Many car owners are interested in when to refill the air conditioning in their car? The answer to this question is quite simple. If there is still little freon – it’s time to refill the car air conditioner. To save extra money, you can do it yourself.
But how exactly do you refill the air conditioner yourself? What tools will be needed for this? And what rules should you remember? These issues will be discussed below.
The design and principle of operation of the air conditioner
The air conditioning system in a car consists of three parts - a compressor , a condenser and an evaporator (these parts are connected to each other using pipes).
Let's consider the principle of operation of the air conditioning system.
Inside the unit there is cooling freon in the form of gas. During operation, the compressor compresses the gas, which leads to an increase in the temperature of the freon mixture. The gas then enters the condenser, where it cools and turns into liquid. Cold freon passes through the pipes and enters the evaporator, where it evaporates - while the freon absorbs the heat surrounding it. This leads to a decrease in the temperature in the car and the conversion of the coolant into gas. At the end of the cycle, the freon is again supplied to the condenser and the process is repeated.
How do you fill car air conditioners and the role of freon in the air conditioning system?
Freon is used as a refrigerant in air conditioning systems.
It cools the compressor and protects it from overheating. If the equipment malfunctions or is installed incorrectly, freon may leak, so it will need to be refilled. You also need to think about refilling your car's air conditioner if there is no cooling or heating of the air in the car's interior. Freon, which is used to fill car air conditioners, can be of two types:
- single-component - consists of 1 type of gas;
- multicomponent - includes several types of gas.
One-component freon can be used for partial refilling. Freon, consisting of several types of gas, cannot be refilled. It is necessary to remove all refrigerant from the system and only then fully charge the air conditioner.
If the freon level is insufficient, the compressor will operate in “oil starvation” mode. The car air conditioner will stop cooling the air, and the life of the compressor will be significantly reduced. If during the refueling process a large amount of freon is introduced into the system, the pressure in the system will increase and the compressor will begin to operate in maximum mode until it emergency stops.
When to refill your car air conditioner
Every year, for natural reasons, the amount of freon in the cooling system decreases by 10-20%, so it is necessary to periodically refill the air conditioner. Please note that the power of the device drops significantly even if the freon loss is 50 percent or more.
It is recommended to refill your car's air conditioner at least every 3 years!
Do-it-yourself refueling of a car air conditioner is required in the following cases:
- Violation of the tightness of pipes;
- Mechanical damage to pipes;
- Condenser coated with rust.
Equipment and tools for refueling
To refill your car air conditioner with your own hands, you will need: a station for measuring pressure, an adapter with a tap, two hoses and a cylinder of freon.
From these components you need to assemble a device for refilling the air conditioning system.
The procedure should be as follows:
- Take a freon bottle and screw an adapter with a tap onto it (there should be a thread on the top of the bottle);
- Connect the hose to the adapter;
- Attach the hose to the pressure measuring station;
- Attach another hose with an adapter to the pressure control station on the other side;
- The filling device is ready. Please note that some stores sell already assembled devices.
Also, in some cases, you may need additional equipment - if you are doing evacuation, then you will need a vacuum pump , if you are checking the integrity of pipes with pressure, then in this case you will have to buy a cylinder with safe gas , and so on.
Freon selection
To charge the air conditioner, use R134a cooling mixture .
Older installations ran on R12 freon, but in the nineties this mixture was banned due to its negative impact on the environment, and after the ban, the R134a mixture began to be used in air conditioners. To refill a car air conditioner, about 700-1000 g of mixture is required.
Preparing for refueling
First of all, before refueling the air conditioner in the car with your own hands, you need to find and eliminate leaks, as well as perform vacuuming.
If the leaks are small, you can fix them yourself; for larger damages, we recommend contacting a car service center.
Finding and fixing leaks
If the freon in the air conditioner runs out due to damage to the pipes, then in this case you need to find and fix the leak. To find leaks, it is recommended to use a special tool called a leak detector . If there is no such device, then find the leak location as follows:
- Make a liquid mixture based on oil and freon;
- Add a special ultraviolet dye to the mixture;
- Refuel and turn on the air conditioner;
- After 5-10 minutes, take an ultraviolet lamp and shine it on the air conditioner - the damaged areas should turn greenish-yellow.
To eliminate a leak:
- Take a metal pipe and cover the leak with it;
- Place 1 clamp on both sides of the pipe;
- Degrease the place where the clamps are attached (for example, with alcohol);
- Secure the coupling parts with electrical tape.
- Apply glue to the coupling, place the coupling on the pipe and tighten the clamps.
Pressure test
After eliminating leaks, it is necessary to check the integrity of the system. To do this, you should fill the air conditioner yourself with some safe gas (for example, nitrogen).
After refueling, be sure to measure the pressure - if after 30 minutes the pressure has not changed, this means that the system is completely sealed. Otherwise, repair any remaining leaks and repeat the test procedure.
