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[Sir Tigger KC]

I've been getting prices for re-gassing my aircon ranging from £40 to £75! 

Is there anything magical about this?  Will the cheap one do or will they be using inferior watered down Chinese refrigerant?   

[flyer 0712]

Do not know about cheap stuff,however i paid £45 to have mine done last year at a local garage and it is still ok...

[amba]

Biggest concern would be getting somebody who really knows what they are doing and offers a full diagnostic service.

They should draw all the old refrigerant ( assuming some is still in system) down to a vacuum and hold it there to check all is sound .Correct quantity of gas and oil should then be added ,also usefull to have a dye added at the same time as that would help identify furure leaks should they occur.

Price do range wildly dependat on how much profit the guy wants to make and also time of year,as lots of customers in the summer means higher prices as more people want cool cars .Best advise is see if you can find a guy who has been recommended by somebody you know or has good reviews as price isnt the only consideration.The gas that is used is an industry spec so doudt quality would be less paying less tbh

£50/£60 around here seems to be the going rate for service as mentioned above

[biggriffin]

If your system has no leaks and works, go for the cheapest option,most places now,use a dalek anyway,they will evacuate the system,and hold the vacum then refill with the correct amount of gas and oil. True professional air-con would evac the system then pressure test for leaks with nitrogen, remove the valves and refit them, then pull it down, add the dye, have a cuppa, re-check then all ok re-fill and send you on your way.

[Sir Tigger KC]

The cheapest is with the local ATS and I'm booked in this afternoon! The guy said it'll take about an hour and they check for leaks and there's no charge if the system is leaking.  I've used them a few times over the years with no problems! 

I pressed in one of the valves and it hissed, so hopefully it's OK.... 

[05omegav6]

As above

Garages charge £45 ish, as it means potential for other work... ie if they slot you in last minute and charge the bare minimum, then next time you need summat you'll be more inclined to re use them...

Aircon specialists tend to be more expensive, but then they are mostly mobile and can deal with any aircon related problems there and then, eg if a valve is leaking, rather than making two trips

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

My VX dealer wants £59 for the 'full monty'

[Sir Tigger KC]

All done and all good!  Coming out nice and cold now! 

Now summer's over though....     

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

All done and all good!  Coming out nice and cold now! 

Now summer's over though....     

Check the temperature of the air coming out of the centre vent with the aircon set to LO, Sir Tig.

Mine reached 2 degrees C........or 34 degrees F. So no need for a re-gas.

[Sir Tigger KC]

All done and all good!  Coming out nice and cold now! 

Now summer's over though....     

Check the temperature of the air coming out of the centre vent with the aircon set to LO, Sir Tig.

Mine reached 2 degrees C........or 34 degrees F. So no need for a re-gas.

Before the re-gas it came out of the centre vents hotter than the outside temp!    So there was no need to get the thermometer out! 

[Mr.OmegaMan]

All done and all good!  Coming out nice and cold now! 

Now summer's over though....     

Check the temperature of the air coming out of the centre vent with the aircon set to LO, Sir Tig.

Mine reached 2 degrees C........or 34 degrees F. So no need for a re-gas.

Was this with all the other vents closed and fan speed at max.. That's an impressive temperature DR either way... 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

All done and all good!  Coming out nice and cold now! 

Now summer's over though....     

Check the temperature of the air coming out of the centre vent with the aircon set to LO, Sir Tig.

Mine reached 2 degrees C........or 34 degrees F. So no need for a re-gas.

Was this with all the other vents closed and fan speed at max.. That's an impressive temperature DR either way... 

All vents open and fan at max. Measured with an old style wooden thermometer so I'm not sure how accurate the reading was. It was hard to hold my hand there after a few minutes becausethe air was  pretty cold.