E46 aircon re-gas question.
Discussion
Just been quoted £50+v for a re-gas. Guy said that if the pump cuts in (it does) it means there probably isn't a leak, it's just low refrigerant.
Is it common to pressure test an old system before re-gassing? He seemed surprised when I asked, and even more surprised when I asked if there was any kind of guarantee that it wouldn't need re-gassing in a few days (ie if they'd just re-gassed it and hoped for the best).
I'd assume that they could pressure test the system and have a fairly high degree of certainty that it wasn't going to dump the gas out after a few days. He seemed to think I was being a bit thick for even asking. Maybe I am, what does everyone else think?
Does anyone offer any form of warranty on re-gassing, or is it too risky since a part of the system could fail through natural wear and tear, or with the sudden increase in system pressure?
Is it common to pressure test an old system before re-gassing? He seemed surprised when I asked, and even more surprised when I asked if there was any kind of guarantee that it wouldn't need re-gassing in a few days (ie if they'd just re-gassed it and hoped for the best).
I'd assume that they could pressure test the system and have a fairly high degree of certainty that it wasn't going to dump the gas out after a few days. He seemed to think I was being a bit thick for even asking. Maybe I am, what does everyone else think?
Does anyone offer any form of warranty on re-gassing, or is it too risky since a part of the system could fail through natural wear and tear, or with the sudden increase in system pressure?
in terms of warrenty the only one i've heard of was quick fit - if it doesnt make any difference then you dont pay
£50 is about right in terms of price i think - seen £50 to about £60 seeems standard
Ive an E46 as well - filled it up recently - but didnt need to pressure test it - as soon as it was connected it was easy to hear all the gas escaping
meaning i had a broken pipe and the garage quoted £250 to buy and fit a new one
so in terms of it escaping - I think it wold either escape very quickly or not at all
hope this helps
£50 is about right in terms of price i think - seen £50 to about £60 seeems standard
Ive an E46 as well - filled it up recently - but didnt need to pressure test it - as soon as it was connected it was easy to hear all the gas escaping
meaning i had a broken pipe and the garage quoted £250 to buy and fit a new one
so in terms of it escaping - I think it wold either escape very quickly or not at all
hope this helps
He's right that if the compressor kicks in the system has gas and just needs topping up. But he's wrong about everything else
The machines that a/c guys use nowadays pull all the refrigerant and lubricant out of the system and keep it under vacuum for a minutes or so. If it holds vacuum they will regas it. If it doesn't hold vacuum you have a leak and the leak needs to be fixed before it is regassed
The refrigerant is dispensed by weight - there will be a standard weight for your system. So to top the system up you need to extract all the refrigerant and replace it with the correct weight. For that reason the top-up systems from Halfords, etc, are a waste of time & money
It's illegal to vent gases to atmosphere and all refrigerants have to be booked in & out in a complex system. There are huge penalties for failing to comply which makes the life of an a/c guy hard work. This is why there are dodgy people around who will gas up systems using propane from a Calor Gas bottle...
Nick Froome
The machines that a/c guys use nowadays pull all the refrigerant and lubricant out of the system and keep it under vacuum for a minutes or so. If it holds vacuum they will regas it. If it doesn't hold vacuum you have a leak and the leak needs to be fixed before it is regassed
The refrigerant is dispensed by weight - there will be a standard weight for your system. So to top the system up you need to extract all the refrigerant and replace it with the correct weight. For that reason the top-up systems from Halfords, etc, are a waste of time & money
It's illegal to vent gases to atmosphere and all refrigerants have to be booked in & out in a complex system. There are huge penalties for failing to comply which makes the life of an a/c guy hard work. This is why there are dodgy people around who will gas up systems using propane from a Calor Gas bottle...