Evacuation of the air conditioner
Now you need to evacuate the device to remove air and moisture droplets from the system. For evacuation you will need a special vacuum pump, and the procedure itself is as follows :
- Turn on the heating system and warm up the car (if this is not done, then a lot of moisture will remain in the evaporator);
- Take the vacuum pump and connect it to the car air conditioner - to do this, attach the pump pipe to the pipe;
- Turn on the pump for 10-15 minutes. After this, close the valve and turn off the pump. Repeat the procedure 2-3 times;
- Finally, turn off the pump and wait 2-3 hours for the temperature and pressure to normalize. After this, you can proceed directly to refueling.
Do-it-yourself refilling of a household air conditioner
Refilling an air conditioner with your own hands is a rather difficult task, so if possible, it is advisable to call in specialists. If you are determined to act on your own, stock up on all the necessary attributes and patience. The most important thing is to choose the right brand of refrigerant and listen to the advice of experts. But first, figure out why you needed refueling.
Why is the amount of refrigerant in the system decreasing?
Even with proper installation and operation, the amount of freon in the air conditioner gradually decreases. Usually part of it is lost through copper tubes located between the external and internal units. This happens very slowly, so refueling is rarely required.
It's another matter if the tubes were damaged. For example, when transporting or installing an air conditioner in a new place. No amount of refilling will help here if the cause of the leak is not eliminated.
Signs of low refrigerant in the system:
- the room is almost not cooled or cooled poorly;
- Frost has appeared on the external unit of the air conditioner.
Important: if you do not refill the air conditioner on time, it will not only begin to work worse, but also overheat, which will soon lead to its breakdown
Selecting refrigerant for refilling
The refrigerant used in an air conditioner is different from that used in a refrigerator. R-22 freon has proven itself best of all: it is what specialists use when working with modern split systems. If you take R-8 or any other type of freon, the efficiency of your air conditioner can drop significantly, which will lead to an increase in energy bills.
There is also freon R-134a, which does not destroy the ozone layer and is considered safer for the environment. However, this refrigerant is not widely used due to its high cost.
Remember that freon is an absolutely safe gas for humans, so you can safely work with it at home.
Refilling the air conditioner
- Set the temperature to 18 degrees and turn the device on cold.
- Find the largest tube from the outdoor unit.
- Open the cap and use a special hose to connect a pressure gauge there (the other end is connected to a cylinder with freon).
- Set the normal speed of the split system and start measuring the air temperature using a thermometer or digital sensor.
- Open and close the valve of the gas cylinder a little at a time, carefully monitoring the instrument readings. The temperature must rise and the pressure in the system must increase.
- It is necessary to bring the pressure to 5-7 bar (depending on the outside temperature: the higher it is, the greater the pressure should be).
- As soon as frost appears on the valves (nuts) and pressure gauge, the process must be stopped.
- Disconnect the cylinder with the pressure gauge and put the cap back in place.
A properly charged air conditioner will work well, consuming as much electricity as stated by the manufacturer. At the same time, it is bad for the system if there is a shortage of refrigerant and its refilling.
Experts calculate the pressure, temperature and amount of freon required using special formulas. That is why, if you act on your own, without having an idea about all this, you can damage the device. Don't take risks - call a trusted specialist!
Air conditioner refilling steps
Let's now find out how to refuel .
Please note that air conditioners differ very little from each other in their structure, so this scheme is suitable for all models:
- Locate the low pressure line (it looks like a small wide pipe with a narrower pipe underneath) and open the protective cap.
- Place the hose from the assembled filling device onto the nozzle.
- Start the engine (speed should be about 1,300-1,700 rpm). Please note that the engine must be turned on during the entire refueling procedure, so it is recommended to place a hard object under the gas pedal.
- Start air recirculation.
- Turn the freon bottle upside down. After this, gradually open the main tap and the freon valve (this must be done simultaneously). Freon pumping will begin.
- Watch the pressure gauge reading. The pressure level in the system should not exceed 275 kPa (otherwise you may damage the compressor).
- When the hose near the nozzle becomes very cold and cold air appears in the cabin (about 6-10 degrees), you need to gradually turn off the engine and remove the filling device. The refueling procedure is completed.
Methods for refilling an air conditioner with freon
connecting a pressure gauge to the outdoor unit
There are several basic methods for charging refrigeration systems with freon, applied to home air conditioners (splits), multi-splits, mobile and multi-zone systems.
Refilling the air conditioner with your own hands will require the following kit:
- pressure gauge;
- Vacuum pump;
- freon cylinder;
- construction scales;
- locksmith tools - Swedish key, hexagons, screwdriver.
Refueling by scale
construction filling scales
If you need to fill a completely empty air conditioner with 22 or 410 gas, then the process occurs as follows.
Vacuuming. Screw the pressure gauge onto the shredders and open the tap. Turn on the vacuum pump and wait 10 minutes. Close the tap on the pressure gauge and turn off the pump.
Connecting a freon cylinder. The container with gas is turned upside down and placed on a scale, the readings of which are first reset to zero. Open the tap on the pressure gauge and pour in the required amount of refrigerant according to the scale.
