Air conditioning is a system used to create and maintain a comfortable driving environment inside a vehicle. It does this by transferring the heat from inside a vehicle to the outside keeping the temperature down inside the car.The system cools, dries and cleans the air.
The most basic systems have manual temperature control but systems are becoming more and more complex with full climate control on a lot of modern cars which rely on a lot of sensors to maintain the selected temperature.
Air conditioning system schematic diagram-basic system
Common Air conditioning problems
Air conditioning system not cold enough
The Air Conditioning system in your vehicle is not usually covered by most manufacturers servicing schedules and the refrigerant gas that is used to operate the system depletes over time. On average most vehicles lose up to 15% per annum this problem can be caused when then system is not used during the winter months allowing the small “O” ring seals to dry out resulting in a gradual deterioration in system performance eventually resulting in the system being too low to operate at all.
Most problems of this type can be put right fairly easily by a leak check of your system followed by a complete refill of your air conditioning refrigerant, this is sometimes referred to as a re-gas. Please contact usfor your air con annual service or re-gas if you live in the Cardiff,Swansea, Bridgend or Newport area.
Air conditioning system smells odd
If you notice any strange smells when you put your air-con on then this could be signs of bacteria build up on your system.
As systems become older or are used infrequently the air conditioning system can start to develop bacteria, micro organisms and even mould or fungi growing especially behind the dash panel on the evaporator, this can lead to some very unpleasant odours. Some even claim this can result in headaches and flu like symptom sometimes referred to as sick car syndrome.
Don’t suffer any longer air con systems can be treated effectively with an anti-bacterial treatment that destroys the bacteria growth and leaves your car smelling fresh again.
The earlier this is treated the better you will feel!
Please call for a quote. from one of our mobile air con repair technicians.
If your air-con system suddenly starts making noises you have not heard before it is very advisable to have a qualified vehicle air conditioning specialist to have a look at it.
Some noises could be early symptoms of a compressor failure (the compressor is the air conditioning pump).The compressor is usually the most expensive part on the system ranging from approximately £230 to £600+ and if the bearings in your compressor break down or if the compressor seizes up it also means that other components can become contaminated with metal particles A flush of the system would then be needed as well as replacement of the compressor, the receiver / drier and the expansion valve - quite a hefty repair bill!
Its not all bad news however - some noises are quite normal
There are 2 different types of air-con system operation some vehicles use a system where the compressor (pump) cycles on and off which means that there is a clicking noise heard every few seconds this is normal, however if this switching cycle changes noticeably or the air con is not very efficient this could be an early symptom of low refrigerant or low gas pressure.
Pool of water underneath the car after using air-conditioning
You will sometimes see a water puddle on the ground, usually under the passenger footwell area, this is a normal feature of the air conditioning system as it is only water dripping from the air conditioning evaporator which has a drain tube fitted to allow the condensation from the evaporator to drain away from the vehicle.
Damp carpet in the footwell or excessive misting of the windscreen
Sometimes the drain tube from the evaporator may become blocked or detached allowing the condensation to build up inside your evaporator if this occurs water will just build up inside your car to a point where there are damp carpets or misting / high humidity type problems.
