AC Re-Gas - Why you need it and what we do

Why do you need a Re-Gas service?

• In most cases the refrigerant has leaked out naturally over the years and there isn't an actual "leak" due to a hole.  It will seem counterintuitive, but this is the case with all vehicle AC.

• However, it is not impossible for there to be a hole somewhere.  Components such as pipes, condensers and evaporators do wear out or break causing a hole somewhere in the AC system. 

• For example, the condenser is a radiator that sits in front of the water radiator.  It is directly in the path of any stones and road debris that is thrown up off the road surface.  As such, over time it can become punctured.

• Sometimes there doesn't need to be hole at all for the AC system to fail to work.  For example, compressors that pump the refrigerant around do wear out and it could be that this or some other component(s) arent working at all.

• The main point to realise is that we perform a leak check before attempting to refill your vehicle with refrigerant.

What happens if there is a leak?

• If there is a leak, we WILL NOT add refrigerant as obviously this will leak out and be a waste of money.  

• If there isn't a leak and we refill the system with refrigerant yet the AC system then fails to operate, due to another fault, then similarly we will not charge the Re-Gas price.

• In either case, the full Re-Gas price is not charged but we do ask for a £20 payment for the time taken for the testing part of the Re-Gas process that checks if a leak is present and/or finds a system fault exists.

• We complete a series of checks before the Re-Gas can be done and this takes at least half the time for the whole process.  The cost of the mobile Re-Gas service isn't only due to the cost of the refrigerant.

• Be aware that detecting a leak and finding a leak are two different things.  Similarly, so is detecting a system fault vs. finding what the actual fault is.  Finding the precise location of a leak or the exact cause of a system fault could take hours.

• Detecting a leak means we have found that the AC system as a whole has a leak somewhere (and wont hold refrigerant).  This leak detection step does not pinpoint where that leak actually is (and what component(s) need replacing).

• We do provide a similar mobile leak finding service but this is a seperate service and will take an hour or more in itself.  Please see the seperate page on Leak Finding.  

• In the event this happens, we will ask if you wish us to do the Leak Finding as it is part of our business and a service we provide but we won't push it in any way or try to "upsell" it.

• Leak Finding involves pressure testing the whole AC system with Nitrogen and spending time to go over and examine all the pipework and other components to find the leak.

• Similarly, we provide a service to diagnose the cause of a system fault that is not caused by a leak but by a component not working. 

•  We will advise you of this step if it becomes necessary.  If you already know you have a system fault you can get in touch with us though the "Contact Us" page and in the first instance we will call you to find out a bit more about the problem.

For our visit to Re-Gas your vehicle:

• We bring all the equipment to your location.

• It takes between 40 and 60 minutes, so we ask that you budget for an hour.

• We will need access to a power socket for approx 20 minutes of the process.

• This is not a continuous 20 minutes of power use and the equipment consumes about the same power as a modern desktop computer (150W).

• We have plenty of extension leads if you are in a car park or by the road.

• We can do the Re-Gas in bad weather, including heavy rain, but you are free to reschedule and we understand.  Though you don't need to be present, naturally most people do prefer to be with their vehicle.

Payment for the Re-Gas or other service(s)

• We can take payment by contactless payment, with all the usual Debit and Credit cards (including AMEX).  

• We take payment by cash if preferred.

Repair Work

• We are able to repair or replace the faulty components in the AC system if you wish.

• Of course, you are completely free to take the diagnosis elsewhere to your preferred garage or mechanic.

• If you wish, you can then call us back to have the system refilled with refrigerant once any repairs are done.

• We can give you a quote for us to do the repair work if requested but we do not attempt to "upsell" this.

• We have a workshop for repairs and will not attempt to complete any mobile repair work at your location.  Previous experience has taught us this can end in disaster!

• We are local, we live in Blackwater (GU17) and our workshop is in Yateley (GU46).

• Please look at the "About Us" page if you would like to find out more about who we are and the location of the workshop.