What is the AC Low Pressure Hose all about? The AC system has many components: compressor, condenser, receiver dryer, evaporator, and hoses. For an AC system to work, it needs a gas or liquid substance, a refrigerant, (R-12 Freon in older cars, R-134a in 1995 and newer cars). Hoses carry the refrigerant throughout the AC system. A car usually has four or more hoses. The AC system hoses are connected to the evaporator, condenser, dryer, and the compressor. Due to normal wear and tear, the hoses can crack and leak refrigerant. Because the cracks cannot be sealed, you will need new hoses. Use the manifold gauge set to measure the pressures. Inspect the AC system for leaks. Remove refrigerant from the system. If an AC hose is leaking, remove and replace the hose(s). Evacuate and recharge the AC system. Check the car for system leaks. Check for proper operation of the AC system. The AC system is a sealed unit. It is not something you will inspect or service unless you notice a change.

If you notice a change in the temperature of the air through the AC vents (not as cold as it should be), schedule an inspection. What common symptoms indicate you may need to replace the AC Low Pressure Hose? Air conditioning is not as cold as it should be. Air conditioning does not work at all. In addition to your comfort, air conditioning systems add value to your vehicle. You should keep your AC fully operational. In some systems, the hot and cold air are blended to achieve the desired temperature setting. In these cases, when the AC system fails, you will not only NOT get any cold air, but the entire temperature regulation is thrown off.Common Problems and Typical Repair Costs If you've checked to make sure you do not have a blown fuse or a really loose or missing drive belt, then chances are your system is suffering from one of the three following common problems: leaks, compressor failures or contamination. Leaks: The #1 ProblemEst. Repair Cost: $50 to $200A MSN Autos survey of repair shops around the country confirms that system leaks are the number-one auto air conditioning problem faced by consumers.

"Leaks account for roughly 80 percent of the problems we see day in and day out," the manager of a Brookfield, IL, repair shop told MSN Autos. how to fix my central air conditioning unitOther shops concurred, reporting that leak repair accounted for 70-80 percent of their air conditioning work. replace a central air conditioning unitLeaks can occur anywhere in the air conditioning system, wherever refrigerant passes from one component to another.size air conditioning unit square footageFortunately, leaks are the easiest and least-expensive A/C problems to fix, with replacement of faulty gaskets or worn hoses as the usual solutions. If you're lucky, leak repair will set you back around $50. But prepare yourself for a figure up to four times that amount.

"Leaks usually run between $150 and $200," the service manager of an Irvine, CA, repair shop told MSN Autos-an estimate echoed by many shops we surveyed. Compressor FailureEstimated Repair Cost: $500 to $1,000The compressor is the pump that compresses and circulates the refrigerant through the system, transferring heat from the cabin to the outside environment. In most systems, the compressor contains a magnetic clutch that engages when you turn on the air conditioning in your vehicle. This clutch can fail, or other compressor components can simply wear out. As the heart of the A/C system, the compressor is costly to fix. Repairs start around $500, but as a service manager at a Phoenix Toyota dealership told us, "Compressor replacement can be spendy, sometimes going over $1,000." System ContaminationEstimated Repair Cost: $300 to $2,000Contamination is another common air conditioning problem. Contamination occurs when an A/C system is serviced using equipment that has been exposed to more than one type of refrigerant.

There are two primary refrigerant types: R-12, used in older cars, and the environmentally friendly R-134a, used in all cars built since 1994. The two refrigerants are completely incompatible and any exposure of one to the other during servicing contaminates parts within the A/C system. Decontamination involves flushing and recharging the entire system, as well as replacing any or all of the following components: compressor, condenser, evaporator and dryer. "A lot of shops will not touch a contaminated system because it requires storage of contaminated refrigerant, which is considered hazardous waste-and very few shops have the capacity to store such waste," Skip Christenson, a Master Technician for Automotive Information Systems (AIS), told MSN Autos. (AIS is MSN Autos' Reliability Ratings content provider.) Consequently, "Repair costs can run anywhere from $300 to $2,000, depending on parts," said Christenson-an estimate backed up by most shops in our survey.What is the AC High Pressure Hose all about?

Your car’s air conditioning system works similarly to your home’s central air conditioning system. It uses a refrigerant to absorb heat and expel cold air – the refrigerant is both a gas and a liquid depending on the amount of pressure. The AC system has two “sides” – the low pressure side, where the refrigerant is a gas, and the high pressure side, where the refrigerant is turned into a liquid. An AC high pressure hose has a much smaller diameter than a low pressure hose (you’ll notice the size difference immediately if you open the hood and look at the air conditioning system). If the AC high pressure hose is leaking or blocked, the air conditioning will not cool your car. Normal wear and tear, as well as exposure to heat in the engine compartment, can lead to deterioration in AC hoses. Handling air conditioning refrigerant requires a specialized license in most jurisdictions. The AC Freon is removed from the AC system The defective high pressure AC hose is removed from vehicle

The new AC high pressure hose is installed into the vehicle The AC system is vacuumed to remove air and charged with Freon The vehicle is road tested for proper AC operation Your air conditioning system is a sealed system and does not require maintenance unless there is a problem. The most common type of maintenance is an evacuation and recharge of the refrigerant in which old refrigerant and oil is extracted, and then replaced with new. However, age, heat and other forces can combine to damage your hoses, including the AC high pressure hose. If this happens, the hoses will need to be replaced. Damage can include cracks, refrigerant leaks, damaged connectors and more. If you suspect an air conditioning leak from the high pressure hose, have one of our expert mechanics diagnose the system and replace the hose if required. What common symptoms indicate you may need to replace the AC High Pressure Hose? AC doesn’t cool at all. AC only blows cool, but not cold, air.