Auto Repair Product Reviews - Reviews of Products to Repair, Detail and Accessorize Your Car or Truck - Funny Stuff Too- How-To Auto Repair Guides What's Wrong With My Car? How to Deal With Your Mechanic Auto Repair Reference and Technical Data Resources Tools for the Do-It-Yourself Mechanic - DIY Auto Repair Tools Emergency Auto Repairs - Roadside FixesSo 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. ac unit too largeThe lower pressure allows the liquid to boil and evaporate back into a gas. window air conditioner no filterIt absorbs heat from the air in order to boil. how much is a furnace and ac unit

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.

(Higher temperatures cause the same amount of refrigerant to register a higher pressure; the dial provides a way to take this into account.) Simply add A/C Pro until the pressure is in the correct range, periodically checking the vent temperature (should be 20-30 degrees below the ambient temperature), and stop before it reaches the clearly-marked overcharge zone. It is not necessary to reach the top (or far right) of the “V”. When you reach a pressure in the proper indicated range, disconnect the can and check the temperature of the air blowing out of the vents. If your car is back to blowing cold air, you’re done! If there is still refrigerant left in the can, it can be stored indefinitely or used to help charge another vehicle. By getting the refrigerant pressure “just right” with A/C Pro, you can get the coldest air possible from your car A/C. Feel free to ask the pro.Keep your cool with our Air Con Servicing. Halfords Car Air Conditioning Services Did you know your air conditioning loses charge every year, making it less efficient and making your car warmer?

Our air conditioning services keep your air con working properly by checking and topping up the refrigerant levels. This also involves cleansing the air circulation system to maintain icy cold air output and get rid of any nasty odours - and the harmful bacteria that cause them. Main car dealers can charge the earth for this service, but at Halfords we can do it for you for a competitive price - meaning you can keep your cool and get rid of that wet-dog smell for less! Our in-store professionals can offer you the following services: We now offer a FREE air con check, to check your refrigerant levels and see if they need to be topped up for optimal performance. If they do need topping up, you can purchase all of the air con essentials from store to recharge at home or, you can book in for our air con recharge service and we can take care of it for you. Our trained in-store specialists can check your air conditioning levels and top up the refrigerant for you for only £30 (€35) as part of our air con recharge service.

Pre-booking may be required, so be sure to contact your local store to check first. Air Con Recharge is subject to vehicle inspection. Air Con Recharge and Clean Service For the ultimate air con service, our experts can recharge your air con and clean the system at the same time for only £40 (€45). Included within the recharge and clean service is the air con cleaner product. Please note that some pre-booking may be required and all services are subject to vehicle inspection - just ask in your local store for more details. Prices listed above are for Halfords stores only, and are not applicable in Halfords Autocentres.Charging points are primarily defined by the power (in kW) they can produce and therefore what speed they are capable of charging an EV.There are three main EV charging speeds: Slow charging (up to 3kW) which is best suited for 6-8 hours overnight Fast charging (7-22kW) which can fully recharge some models in 3-4 hours; and Rapid charging units (43-50kW) which are able to provide an 80% charge in around 30 minutes.

Rapid chargers also come in two charge point types – AC and DC – depending on whether they use alternating current or direct current.See below for a detailed description of the four main charge point types (Slow, Fast, Rapid AC and Rapid DC) with images of example units and the symbols that is used on Zap-Map Live.Slow charging is the most common method of charging electric vehicles. In most cases a standard single-phase 13 Amp three-pin plug is used to draw up to 3kW of power – with a full charge typically taking 6 to 8 hours. While the first wave of publicly accessible on-street chargers were of this type, these are now being replaced by Fast and Rapid units.Nearly all electric models can be slow charged with each vehicles being supplied with a charging cable with the appropriate connectors and cable – in most cases a standard 3-pin plug at the charging point outlet, and either a gun shaped Type 1 (J1772) or 7-pin Type 2 (Mennekes) connector for coupling with the vehicle inlet – see Know Your Connectors below.

Home or workplace overnight charging is the most common type of charging cycle. Although a standard single-phase 13 amp three-pin domestic socket is adequate for home charging, a dedicated EV unit should be installed. Alternatively, a qualified electrician should conduct a house survey to ensure that the wiring will safety support the relatively long periods of charging.Fast charging reduces EV charge times to around half that of a slow charge by doubling the available current to 32 amps (7kW) – the time for a full charge typically taking 3 to 4 hours. Most commercial and a many public on-street chargers already use this technology. It is likely that this charge rate will become increasingly used to replace public Slow charging points across the UK.While less common, Fast 3-phase charging is also technically possible, each phase delivering approximately 7kW to deliver a total of 22kW. However, this is mainly reserved for electric trucks and buses which need high power chargers to replenish their large battery packs.

While not all electric cars and vans are able to accept a 1-phase Fast charge at 32 amps (7kW), most can be connected to them (with the right connector) and will draw either 13 or 32 amps depending on their capability. While Type 1 (J1772) connectors were initially the most common type used at the charger end, these are steadily being replaced by the more versatile Type 2 (Mennekes) connector – see Know Your Connectors below.Rapid AC chargers provide a high power alternating current (AC) supply with power ratings up to 43kW. At this level of power, an electric vehicle can typically be charged to 80% in less than half an hour.The Rapid AC option is a relatively new development and only available on one or two EV models in the UK – more common is the Rapid DC option described below. Due to their high power, Rapid AC units are equipped with a tethered cable with a non-removable Type 2 (Mennekes) connector – see Know Your Connectors below.Rapid DC chargers provide a high power direct current (DC) supply with power ratings of up to 50kW.

At these charging rates, charging an electric vehicle to 80% typically takes half an hour.The most common type of Rapid charging unit, Rapid DC chargers are equipped with a tethered cable with a non-removable connector which is coupled with an appropriate inlet socket which is fitted to some but certainly not all EV models. Rapid DC chargers are fitted with either a JEVS (CHAdeMO) or a 9-pin CCS (Combo) connector – see Know Your Connectors below.Connecting an electric vehicle to an EV charger requires a cable fitted with connectors to match the charger outlet socket and the vehicle inlet socket. Most cables have a connector at each end (to couple with the charger outlet and vehicle inlet) or are tethered, which means that the cable is permanently attached to the charging unit.The choice of connector is determined by whether an EV is charged using AC (alternating current) or DC (direct current), the charging speed (kW power) and the safety protocol employed. Having different countries of origin, the make and model will also determine which connector are used.