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Air Conditioning
FAQ's
ANSWER:
When refrigerant leaks from an A/C system it immediately
evaporates into an invisible gas. The only sign of the leak could
be an oil stain from the oil that lubricates the A/C compressor.
On 134a systems the oil also evaporates very quickly leaving
very little signs of leakage.
Two ways to find these leaks are with
an electronic leak detector that can detect a leak as small as
1/4 oz. per year as long as the probe can access the area. Or
with the use of an ultra-violet dye and a black light. The dye
is introduced into the A/C system and flows with the oil. When
the refrigerant and oil leak out the dye leaves a visible sign
behind to pinpoint the leak.
Once a leak has been found it should
be fixed. Adding more refrigerant will only make the leak bigger
and result in more oil loss and could cause the compressor to
fail. Stop leak products sold for A/C systems very rarely work
because of the high pressure involved, don't waste your time or
money.
If your A/C system still has a
refrigerant charge it must be recovered and recycled. All repair
facilities that work on A/C systems are required by law to have
this equipment. We will recover your refrigerant free of charge
but you may have to leave the vehicle if we are busy.
Once the A/C system is empty it can be
taken apart and repaired. If the system was empty before
starting the work or if the system is left open for more than a
few hours the dryer or accumulator should be replaced. It
contains desiccant that absorbs moisture, when it gets full it
can cause a restriction in the system reducing the amount of
cold air or in extreme cases the bag containing the desiccant
ruptures contaminating the entire A/C system. All o-rings and
seals that are taken apart must be replaced during repairs. Once
fixed, the system has to be pulled into a vacuum to remove air
and moisture before recharging with refrigerant. The right kind
and amount of refrigerant oil also has to be added. Skipping any
of these can cause the A/C to work improperly or cause the
compressor to fail.
