DIY air con servicing

[buzzer]

We have 8 cars in the immediate family now with Air con… (and a few friends that also have it on various cars) In the past 12 months we have spent £200 with Quikfit having 4 of them re-gassed, 2 due to old age, and 2 due to failed condensers…

It got me thinking… What would I need for some simple DIY maintenance…? I don’t mean just a top up can…

I guess I would need the following?

Manifold and gauges
Vacuum pump
Bottle of gas
Some scales

Anything else?

Also what are people’s thoughts?

[andyiley]

A license to work with refrigerant gas.

[AW10]

By the time you've bought all that kit plus bottles of gas and compressor oil I'm not sure you will have saved much. I bought a set of gauges some time back but realised that the operating pressures were just an indication of system health and not all that conclusive. Better to keep an eye out for those £40 recharge offers! Some promise to reduce the temps by 10% or your money back - hold their feet to the fire on that one and you might get some done for free.

[buzzer]

AW10 said:

By the time you've bought all that kit plus bottles of gas and compressor oil I'm not sure you will have saved much. I bought a set of gauges some time back but realised that the operating pressures were just an indication of system health and not all that conclusive. Better to keep an eye out for those £40 recharge offers! Some promise to reduce the temps by 10% or your money back - hold their feet to the fire on that one and you might get some done for free.

I kind of think you are right... I guess I will do some costs, look at second hand kit...

[buzzer]

andyiley said:

A license to work with refrigerant gas.

I will get myself trained

[phillpot]

andyiley said:

A license to work with refrigerant gas.

Are small systems, like cars, exempt from the current F Gas regs??

Government guide lines

[Oldred_V8S]

I think you just need to use the AC more often. Too many people only use it when the weather is hot which can lead to seals drying out and loss of gas. I use my AC on a regular basis and none of my cars have ever required a regas, not once in over 20 years.

[buzzer]

Oldred_V8S said:

I think you just need to use the AC more often. Too many people only use it when the weather is hot which can lead to seals drying out and loss of gas. I use my AC on a regular basis and none of my cars have ever required a regas, not once in over 20 years.

agreed... that's OK if you buy a new car... but when you buy older cars you don't know how they have been used... I have also had a couple of condensers fail...

[Oldred_V8S]

buzzer said:

Oldred_V8S said:

I think you just need to use the AC more often. Too many people only use it when the weather is hot which can lead to seals drying out and loss of gas. I use my AC on a regular basis and none of my cars have ever required a regas, not once in over 20 years.

agreed... that's OK if you buy a new car... but when you buy older cars you don't know how they have been used... I have also had a couple of condensers fail...

You are correct.

But this is PH, does anyone on here not buy a new car?

[Talkwrench]

phillpot said:

Are small systems, like cars, exempt from the current F Gas regs??

Government guide lines

Can't see any references to licences there. Do you have to show your licence when you buy one of those top up bottles from Halfords?

[buzzer]

Talkwrench said:

phillpot said:

Are small systems, like cars, exempt from the current F Gas regs??

Government guide lines

Can't see any references to licences there. Do you have to show your licence when you buy one of those top up bottles from Halfords?

Ah, but the teeth suckers ( you know, the ones that suck in and say "you cant do that")and the H&S gestapo will be shaking their heads and drawing up their clipboards

[DrFutura]

Your first mistake is going to Kwikfit!

[unstable load]

There's a dye that you add to the oil when recharging that glows under UV to help pinpoint leaks/faults, probably wouldn't harm you to get some of that to aid diagnosis.

[welshys90]

Talkwrench said:

phillpot said:

Are small systems, like cars, exempt from the current F Gas regs??

Government guide lines

Can't see any references to licences there. Do you have to show your licence when you buy one of those top up bottles from Halfords?

Afaik you can't buy the cans from halfords to top up the gas now, the only thing you can buy now is the stuff to stop the air con from getting the sour milk smell.

And anything that uses R134a or R12 is covered under F gas, you need to be qualified to work on any cars with these gase's in them!

[buzzer]

welshys90 said:

Talkwrench said:

phillpot said:

Are small systems, like cars, exempt from the current F Gas regs??

Government guide lines

Can't see any references to licences there. Do you have to show your licence when you buy one of those top up bottles from Halfords?

Afaik you can't buy the cans from halfords to top up the gas now, the only thing you can buy now is the stuff to stop the air con from getting the sour milk smell.

And anything that uses R134a or R12 is covered under F gas, you need to be qualified to work on any cars with these gase's in them!

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/air-conditioning-recharge-supplies/ez-chill-auto-air-conditioning-recharge

I also spoke to a leading supplier of gas just today... he said they will supply me with a bottle...

Its a bit like being told you can no longer move a socket in a kitchen or bathroom under the electrical regs.... I have ignored that one as well

[welshys90]

buzzer said:

welshys90 said:

Talkwrench said:

phillpot said:

Are small systems, like cars, exempt from the current F Gas regs??

Government guide lines

Can't see any references to licences there. Do you have to show your licence when you buy one of those top up bottles from Halfords?

Afaik you can't buy the cans from halfords to top up the gas now, the only thing you can buy now is the stuff to stop the air con from getting the sour milk smell.

And anything that uses R134a or R12 is covered under F gas, you need to be qualified to work on any cars with these gase's in them!

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/air-conditioning-recharge-supplies/ez-chill-auto-air-conditioning-recharge

I also spoke to a leading supplier of gas just today... he said they will supply me with a bottle...

Its a bit like being told you can no longer move a socket in a kitchen or bathroom under the electrical regs.... I have ignored that one as well

You can move sockets as long as you follow the regulations, the difference here is R134a is a refrigerant gas which is harmful to the ozone and you'll get fined if caught releasing it to ozone or working on a system without the correct training. You'll find if you phone and make an account, most places will supply you with the gas, it's not like its plutonium! Just make sure you don't let it mix with exhaust gas