Can I Recharge My Air Conditioner?

By Levi Quinn

On a warm day, after a long and chilly winter, you turn on your car's air conditioner only to find a steady stream of warm air flowing out. After months of neglect, you hope that the air conditioner can be revived in time to deal with yet another hot summer. This is a common problem for car owners but it can be solved very easily.

There are two things you can do to keep your car's air conditioner in good working order. You can turn the air conditioner on for a few minutes every month to keep the compressor lubricated and you can recharge the air conditioner once warm air starts flowing out.

The easiest and safest way to have your air conditioner recharged is to have a mechanic do it. However, it is possible to do it yourself with a few special tools. You'll need a good set of goggles, a thick pair of gloves, a recharging kit and a can of refrigerant. Some recharging kits provide a pressurized can of refrigerant with a pressure gauge built into the cap; this type of kit is the easiest to work with. You should avoid spilling the refrigerant and getting it into your eyes or on your skin because it can cause instant frostbite.

With that in mind, the first step is determining what type of refrigerant you'll need. There are two choices: R12 and R134a. R12 refrigerant is used only in cars that were manufactured before 1994 and is no longer on the market. If you have an older car, you can use recycled R12 but it would be much easier to have your system professionally switched to R134a; do not mix the different types of refrigerant.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO RECHARGING YOUR CAR'S AIR CONDITIONER:

1- Safety first: put on your safety goggles and gloves.

2- Assemble the recharge kit as mentioned in the kit instructions; this may involve attaching a hose and a valve to the can of refrigerant or something similar.

3- Check the car manual to locate the low pressure port. The hose will usually only fit on that port; the high pressure port is a different size.

4- Wipe the outside of the low pressure port before you open it to prevent any kind of material from getting inside.

5- Attach the hose to the low pressure port.

6- Start the car and turn the air conditioner onto the highest setting. You should get an accurate pressure reading after a few minutes.

7- Pierce the can as instructed by the kit and add the refrigerant through the low pressure port. You may need to detach and reattach parts at this point; follow the kit instructions carefully.

8- Check the pressure gauge as you add the refrigerant. The kit instructions should tell you how much to add; if not, check the car manual.

9- Remove the hose as instructed by the kit instructions.

10- Add the cap to the lower pressure point.

It's a good idea to keep the pressure gauge kit for future recharging. For a detailed step by step guide with photos, please visit: http://autorepair.about.com/od/regularmaintenance/ss/AC-recharge.htm

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