With this headline, many will ask when you have to fill the air conditioning in the car. In general, it should be noted that this is work that should always be carried out by a trained expert. Otherwise, if you fill the air conditioning system yourself, mistakes and environmental pollution, damage to your health or damage to your air conditioning system will quickly occur. However, from time to time it may be necessary to drain the old coolant and refill the air conditioning system. In this article you will find out everything you need to know about this work, but we will not give you any specific instructions for filling your air conditioning system.
Contents
When is air-conditioning service necessary and when do you have to fill the air-conditioning system ?
Due to the rising temperatures, which we are also feeling more and more in our latitudes, it is often much hotter in summer than it used to be. Therefore, the air conditioning in the car is no longer a luxury system, but one of the vehicle systems that promise a particularly high level of comfort. With such a system you avoid a heat-related loss of concentration and excessive aggressiveness. Because the frequency of accidents increases significantly when it is hot, one could even go so far as to describe a well-functioning air conditioning system as a safety system.
There are various reasons that make an air conditioning service necessary. First of all, air conditioning operation leads to a progressive loss of refrigerant. This in turn means that their efficiency decreases and, in extreme cases, they can even fail completely. According to manufacturer statements, up to 10-15% of the coolant is lost from your vehicle interior cooling system per year. An air conditioning service includes cleaning the air conditioning system, refilling it and a comprehensive function and leak test.
Can you fill an air conditioning system yourself?
We strongly advise against attempting to fill your air conditioner yourself. There are significant risks for people, cars and the environment. Under no circumstances may refrigerant be released into the environment and you must work with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Nevertheless, there are refill sets for the car air conditioning system. The biggest problem that arises is that you have no control over the functioning of your air conditioning system. A refill set for the air conditioning in your car usually consists of a hose and a reservoir for the refrigerant. Before starting work, however, you do not know whether your air conditioning system is leaking or whether large amounts of refrigerant are being lost at one point. You also have little knowledge of the current filling level of your system. If this no longer works at all (no cooling effect) and the other components are OK, the system is usually completely empty.
The gas is filled into your car air conditioning system via the so-called low-pressure valve. You also do not know the amount of refrigerant filled in when you carry out maintenance yourself, because you do not have the appropriate equipment. This puts you at some risk of putting too much gas in your car's air conditioning system. If this is the case, it can lead to serious damage to the corresponding system in the long term. Ultimately, there is a risk of subsequent repairs, which will be significantly more expensive than a professional air conditioning service in the workshop you trust.
If you want to fill your air conditioning system without vacuum, this is only possible if it is completely tight and only a certain amount of refrigerant is missing. If air has already entered your air conditioning system, it must be vented and evacuated before filling.
Where should you fill an air conditioning system?
There are now many contact points for an air conditioning service. This is because there are systems that can automatically empty (i.e. remove the old refrigerant) and fill air conditioning systems for a correspondingly high purchase price. This means that only a few hands-on times are required, which has made air-conditioning service significantly cheaper in recent years. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend that you convince yourself of the service quality of the company in question in advance. This can be done, for example, by studying the relevant ratings and test reports.
If you have your air conditioning serviced professionally, there is a whole range of additional work that the specialist workshop can also carry out or at least offer. These include, for example, cleaning and disinfecting the car air conditioning system. This will help prevent the growth of mold spores which can be a serious health hazard.
How often you should fill your air conditioner depends on various factors. Among other things, how much refrigerant your system „consumes“. As a general rule, however, the general rule of thumb is to have your air conditioning checked once a year.
Conclusion
Regular air conditioning maintenance is something that belongs in the hands of professionals. Even if refill sets for car air conditioning systems are offered, you usually only achieve unsatisfactory results with them. In the long run, it usually pays off to have this work carried out in a specialist workshop, especially since flat rates are often offered for the air conditioning service. Ultimately, you save yourself any expensive subsequent repairs. However, if you do not shy away from wanting to carry out this work on your own responsibility, you must follow the manufacturer's specifications exactly. This applies in particular to all necessary protective measures for yourself and the environment. Always make sure that you protect yourself sufficiently.
A tip from CarTipsandmore: The refrigerant in your air conditioning system is usually under a certain pressure, which means that the gas from the air conditioning system in the car usually liquefied. Nevertheless, it can easily happen that this escapes when refilling the air conditioning system. Because it is highly toxic and harmful to the environment, you should always wear the appropriate personal protective equipment when working on your air conditioner. This will prevent possible poisoning and injuries.
