Car Air Conditioning

A vehicle without AC can be a sweaty and uncomfortable ride. A properly working AC keeps you and everyone else in the vehicle comfortable and cool all the way to your destination. Therefore one should always keep a check on Car Air Conditioning Service and other service checkups.

How car A/C works

A car’s A/C depends on the thermodynamic properties appended these operating within a closed loop below the correct pressure.

1. The thermodynamic properties of refrigerant gases under pressurization is complicated process, but in a nutshell, when refrigerant in its cool liquid form is exposed to warm air, it evaporates into a gas and absorbs or removes heat from the surrounding environment. This occurs in an A/C component in the car known as the evaporator. It’s important to note here that an A/C system doesn’t technically produce cool air, it removes heat from the air via the evaporator, then relies on the car’s blower and air ducts to blow cool air out into the cabin.

2. Now that the refrigerant has removed heat from the cabin, the hot refrigerant in gas form then travels to a separate part of the system, where the gas is compressed by the compressor.

3. Already heated by absorbing heat through the evaporator, the compression process creates even more heat. To remove this heat and once again cycle cool liquid through the system, the hot refrigerant gas is forced through a series of coils in the condenser, which is similar to a radiator in that it dissipates heat. The pattern of the coils creates a wide surface area in a compact space. Blowing air across this surface (created by the vehicle’s movement or a fan), dissipates the heat, turning the refrigerant gas back into a cool liquid.

4. Before the refrigerant can cycle back through the system, any water that may have been created in the process needs to be removed. This is achieved by a component known as a receiver or dryer. Once the water is removed, the refrigerant can start the cycle all over again.

Recharging Car A/C refrigerant

If you've noticed a lack of cooling output by your Car Air Conditioning Service, but components like the blower motor appear to operate correctly, a likely cause is a refrigerant leak in the system. R22 or R134a refrigerant itself never degrades or disintegrates if it's in a sealed, pressurized system, so if an A/C system is low on refrigerant, there is almost certainly a leak in hose, connection fitting or A/C system component. Because refrigerant is highly damaging to the ozone layer, it's a car owner's environmental responsibility to diagnose and repair a refrigerant leak as soon as possible.

Once the leak has been located and repaired, the system can then be recharged to ensure it contains the correct amount of refrigerant. 

If you've ever visited an auto parts retailer or the auto parts section of a big-box store during the heat of the summer, you've probably noticed DIY refrigerant recharging kits for sale. These kits offer the at-home cost-savings over having a qualified mechanic recharge the system, but come with certain drawbacks.

Ref:www.angieslist.com/research/car-ac/