Close the tap and disconnect the pressure gauge, after which the caps on the ports are screwed on. Turn on the air conditioner and check its functionality.
This method is considered the most correct, but it is complicated by the need to have expensive scales for weighing freon.
If you want to fill the air conditioner 410 with freon yourself, then first completely bleed off its remains into a pressure gauge station for collection, and then pour in the gas according to the scales. This is due to the fact that this type of freon consists of a mixture of various gases with varying degrees of volatility. If one of the components leaks in a larger volume, the composition changes, and, consequently, the necessary properties of the refrigerant are lost.
If you need to fill the air conditioner with R22 freon, then they resort to the following method: filling the air conditioner by pressure.
Filling by pressure
First you need to connect the pressure gauge to the gas port of the air conditioner operating for cooling. The operating pressure of the device should be 3-3.5 atm. If it is below these marks, then refueling is required. To do this, connect a cylinder with freon and begin to fill it into the system in small portions by opening the taps on the pressure gauge for 5-10 seconds.
To avoid burning your hands with gas, it is more convenient to use quick-release connections.
Refueling for overheating and hypothermia
non-contact infrared thermometer for climate control equipment
A fairly accurate method is to refill the air conditioner based on overheating or overcooling. The whole point is to focus on the temperature difference.
In the case of supercooling, we mean the ratio of the temperature indicators of liquid and condensation at the same pressure. The condensation temperature can be determined as follows: its pressure is measured with a manometer, and then the data is correlated with the scale values of the manometric manifold depending on the refrigerant. To determine overheating, the temperature values of the gas in the normal state and when it boils under conditions of the same pressure are compared.
A refrigerant leak and the need to refill it are indicated by overheating above normal and subcooling below normal.
A non-professional is unlikely to be able to refill the air conditioner with his own hands using these two methods, as they require a sufficient knowledge base in the field of air conditioning systems. Although the ease and accessibility of previous methods for the common man is also a controversial issue.
Refueling the air conditioner using current
current clamps
Many craftsmen do not use this method, but its use is quite justified in cases where it is not possible to use scales to weigh freon. So how to charge the air conditioner yourself using current?
To determine the operating current of the compressor, you will need special current clamps, which are applied to the phase of the power wire of the operating external unit. If the values obtained are lower than those indicated in the manual or on the nameplate, and the pipe is frozen, then refill with freon until the indicators level out.
All other stages completely coincide with the stages of filling the air conditioner with freon using scales, which can be viewed in the video at the end of the article.
This method is also applicable in the case of eliminating the consequences of leaks in semi-industrial equipment.
Air conditioner care
Now you know how to charge the air conditioner in a car with your own hands. In conclusion, let's talk about the rules of care :
- Wash the radiator at least once every 3 months, as dirt and dust constantly settle on it, which significantly reduces the efficiency of the device.
- In winter, you need to warm up the air conditioner at least once a month. To warm up, you need to drive the car into a warm place and turn on the cooling device for 15-30 minutes.
If leaks occur, contact a service center for repairs or repair the pipes yourself.
Watch the video yourself to see how to recharge the air conditioner in your car.
Refilling a car air conditioner at a service center
Most motorists prefer not to take risks and use the services of a service to solve any problems related to servicing their vehicles. Especially when it comes to refilling a car air conditioner - after all, this procedure requires dexterity, special knowledge and skills.
How much does it cost to recharge the air conditioner in a car?
The price of refueling at the beginning of 2020 ranges from 1,000 to 2,800 rubles.
This cost includes both the work itself and the cost of the refrigerant - freon is most often used (most modern cars are filled with this gas).
Moreover, for air conditioners of cars manufactured before 1992, R12 gas is used, and for later models - R134A. An additive is also added to freon, which protects the system from wear - most masters use synthetic oil for this purpose.
Refilling the air conditioner will cost less - about 600-900 rubles.
Air conditioning refill equipment
Now you can find various devices that allow you to recharge your air conditioner as quickly and safely as possible. There are two types of equipment: for professional refueling at a service center and for self-refueling in your own garage or on the street.
- Devices that use services are called automatic stations. These are high-tech installations that require minimal human intervention. Devices serviced in such an installation have a longer service life, and the quality of the result is at the highest level. They cost more than 100 thousand rubles, so they are not suitable for refueling yourself.
- Self-refueling equipment is much more affordable in price and can be purchased for personal use. Such devices are divided into reusable and disposable. The latter can be bought for 1000 rubles. – this is, in fact, the price of refueling at the service.
The reusable device includes the following elements:
- manifold;
- refrigerant bottle;
- vacuum type pump;
- scales.
An important part of the charging process is to evacuate the air conditioner and remove any remaining air, moisture, and old refrigerant from it. Naturally, inexpensive self-refueling devices do not cope with this task as well as specialized equipment.
If you still decide to refill the air conditioner with freon on your own, then read the instructions below.
