When the air in your air conditioning (AC) begins to lose power and the air doesn’t feel too cold, it may be time for an AC recharge. It must be noted, however, that recharging your AC is a temporary fix to a likely bigger problem. If your system is indeed missing refrigerant, your AC system has a leak and needs to be inspected and repaired with a certified mechanic. Refrigerant does not evaporate in an airtight system so air is leaking in. While there have been recent reports of this procedure being completed at home, it is still considered a more professional repair, as it contains work with hazardous liquid and is best left for a certified mechanic. Recharging your AC means adding more refrigerant to your AC system to allow the air to start blowing cold again. Freon is a well-known liquid refrigerant that works with the AC system to help keep the air in your car cool. Note: Some older vehicles cannot have their AC recharged. These vehicles generally fall before the year 1995 and use an R12 refrigerant no longer made.

The only option is AC replacement. Method 1 of 1: How to recharge your AC Because of the sensitivity of this procedure, we will be explaining how to use the AC recharge kits for this procedure. They have shown to be the most effective and the safest option in comparison to trying to repeat a mechanic’s role at home. AC dispenser with trigger and low side gauge Refrigerant (12-28 ounces, depending on vehicle requirement. This information is located on the underside of the hood). Safety glasses and gloves Tip: Always wear safety glasses when performing work under the hood. It is especially important to be careful to not get any refrigerant on your skin as it freezes quickly and is very painful. Please be sure to follow all instructions that are included with your AC recharge kit and read every canister’s warnings carefully. Step 1: Turn on your AC. Start your car and turn your AC to Max or High. Step 2: Determine if AC compressor is engaging. An AC compressor is a device driven by the accessory belt that converts the refrigerant from liquid to gas.

The compressor has a clutch at the end of it that should be spinning with the accessory belt when the AC is on high. little girl falls from ac unitLook for these pulleys moving.biggest air handling unit in the world If the clutch on the compressor is indeed engaging, then it is likely that the system is low on refrigerant, especially if the air is still blowing slightly cold. portable ac unit or window unitYou will still want to move ahead with testing the pressure before adding refrigerant. If the clutch is not engaging the compressor, then the AC system is either very low on refrigerant, there is an electrical problem, or the compressor itself has failed. Adding more refrigerant after pressure testing will allow you to know which of these the cause is.

Step 3: Test the pressure. To do this, turn the vehicle off and locate the low side pressure port. The low side pressure service port is generally located on the passenger side of the engine bay. It will have a black or grey cap on it with the letter “L”. Tip: If you are having a hard time finding it, try locating the two aluminum pipes that are coming out of the firewall (the metal wall behind the engine) and trace the larger diameter pipe until you find the service port. Step 4: Attach the recharge hose from the kit. To do this simply place the quick connect fitting, found on the end of the recharge hose, over the port and push down firmly until you hear it click into place. Be careful not to pull the trigger at this time as this will release refrigerant from the AC system into the atmosphere. Step 5: Restart the vehicle. Restart the vehicle and make sure the air conditioner is on the highest settings. Begin to monitor the gauge by watching for the AC compressor to engage the clutch.

Once the compressor is engaged, if the low side pressure is under 40 psi, it is verified that the AC system is undercharged. You want the reading to be as close to 40 psi as possible. Step 6: Thread the refrigerant can onto the recharge hose. This allows you to slowly top off the AC system with liquid refrigerant. Once the can is installed, hold the can upright and squeeze the trigger for 5 to 10 seconds to add the refrigerant to the system. After you release the trigger check the pressure gauge to be sure you are not overcharging the system. Proceed until you are as close to 40 psi as possible. Step 7: Return to the inside of the car. Using a thermometer, insert it into one of the AC vents on the driver’s side, near the steering wheel, and note the temperature. A fully charged system will blow air as cold as 28 degrees. This can vary slightly depending on ambient temperature as well as whether the vehicle has been stationary. If the pressure is over 40psi, that is considered “high” low side pressure.

This can be caused by overcharging the system or if the compressor itself is malfunctioning. If the pressure is reading high, it is time to seek professional mechanic help, as repairs may be necessary. You have successfully recharged your AC! Your AC should be running colder now and your drive should be much nicer. Warning: It must be stressed that if your refrigerant was low to begin with, there is little doubt that there is a system leak. AC repairs are highly specialized and this sort of repair needs to be addressed by a professional for proper procedures and practice, as well as keeping the refrigerant from leaking into the atmosphere and polluting the air we breathe.So your vehicle’s air conditioning is blowing hot air. It is likely low on refrigerant. You can easily fix it yourself by simply adding refrigerant, but how much should you add? It’s not a hard question to answer, but it is an important one to get right. That’s because having too much refrigerant in your A/C system is just as bad as not having enough.

This isn’t a case of “too hot” versus “too cold.” If you have too much refrigerant in your A/C system, it will actually blow hot air (the same as having too little refrigerant). To get the coldest air possible, the amount of refrigerant in the system has to be “just right.” If you want to know why having too much refrigerant results in hot air, you have to understand a little bit about how an air conditioner works. The R-134a refrigerant used in car air conditioners would normally be a gas (it boils at a frigid 15 degrees below zero). If you compress it and pressurize it enough, though, it turns into a liquid. The compressor in your vehicle’s A/C does exactly that, so you have liquid R-134a pumping through part of the A/C system. When that liquid reaches the in-dash cooling unit (called an evaporator coil), it passes through a valve that lowers the pressure. The lower pressure allows the liquid to boil and evaporate back into a gas. It absorbs heat from the air in order to boil.

With the heat removed, the air becomes cold. If you don’t have enough refrigerant, it won’t be able to cool the air. If you have too much, though, the pressure will be too high for the refrigerant to boil or for the compressor to work. Which means the system won’t cool at all, and you’ll still be left with hot air. Getting It “Just Right” Sometimes people wind up with too much refrigerant because they try to add a certain number of ounces or cans to the system without checking the pressure. Your goal isn’t to add the right number of ounces; it’s to have the correct pressure. Putting the correct amount of R-134a in your car’s A/C system is simple when you use A/C Pro. Each can of A/C Pro comes with a pressure gauge built in to the charging hose, allowing you to check the pressure as you add refrigerant. The gauge shows the proper pressure range, and has an easy-to-use temperature dial to adjust the target pressure based on the current ambient (outside) temperature.