is it advisable

[sir moanalot]

......to have a regas every year? what is the handymans way of keeping it maintained (if any). is there a flush through you can get done?

[Markjay]

1. Hadn't had a re-gas in 5 years. Last summer I asked My Vx garage to re-gas, they said a re-gas is not normally needed unless there is a leak. They checked the a/c. all was well and they did not re-gas.

2. Flushing requires using vacum and also afaik some sort of drying with hot air to remove humidity and debris. I don't see how this can done effectively DIY, unless someone has an idea..

3. When checking for leaks, a garage can also fill the system up with nitrogen to check for leaks before putting in the gas. Again, not DIY.

4. Gas is filled-in by weight, with the correct amount of oil added. It is not filled by pressure, so all those kits that fill the system based on a pressure gauge are in-accurate.

Based on all this, I don't think a/c can be dealt with properly DIY - again, unless someone tried it and was successful....

[Markjay]

As for regular maintenance, the recommendation is to switch on the a/c from time to time even in winter (some say for 5 minutes every week, some say every month..). This circulates the gas and oil around the system and prevents the rubber seals from drying-up and leaking.