What an air con regas does, and what it does not
Your car’s air conditioning is a sealed system. The refrigerant in it carries heat out of the cabin, and a small amount of it escapes through the seals over the years, even when nothing is wrong. A regas removes what is left, checks the system, and refills it with the correct amount of the correct refrigerant, so it can cool properly again.
It is worth being honest about the limit: if the system is losing gas quickly, a regas alone will not last. That is why we test for leaks as part of the job rather than just topping up and hoping.
Signs your air con is struggling
A system that is low on gas rarely stops all at once. It fades. Typical signs are:
- Air that is only slightly cool, or cool at the start of a journey and warmer later
- The compressor clutch clicking on and off rapidly, or not engaging at all
- A musty smell when you switch it on
- Windows that mist up and are slow to clear in damp weather
- A hissing sound, or oily residue around the pipes under the bonnet
Many people only notice in the first warm week of the year, which is also when workshops fill up.
Air conditioning in Sheffield: not just for summer
It is easy to assume a hilly northern city has no need for air con, but the system does more than cool. It dries the air, which is how most cars clear a steamy windscreen quickly on a cold, damp morning. Sheffield has plenty of those, and a car with a dead system takes noticeably longer to demist.
Summer is a different story. Sitting in traffic on the Parkway towards Meadowhall or crawling up Abbeydale Road in a heatwave with a dark interior is tiring, and a regas keeps the cabin comfortable. If you have a long drive over the Snake Pass or out towards Hathersage planned, it is a good time to sort it.
What happens on a mobile visit
We bring a regas machine to your home or workplace, so there is no need to leave the car with us. All we need is enough space to open the bonnet and run the machine from the van, and the engine will need to run during part of the work.
First we check pressures and look for obvious faults. The old refrigerant is recovered, the system is put under vacuum to remove moisture and test for leaks, and then we refill with the right amount of refrigerant and lubricant for your car. We finish by checking vent temperature. The whole thing generally takes around an hour.
We give you a price in advance. If the test shows a leak or a failed part such as a compressor, we explain it and quote for the repair before anything else is done. Work is covered by our 12-month parts and labour warranty.
Related jobs worth considering
Air con ties in with a few other jobs. A weak battery can make a compressor struggle to engage, so it is sensible to check the electrics alongside. If a warning light has appeared, a diagnostic check can find the fault. Many people combine a regas with a full service, which includes a replaced pollen filter, or with an interim service if the car is due one anyway. For older cars, a vehicle health check gives you an overall picture.
Air con regas around Sheffield
We regas systems at homes and workplaces across the city and out to about 20 miles: Fulwood, Crosspool, Bradway, Beighton, Grenoside, Chapeltown and Rotherham among them.
Send us the make, model and year on the free quote form and we will come back with a clear price and a time that suits.