The entire process takes around 1 hour.

Vehicle Manufacturers recommend having your Air Conditioning system serviced (an Air-Con Regas) every 2 or 3 years because the system can lose between roughly 5% and 15% of its refrigerant gas every year through the hoses and connections in the system. 

A lower gas pressure reduces the ability to pump the lubricating oil around the system, leading to potential damage of expensive components such as the compressor, condenser and evaporator and the dying out of the system's hoses. 

As such, as well as keeping you cool in summer and demisted in winter, an air-con regas is part of a preventative maintenance routine for all vehicles. 

Yes, and most likely sooner than if you used your Air-Con daily. 

Air conditioning refrigerant gas does not get "used up" when the air conditioning system is turned on. The system loses gas naturally through the porous rubber hoses and the system connections / joints. 

In fact, by not using the system, the lubricating oil is not being pumped around the system, which will cause the hoses and connections to dry out, which will increase the rate of gas lose, especially if they dry out enough to crack and break. 

In very few instances, this can happen, yes.

As a standard part of an Air-Con Regas, the system is tested to ensure it can hold a vacuum, which is a negative air pressure of approximately -14.5psi.

However, if the air conditioning system has not been maintained with regular servicing, then some of the hoses and connections may have dried out and become brittle. As such, after a Regas when the system is operating at around 80 psi positive pressure, a leak might develop due to the increased gas pressure.

If this happens, we can perform a high-pressure test by completely emptying the air conditioning system and pressurising with using Oxygen Free Nitrogen (OFN). High-pressure testing is a chargeable service.

Once the leak has been identified and fixed by us (or a 3rd party we approve), we will perform the 2nd Air-Con Regas free of charge to ensure your Air Conditioning is working correctly.

In 99% of cases, most customers first become aware that there is an issue with their air-con when it isn’t blowing as cold as it used to, which is the sign that your car needs an air-con regas. 

However, if the air-con has stopped working altogether and the air isn’t at all cooler, this indicates that more than just a regas is needed as the vehicle likely has a leak in the air conditioning system. This leak will need fixing before the system can be regassed. 

The stale and fusty odour you get when turning on your air conditioning comes from bacteria and fungus multiplying in the vents and ducting. Lack of regular use allows condensation to form in the ducting, which stagnates and encourages bacteria and mould.

It can sometimes be the case that the cabin filter (sometimes called a pollen filter) contributes to the foul odours if the moisture build-up within the system reached a point where the filter also became damp. 

To resolve the problem, we run a disinfecting vapour through the system for around 20 minutes. Unlike many others, the product we use is designed and manufactured in Germany and independently certified to have cleansing properties.

At the same time, we recommend replacing the cabin filter since these have carbon layers within them that capture and neutralise odours, in the same way charcoal filters water.

Once the system is clean and smell-free, remember that air conditioning does not only cool but also dries the air coming into the car. Therefore, using your air conditioning daily means the dry air blowing through the ducts will stop the condensation from forming again.