Why You Should Vacuum Your Car's A/C During a Service
Posted on: 16 February 2021
You may know that your car's air conditioning system relies on special refrigerant gas, which goes through a constant modification process to keep your cabin cool. You may be aware that this gas has to be recharged from time to time so that it is always at its best, but did you know that you need to vacuum the inside of this system as well if you want to maintain full efficiency? What is involved here?
Under Pressure
When refrigerant gas has been added to the system correctly, it's important to ensure that you're working with the right pressure levels. If that pressure is too high or too low, the system will not perform as it should and may even fail, causing damage to some of the more expensive components.
Potential for Damage
As there are so many of these individual components within the sealed system, issues can often arise. Lubricating oil or moisture can penetrate and will also cause inefficiencies and, eventually, failure.
This is why it's so important to vacuum the A/C whenever you perform a full service, as this will remove any residual moisture or other contamination. This will help protect the compressor, condenser and other key features and help you avoid a big bill.
Vacuuming and Recharging
To vacuum your A/C properly, you will need the right set of tools and know-how. You need to hook up the vacuum cleaner using special connectors attached to high and low side pressurised ports. You will then connect a separate hose to the vacuum pump, which is linked to the new supply of refrigerant. Once you have activated the pump, you will check the attached gauges to monitor the pressure on the high and low side. As the pump works, it will remove unwanted air or moisture from within the system, and the process could take as long as 30 minutes.
You need to check manufacturer guidelines and monitor the pressure gauges until the system can hold a vacuum consistently. Once you're happy, you'll be able to introduce a new refrigerant source to recharge and get ready for normal operation.
The Best Approach
Most people will lack either the equipment, the know-how or both to do this carefully and efficiently in their garage at home. In this case, it's better to take the vehicle to a mechanic so that you can get back to everyday use as soon as possible.
To learn more about this topic, contact a local auto A/C service.
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