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We are in the era of ‘do it yourself.’ Do it yourself. Making things with our own hands and saving money helps us disconnect from our boring work and feel fulfilled, releasing a bit of serotonin, which is never a bad thing. However, if your plan this weekend is to recharge your car’s air conditioning with a homemade kit, read what I’m going to tell you before you get to work. What seems like a cheap and quick fix can cause more problems than benefits.
Inefficiency in the face of leaks and inadequate diagnosis
Air conditioning malfunction is often due to system leaks. Refilling the refrigerant without addressing the root cause is like putting a band-aid on a wound that requires stitches. The same thing will happen to you if you go to a shoddy repair shop where they don’t measure the system’s pressure. As soon as you put the gas in, it’s going to leak out:
- Temporary solution: the added refrigerant will escape quickly if there is a leak, meaning the problem will reappear in hours, days, or weeks.
- Wastage of resources: each recharge represents an expense, and if done repeatedly without fixing the leak, the accumulated cost can exceed that of a professional repair.
- Potential damage: the worst of all. Untreated leaks can allow moisture and contaminants to enter the system, causing more serious long-term damage.
A professional technician will not only recharge the system, but will perform a complete diagnosis to identify and repair any leaks or defective components, ensuring a long-lasting solution.
Risks of overpressure and system damage
Homemade kits do not provide the precision necessary for an adequate recharge, which can lead to system overpressure. You can refill the gas for 20 euros instead of dropping 100, yes. But the consequences of doing it wrong can be severe:
- Damage to the compressor: the most expensive component of the air conditioning system can fail due to excessive pressure, resulting in a very expensive repair.
- New leaks: overpressure can create new leaks or aggravate existing ones, worsening the original problem.
«Penny wise, pound foolish». By saving a few euros, you can damage the air conditioning compressor, which is one of the most expensive items in a car. Putting in a new one can easily cost you about 1,000 euros. And a junkyard one doesn’t guarantee a very long durability either.
Incompatibilities and savings that aren’t really savings
There is something else you should know. Homemade kits present two fundamental problems related to the refrigerant:
- Possible incompatibilities: not all refrigerants are the same or compatible with each other. Using the wrong type can cause:
- Chemical damage to the system
- Reduction in cooling efficiency
- Possible total failure of the air conditioning system
- Insufficient quantity: this is the part they don’t tell you. Most kits do not contain enough refrigerant for a complete recharge. You will need more than one can to have the same amount of gas as in a shop recharge. If you don’t do this, the air will work poorly. And, between purchase and purchase, you run the risk of inadvertently mixing incompatible products.
Savings that are not worth it
It sounds good and there are many YouTube videos explaining the process, but it’s not worth taking the risk. In a shop, they will purge the system, remove the moisture, check the tightness, and then proceed to refill. You, at home, can put the gas in and little else.
The lack of an adequate diagnosis, the danger of damaging expensive components, and the possibility of worsening the problem make the professional option safer and more economical in the long run.
If this summer your car’s air conditioning fails, go to a professional. But not just any professional. Go to one who is capable of detecting if you have any leaks before doing the recharge. And that’s where the trickiness of many repair shops lies. They make a killing —pun intended— refilling air conditioners in the summer. Leaks? Nah. Next year, drop by here, and we’ll recharge it for you again. Easy money.