Nick Froome
bolide said:
He's right that if the compressor kicks in the system has gas and just needs topping up. But he's wrong about everything else
The machines that a/c guys use nowadays pull all the refrigerant and lubricant out of the system and keep it under vacuum for a minutes or so. If it holds vacuum they will regas it. If it doesn't hold vacuum you have a leak and the leak needs to be fixed before it is regassed
The refrigerant is dispensed by weight - there will be a standard weight for your system. So to top the system up you need to extract all the refrigerant and replace it with the correct weight. For that reason the top-up systems from Halfords, etc, are a waste of time & money
It's illegal to vent gases to atmosphere and all refrigerants have to be booked in & out in a complex system. There are huge penalties for failing to comply which makes the life of an a/c guy hard work. This is why there are dodgy people around who will gas up systems using propane from a Calor Gas bottle...
Nick Froome
Thanks guys.The machines that a/c guys use nowadays pull all the refrigerant and lubricant out of the system and keep it under vacuum for a minutes or so. If it holds vacuum they will regas it. If it doesn't hold vacuum you have a leak and the leak needs to be fixed before it is regassed
The refrigerant is dispensed by weight - there will be a standard weight for your system. So to top the system up you need to extract all the refrigerant and replace it with the correct weight. For that reason the top-up systems from Halfords, etc, are a waste of time & money
It's illegal to vent gases to atmosphere and all refrigerants have to be booked in & out in a complex system. There are huge penalties for failing to comply which makes the life of an a/c guy hard work. This is why there are dodgy people around who will gas up systems using propane from a Calor Gas bottle...
Nick Froome
Yes, he said he'd connect it to a vac pump and evacuate all the old crap & moisture, then refill.
If he found a leak, then he wouldn't refill it. I therefore thought that if he *didn't* find a leak, and refilled it, why wouldn't there be some kind of warranty against it emptying overnight or within say a week?
The only reason I can think of is something failing under the pressure of new gas (as opposed to vacuum), which is fair enough, but what's to stop him finding a tiny leak, but filling it anyway and charging me £50 odd?
From chatting to an A/C installation guy yesterday the oil isnt replaced when regassing. The oil can be drained out and replaced or when refilling the system theres a certain amount of oil that should be replaced (topped up) as some of the oil will be lost with the gas either leaking or when its vacumed out. He was saying the majority of places will just add gas and no oil which doesnt always fix noisy compressors and the like.
The reason for vacuuming the system is to pull out any moisture that might have found its way into the system but mainly it's too make fe filling the system a lot easier and faster as the refrigerant isn't put back under pressure it has to be pulled into the A/C system. The only problem with a vacuum test is if the system ha a leaky o-ring or small crack in a joint then pulling the pressure down can stop the leak thus giving a false reading. The only way test a system properly and be able to provide a garuntee (as I do) is a nitrogen pressure test, putting 6bar of nitrogen through any A/C system shows up the smallest of leaks!!
Although I can give a sort term garuntee that the gas won't escape for 7 days, I wil never say that your A/C system wil continue to work for the following 12months etc as the systems themselves are known to be very vulnerable too fatigue.
Although I can give a sort term garuntee that the gas won't escape for 7 days, I wil never say that your A/C system wil continue to work for the following 12months etc as the systems themselves are known to be very vulnerable too fatigue.
PEJAYMotors said:
The reason for vacuuming the system is to pull out any moisture that might have found its way into the system but mainly it's too make fe filling the system a lot easier and faster as the refrigerant isn't put back under pressure it has to be pulled into the A/C system. The only problem with a vacuum test is if the system ha a leaky o-ring or small crack in a joint then pulling the pressure down can stop the leak thus giving a false reading. The only way test a system properly and be able to provide a garuntee (as I do) is a nitrogen pressure test, putting 6bar of nitrogen through any A/C system shows up the smallest of leaks!!
Although I can give a sort term garuntee that the gas won't escape for 7 days, I wil never say that your A/C system wil continue to work for the following 12months etc as the systems themselves are known to be very vulnerable too fatigue.
Understood, thanks. I'll get it done for £50 and see what happens. If it leaks at least I know I have t ofind a leak!Although I can give a sort term garuntee that the gas won't escape for 7 days, I wil never say that your A/C system wil continue to work for the following 12months etc as the systems themselves are known to be very vulnerable too fatigue.
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