A hot car in the summer is all but unbearable especially in very hot climates. Many things can go wrong with a car or truck A/C system with the most common being the unit has a low refrigerant charge. Once all other possible problems are eliminated than recharging a system is a easy task that most any home DIY mechanic can do. Refrigerant recharging kits are readily available that anyone can buy to get their A/C back to blowing cold air. Here is a popular recharging kit on Amazon. Interdynamics AFK-11CS Arctic Freeze Ultra Synthetic Recharging Kit with UV Dye and UV Light What Refrigerant Does your Car or Truck Use? There are two types of refrigerant often called Freon that vehicles use R12 and R134. R12 is mainly used in older cars and trucks built before 1995. R134 is used on vehicles built after 1995. If your vehicle was built after 1995 than it more than likley uses R134 as R12 was banned do to environmental concerns. For those who have a vehicle built close the 1995 date a sticker should be located on the system somewhere that displays the refrigerant used or alternatively it can be looked up online.

How to Recharge a Car or Truck Air Conditioner A recharge kit is needed. In this example we are using the Interdynamics AFK-11CS Arctic Freeze Ultra Synthetic Recharging Kit which is a popular R134 option. Be sure to were gloves and eye protection in case of any accidents. A 14oz can of R-134a is in the kit which the top plastic cap needs to be removed. The cap is than screwed onto the bottle. A/C systems have two tubing lines for High Pressure and Low Pressure. Locate the Low Side port on the A/C system. The Low side port will always be on the larger diameter tubing. Next start the engine and turn the air conditioning to Max Cool with the fan set to the highest setting. Check and be sure the compressor is running as it needs to be running to get a charge into the system. You will know if it is running as it will be spinning. Attach the hose from the bottle to the Low Side port. The gauge will show what the charge state of the system is.

Keep in mind overcharging a system can possibly damage components and the unit will not work properly.typical cost to replace ac unit When adding Freon into the system do it slowly and check the gauge as to get the right amount into the system.best way to clean outdoor ac unit The gauge will show Green for Low, Blue for Filled, Yellow for Alert, and Red for a Overcharge.home ac units sizes To add more refrigerant squeeze the trigger on the can. Once the unit is charged remove the hose and replace the cap. The unit should now be fully charged. Charging a vehicles air conditioning system is a easy task that most any backyard mechanic can do. As when working on any car problem be sure to wear the correct protective gear.

Before charging a unit be sure of what the problem is. If it is only a slow leak than a cheap DIY charge may be a good temporary solution. Also before charging be sure the compressor is running as that may point to a another problem. Iconic One Pro Theme | : : : How Do I Pick a Battery Charger! Let me start with a disclaimer; does not sell inexpensive off the shelf chargers such as the type often found at retail outlets and certain other online stores. We cater specifically to microprocessor controlled chargers, also known as Smart Chargers. All the chargers we stock are reviewed, tested, and selected based on function, reliability and durability. These chargers are designed to charge lead acid and other types of batteries based on computer generated algorithms. Simply put, the charger collects information from the battery and adjusts the charge current and voltage based on this information. This allows the battery to be charged quickly, correctly, and completely when using a smart charger.

All The chargers we sell can remain connected to the battery(s) indefinitely and will not overcharge or damage your battery(s). Here are some simple steps to aide you in selecting the correct charger for your needs. Determine what type of battery or batteries you will be charging. Maintenance Free, Wet Cell (flooded), AGM (absorbed glass mat), Gel Cell or VRLA (valve regulated lead acid). In most cases one charger will work for all types except for Gel Cell. However, some of our Gel Cell chargers will work well with the other battery types. What size is your battery? What we mean is not physical size, but how many Amp hours does your battery store. As an example, a typical full size auto battery is about 50 amp hours, and it would take a 10 amp charger approximately 6 hours to recharge it if the battery were completely dead. Another example, a Marine Deep Cycle Battery may be rated at 100 amp hours, so it would take a 10 amp charger about 11 hours to recharge a dead battery to near 100% full charge, from a completely discharged condition.

To calculate your total charge time, a good rule of thumb is to take the amp hour rating of the battery and divide by the charger rating (amps) and then add about 10% for the extra time to totally top off the battery. Some folks need to size the charge for quick recharge, therefore requiring more amps from their charger. Others are not in a hurry and may select a smaller charger. The most important thing here is to make sure you have enough charger power to do the job you require in the time you allocate. Know your desired outcome. Some folks require a charger to keep their motorcycle, classic car, or aircraft battery charged during the off season. In such a case a simple low current charger will work fine. Others require a fast and powerful charger to quickly restore a trolling motor battery or a wheel chair battery set. There are certainly other factors in selecting a battery charger, and it would be difficult to cover them all, but here a few. Input voltage, generally for use foreign countries.

Exposure to elements, i.e. would you benefit from a waterproof charger? Perhaps you will need a charger that doubles as a power supply for a RV or some other application. Often people will need to charge multiple batteries simultaneously, so multiple bank chargers may be needed. This is the traditional engine start, tractor and deep cycle style battery. The liquid electrolyte is free to move in the cell compartment. The user has access to the individual cells and can add distilled water as the battery dries out. Popular uses are engine starting and deep cycle designs. Typical absorption voltage range 14.4 to 14.9 volts, typical float voltage range 13.1 to 13.4 volts. This term can refer to a number of different constructions, including only a slight modification to the flooded style. In that case, even though the user does not have access to the cell compartments, the internal structure is still basically the same as a flooded battery. The only difference is that the manufacturer has ensured that a sufficient amount of acid is in the battery to sustain the chemical reaction under normal use throughout the battery warranty period.

Other types of lead acid batteries are also sealed, as explained below. Very popular uses are engine start and limited starting/deep cycle applications. Typical absorption voltage range 14.2 to 14.7 volts, typical float voltage range 13.1 to 13.4 volts. This stands for Valve Regulated Lead Acid battery. This is also a sealed battery. The valve regulating mechanism allows for a safe escape of hydrogen and oxygen gasses during charging. Typical absorption voltage range 14.2 to 14.5 volts, typical float voltage range 13.2 to 13.5 volts. The Absorbed Glass Matt construction allows the electrolyte to be suspended in close proximity with the plates active material. In theory, this enhances both the discharge and recharge efficiency. Actually, the AGM batteries are a variant of Sealed VRLA batteries, just a more advanced design. Popular usage includes high performance engine starting, power sports, deep cycle, solar and storage battery. Typical absorption voltage range 14.4 to 15.0 volts, typical float voltage range 13.2 to 13.8 volts.

The Gel cell is similar to the AGM style because the electrolyte is suspended, but different because technically the AGM battery is still considered to be a wet cell. The electrolyte in a GEL cell has a silica additive that causes it to set up or stiffen. The recharge voltages on this type of cell are lower than the other styles of lead acid battery. This is probably the most sensitive cell in terms of adverse reactions to over-voltage charging. Gel Batteries are best used in VERY DEEP cycle application and may last a bit longer in hot weather applications. If the incorrect battery charger is used on a Gel Cell battery poor performance and premature failure is certain. Battery chargers with gel profile will have information either on the unit, or in the manual, about gel compatibility. Typical absorption voltage range 14.0 to 14.2 volts, typical float voltage range 13.1 to 13.3 volts. Note about Gel Batteries: It is very common for individuals to use the term GEL Cell when referring to sealed, maintenance free batteries, much like one would use Kleenex when referring to facial tissue or "Xerox machine" when referring to a copy machine.