[Last Triumph]

(Disclaimer - I understand the rules and legalities around draining, filling, supplying AC refrigerants and intend to act responsibly)

I need to repair and re-fill a couple of AC systems on two of my cars and have acquired the gear to do so - all I need is the gas, which from my initial search looks ot be the only thing more expensive than printer ink.

Between the two cars which are both currently completely empty, they will take a total of about 2kg of R134a, so the little 150g top ups won't cut it. I also appreciate the 10-12kg cylinders require a F certificate to purchase, which is understandable.

Anyone know of the best place to get some R134a other than this type of thing which is £59 for just over 500g... EZ Chill Auto Air Conditioning Recharge - Gas R134A | Halfords UK

It states it's good for about 2-3 cars, but that is not a full refill, that is an assumed minor top up, so I'd need 4 of those at £240 which just seems like madness.

Or is that it?

Any suggestions.

Taking either car to an A/C place for filling is not an available option.

 

[bugtastic]

Had a quick Google and this company lists 3kg as an option can't find a price though

Briton R134a Refrigerant Gas - Briton Refrigerant Gases Supplier & Manufacturer

1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane is a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and haloalkane refrigerant with thermodynamic properties similar to R-12 (dichlorodifluoromethane) but with insignificant ozone depletion potential and a somewhat lower global warming potential (1,430, compared to R-12's GWP of 10,900). It...

www.rhodia-refrigerants.co.uk

 

[Last Triumph]

Had a quick Google and this company lists 3kg as an option can't find a price though

Briton R134a Refrigerant Gas - Briton Refrigerant Gases Supplier & Manufacturer

1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane is a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and haloalkane refrigerant with thermodynamic properties similar to R-12 (dichlorodifluoromethane) but with insignificant ozone depletion potential and a somewhat lower global warming potential (1,430, compared to R-12's GWP of 10,900). It...

www.rhodia-refrigerants.co.uk

Thanks, I've e-mailed for prices.

 

[SlowestCoach]

Don’t forget the oil. The Halfords bottle has it pre mixed at some generic proportion but anything commercial will not.

I looked at options a number of years ago and then realised kwik fit did the proper process (full system vacuum to remove all old gas plus all moisture, hold vac for period, fill will correct amount of oil and correct amount of gas) using a fully automated machine so operator error was minimised, and the cost was about the same as I would have paid for the gas alone.

 

[Alex B]

Don’t forget the oil. The Halfords bottle has it pre mixed at some generic proportion but anything commercial will not.

I looked at options a number of years ago and then realised kwik fit did the proper process (full system vacuum to remove all old gas plus all moisture, hold vac for period, fill will correct amount of oil and correct amount of gas) using a fully automated machine so operator error was minimised, and the cost was about the same as I would have paid for the gas alone.

My local mot garage was offering full regas for £35 last summer - they have two new machines and were getting full use out of them.

 

[Last Triumph]

My local mot garage was offering full regas for £35 last summer - they have two new machines and were getting full use out of them.

I bet they did!

I'm working on two different A/C systems currently, both of which need compressor wok so I'm having to evacuate/recover the existing refrigerant in one of them and rebuild / replace the compressors on them both so 'm doing it all myself and learning in the process.

 

[SlowestCoach]

Kwik fit charge £50 currently.

You could take it to them to get the old gas recovered, then do all the repairs and go back for another full vac / oil / regas. You might get the gas recovery done for nothing or a reduced price.

 

[Last Triumph]

Kwik fit charge £50 currently.

You could take it to them to get the old gas recovered, then do all the repairs and go back for another full vac / oil / regas. You might get the gas recovery done for nothing or a reduced price.

Thanks, but I plan to do this myself (in an environmentally responsible manner), mainly because one of the cars isn't on the road hence I'm assembling the kit required to self-serve, which makes it easier to do the other daily driver whilst I'm there.

It's not so much to save money or avoid paying 'the man', more out of the challenge of doing it myself.

This weekend's project is to engineer my own evacuation and recovery system.

 

[bugtastic]

How did you get on with this

 

[Last Triumph]

How did you get on with this

Evacuation and recovery project went well - have a full set up to fill and safely extract and store the R134a now.

Only challenge is that I cannot fid the leak on one of the cars I intend to deploy. The other car has parts on order which are taking an age to arrive so A/C work on hold for now until I can do both cars at once.

The car with the tiny, teeny, tiny leak was pressurised to 125psi and then drenched in half a can of leak detector spray at every junction I could access and across the confessor etc, but nothing doing. Not even the slightest bubble, so jury still out.

Other car was easy as it was leaking past the compressor main seals, so that's stripped down on the bench awaiting the parts.