Summer is finally here! For most of us, that means an exciting time of rest, relaxation, and taking our beloved vehicle out for a drive. However, some of us are not that lucky. If you start to notice the cool air coming out of your car is just not as ice cold or has a strange odor now is the perfect time for an AC recharge. The experts at Cash Car Buyers, we scoured the internet to find the why and how much it will cost you to get your AC recharged and ready for summer fun! Read on below to learn how much your ac recharge will cost and more!
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Why Does My Vehicle Need An AC Recharge?
Great question! We are glad you asked! Before we explain the “why” of this common predicament, let’s backup and explain the “what”. What is an ac recharge and why do I need one? Read on to discover the main two reasons why your vehicle may need an AC recharge.
Reason #1: Your AC System Has A Leak
In the simplest of terms, an ac recharge typically means that your air conditioning system is either blowing air that is not as cold or the strength of blowing air is weak. In addition, and a more sinister problem could be if your AC system is missing refrigerant that could potentially mean your AC system has a leak. Many car owners have unfortunately experienced at one point in their lives the incessant heat and sweat that are direct results of driving in a car that needs an ac recharge pronto.
Reason #2: The Vehicle’s AC System Is Running Out Of Refrigerant
It may seem like a no brainer, but it is important for car owner’s to receive an AC recharge for a number of reasons. The first, is to ensure your comfort as the driver to keep you cool and alert at the wheel. The second, is to make sure your vehicle does not overheat. If the vehicle starts to overheat that could cause damage to your personal belongings as well as the inner-workings of your car. Third, as we mentioned above if your AC system has a leak it is important to fix that issue right away so you or your passengers are not being exposed to any harmful chemicals wafting in the vehicle.
How Much Does An AC Recharge Cost?
We have explained why your AC system may be on the fritz as well as what the repair will look like. But, you may ask, how much will it cost? The simple answer is: it depends. The repair depends on a variety of factors. Some of these factors include, how old your vehicle is, how bad the damage is to your AC system, and what type of refrigerant needed to be added to your AC system. One of the simplest ways to start to break down the price is to view the various types of refrigerant. Included below are the top three types of refrigerant.
Top Three Refrigerants For Your AC Recharge
As we discussed above one of the best ways to calculate how much your AC recharge will cost is to evaluate the price of the refrigerant. Remember, the refrigerant is the liquid that is poured into your AC system to keep your AC and your entire vehicle cool and comfortable. Refrigerant is the life blood of the entire AC recharge operation so it is imperative to find the refrigerant that fits your vehicle and budget bearing in mind depending on the type of vehicle you own you may need to spring for a certain type of refrigerant. For this piece of the article, we teamed up with Car Bibles a fantastic website featuring all things cars to help us determine the top three refrigerants. Based on these rating factors with the help of the Car Bibles, we determined the best choice, premium pick, and best value. Let’s see if you agree with our choices!
DuPont 3 Cans R-134a Suva Car A/C Refrigerant
This particular refrigerant comes in three cans with 12 ounces of liquid jam packed inside. One of the perks of buying these cans in bulk is it allows you to always have an extra can just in case an emergency may strike on a hot summer day. The two factors that make this brand a winner in our eyes is the low price point and all you need to have on hand to hook up the can to your AC system is a simple hose. The Dupont 3 Can is an excellent price as well, coming at just about over $20 for three 12 ounces cans. The last item of business is to be aware, this refrigerant can only be used in vehicles from the year 1994-2010 so if you have a 2011 vehicle and beyond steer clear of the Dupont 3 Cans R-134a Suva.
Johnsen’s (6312 -12PK) R-134a A/C Refrigerant
Johnsen’s is our number two pick for a variety of factors. The first is, the sheer volume of liquid you can receive when making this purchase. If saving your pennies for a rainy day is your style then Johnsen's 12PK is for you. As stated, this bundle will give you 12 individual cans so you will be set for years to come. One unique factor about this particular brand is it is made in American so you can feel confident knowing your hard earned dollars are supporting a local business. Lastly, Johnsen’s prides itself on creating a product with zero additives. Meaning, this product is completely free of foreign chemicals, oils, or dyes giving you peace of mind. If you were to order this product off of Amazon, the total would be about $63.00 coming in at just about $5 per can of refrigerant. Not too shabby if you ask us!
DuPont Suva R-134a Refrigerant
The last refrigerant on our list is the DuPont Suva R-134a refrigerant known for its superb value. To coincide with the value concept this refrigerant can also work double duty. The Suva R-134a can work on cooling down your vehicle as well as your home. It is labelled as a “multi-purpose” refrigerant and can be used in vehicles and home appliances. Similar to Johnsen’s, DuPont Suva also prides itself in creating a product that is less harmful to the environment. The key feature in the DuPont Suva is the product has no added oil, dye, and is a non depleting ozone product. Granted, this product only allows you one single can, but sometimes that is just all you need to get the job done and be on your way!
How Do I Recharge My AC System With Refrigerants?
Now here is the fun part of the article! As shown above, we ranked the top three refrigerants so you could get an idea of which cooling system would work best for your vehicle, budget, and hoarding tendencies if you decide to go with the 12 can pack. Just kidding! But seriously, you may ask how does the process work? At Car Cash Buyers, we have the answer! We found two education YouTube videos that lay out the entire process from start to finish so you can view how the refrigerant can help your AC system recharge. So grab a snack and let’s get watching!
Recharge Your Car’s Air Conditioning (A/C) in 5 Minutes By: LRNDIY
As stated by the Youtube video’s title this is a quick and dirty look at recharging your vehicle’s AC system in a flash. The producer does a wonderful job of being honest and upfront letting viewers know the cost of completing this project will be about $20 to $30 all said and done. With a handheld camera, the producer allows the viewers to go inside the AC system seeing the entire process from start to finish. Though terminology is used throughout with some explanation, this is a video that will help car enthusiasts of all levels to learn the process and potential finish the job right in their respective driveway. The total run time of this video is 7 minutes and 58 second so it is perfect to watch once to get the whole jist of the situation.
How to Recharge Your Car’s AC System (Fast and Easy)
Produced by ChrisFix this is a video that utilizes an at-home AC recharge called A/C Pro which is featured prominently throughout the video. Much like the other video in this article, this video goes in-depth and allows the viewer to see step by step how the AC system can be recharged right in your own driveway. ChrisFix’s video also runs 7 minutes and 58 seconds to be sure to watch it twice to glean all the helpful and informative information listed.
The AC Recharge Cost Wrap Up
Welcome to the end of the article! At Cash Car Buyers we love creating content that educates and informs our readers about all things vehicle related. In this edition, we talked about why your vehicle may need an AC recharge and most importantly how much this process will cost. We broke down the three top refrigerants and allowed you an inside scoop into some do-it-yourself options if that is the direction you would like to take this project. As always, if you have further questions regarding this article or any others feel free to check out our blog page full of helpful tips, tricks, and advice for you to learn and improve your vehicle experience!