DIY aircon recharge kits

[aerodynamica]

Hi all, has anyone used one of the recharge kits with success?

My C5 needs a recharge and wondered if the DIY kit was worth looking at instead of taking it to a specialist.

If so is there a recommended kit you'd go to?

[Gibbo2286]

They will work ok if you've just got the pressure dropped over a long period and no substantial leaks, I've had good results using the STP Auto Freeze kits, they carry a £10 surcharge on the bottle until you return it usually. Obtained from E-bay and most auto factors.

https://stp-aircon.eu/product/stp-auto- ... -recharge/

[wheeler]

You cant do it properly with DIY kits for 2 main reasons. You have no idea how much refrigerant is in there to begin with so how can you be sure your not over filling it or running it low? On a proper regas the system is completely evacuated & weighed first, even a system with 0 pressure in it that has been opened to atmosphere you can still get a couple of hundred grams out of it.
Second reason is the system needs to be vacuumed for a minimum of 20 minutes to boil off any moisture in there, if you just ‘top it up’ then you risk running excessive moisture in the system which can damage components.
Your also meant to be certified to do this no too.

[aerodynamica]

You cant do it properly with DIY kits for 2 main reasons. You have no idea how much refrigerant is in there to begin with so how can you be sure your not over filling it or running it low? On a proper regas the system is completely evacuated & weighed first, even a system with 0 pressure in it that has been opened to atmosphere you can still get a couple of hundred grams out of it.
Second reason is the system needs to be vacuumed for a minimum of 20 minutes to boil off any moisture in there, if you just ‘top it up’ then you risk running excessive moisture in the system which can damage components.
Your also meant to be certified to do this no too.

Good to know.
I'm new to aircon regas. The video I watched on YT has a guy using a refill kit that used a gauge that you moved the scale based on the ambient temperature- looked proper. I suppose it doesn't address the need to vacuum the system though. So I guess the only proper choice is to take it to an AC place.

[Hell Razor5543]

DickieG has a proper A/C re-gas kit, and the knowledge to do it correctly. He also knows where to look for the right information (as to how much refrigerant YOUR car would need). When he did my Xantia it turned out there were three possible options. He got the right one.

It takes about an hour for an A/C system to be done properly. The old refrigerant is recovered, and so is the oil. Then the system is vacuumed for 20 minutes; that can pick up most leaks (but not all; if there is a pressure leak at a joint the vacuum will actually seal it for the duration of the test). Fresh oil is then added, usually so is a U/V dye (to track any leaks that may occur; DickieG also has a U/V lamp and goggles), and then the refrigerant to the right pressure. The equipment is then turned off and the valves are closed, the car engine is kept running (with the A/C set to maximum) to pull any remaining gas in the connecting pipes into the system (ten minutes or so), and finally the pipes are disconnected from the car.