Engine Cooling & Air Conditioning
Posted on April 22, 2022
How often should you refill the air conditioning in the car, or how often should you replenish the refrigerant?
The car’s air conditioning is one of the most important systems in terms of driving comfort – especially on hot, summer days. However, it is worth remembering its role in the winter season, which promotes window fogging – it is thanks to it that we can quickly deal with the steam and regain full visibility, which is invaluable during travel. Popular air conditioning, although it seems maintenance-free for most people in terms of service, must be regularly maintained. One of the activities to remember is the replenishment of the refrigerant, or filling the air conditioning with coolant. How often should you think about “charging the air conditioning” to ensure its proper operation and at the same time take care of our comfort and health?
Speaking of car air conditioning, it is impossible to skip the topic of recharging, or replenishing the coolant. Before I answer the question of how often you should think about such a service, I will focus on why we actually have to remember it. Not every vehicle user is aware that about 10% of the refrigerant evaporates from the car’s air conditioning each year. And that’s not all – along with it, the lubricant also decreases, without which the system is unable to work and can quickly become damaged.
Important!
Minimal losses of refrigerant and lubricant are natural, resulting from the use of rubber seals in the system, which degrade over time. However, it is important to keep under control whether there is not a coolant leak in the car – hence it is recommended to regularly visit air conditioning services. Once a year to the service, or the best answer to all questions related to the system
Regular car servicing is the basis when it comes to vehicle operation – and it is no different with air conditioning. It can be said that this system is “inaccessible” to the average driver because its diagnosis requires knowledge, skills, experience, and also a suitable set of tools and equipment. To be able to determine the amount of refrigerant and thus – whether charging is required, it is necessary to make an appointment for an air conditioning inspection in a professional workshop.
Important!
It is recommended to go to the service with the air conditioning system at least once a year for a routine check. Thanks to this, we will be able to detect any possible leaks of refrigerant and check whether the air conditioning system is working properly. Regular servicing of the air conditioning will also help avoid its damage, which can lead to costly repairs. How often should you replenish the refrigerant in the air conditioning? The service technician will tell you the truth
How often to refill the air conditioning in the car really depends on the condition of the system in your car. Regular servicing of car air conditioning will allow you to react immediately to a low level of refrigerant or other undesirable situations. If during the review it turns out that there is too little coolant, the service technician will certainly inform you about it and recommend replenishing the shortages. It may happen that we drive on one coolant for 2-3 years – however, it all depends on the intensity of use. If the air conditioning is used every day for many hours, you will need to think about recharging much faster.
Situations requiring immediate system servicing and coolant replenishment
Let’s not forget that the operation of the air conditioning can be disturbed by, among other things, system leakage, which in turn leads to refrigerant leaks. And I’m not talking about normal situations here, which I mentioned earlier (10% loss per year). In the case when a noticeable deterioration of the system’s operation or its complete malfunction will be noticeable, immediate visit to the service will be necessary. Ignoring these kinds of problems can lead to further damage and ultimately cause the air conditioning to stop working completely.
I will add that the refrigerant used in car air conditioning can have a negative impact on the natural environment and human health. Therefore, it is so important to regularly check its level and not allow excessive leakage. Hence, regular servicing and visiting a workshop when there is such a need is crucial.
Not only servicing and recharging the air conditioning, but also a few words about disinfection
Although regular visits to the service and charging of car air conditioning when needed are very important, it is worth knowing that every vehicle owner can take care of the good condition of the system on their own thanks to so-called disinfection. It is an easy way to increase travel comfort and also take care of the health of the traveling people. It should be remembered that fungi and microorganisms can develop in the evaporator, which negatively affects the air quality in the car. Regular disinfection will help avoid such problems and provide fresh and clean air in the vehicle cabin.