. Only the dye is superficial but does help finding leaks. No or low gas and it won't cool properly. Let the oil get old and tired and it will lead to component failure-just like a car engine.

The only way to add oil is when you re-gas. PAG oil to be specific. The oil does degrade over time as do all lubricants. AC service is manufacturer recommendation as is cambelt - nothing to do with what a dealer or independent garage decides.

What [MENTION=12864]upthealbion1970[/MENTION] says.

 

[Bwian]

It's probably a lack of understanding on my part but doesn't air con dry out the airflow on the inside of the car? The moisture that collects is surely on the other side of the system?

I have to investigate sick building syndrome as part of my job and there's very rarely a definite cause, and often psychological.

Sick car syndrome is real. Widely recognised and accepted around 1997.

 

[carlzeiss]

This thread made me question the effectiveness of my own vehicles ac . during this hot period .

Looking for a test solution led me to this low cost gauge from halfords :- http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/air-con/air-conditioning-test-thermometer

Happy to report that the system is working correctly .

Another handy hint , don't buy a car with a panoramic roof .