{"id":2387,"date":"2022-07-01T15:18:41","date_gmt":"2022-07-01T14:18:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/master-7rqtwti-lt3ecd6jyrpok.us-4.platformsh.site\/?p=2387"},"modified":"2025-05-09T02:41:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T06:41:57","slug":"getting-your-a-c-charge-just-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acprocold.com\/au\/help-and-advice\/getting-your-a-c-charge-just-right\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Your A\/C Charge \u201cJust Right\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Is your vehicle\u2019s A\/C blowing warm air? If so, it is likely low on refrigerant. You can easily fix it yourself by simply adding refrigerant, but how much should you add? It\u2019s not a hard question to answer, but it is an important one to get right. That\u2019s because having too much refrigerant in your A\/C system is just as bad as not having enough. This isn\u2019t a case of \u201ctoo hot\u201d versus \u201ctoo cold.\u201d If you have too much refrigerant in your A\/C system, it will blow hot air (the same as having too little refrigerant). To get the coldest air possible, the amount of refrigerant in the system has to be \u201cjust right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Refrigerant Under Pressure<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you want to know why having too much refrigerant results in hot air, you have to understand a little bit about how an air conditioner works.<\/p>\n

The A\/C Cycle<\/h2>\n
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  1. The R-134a refrigerant used in car air conditioners would normally be a gas (it boils at a frigid 15 degrees below zero). If you compress it and pressurize it enough, though, it turns into a liquid. The compressor in your vehicle\u2019s A\/C does exactly that, so you have liquid R-134a pumping through part of the A\/C system.<\/li>\n
  2. When that liquid reaches the in-dash cooling unit (called an evaporator coil), it passes through a valve that lowers the pressure.<\/li>\n
  3. The lower pressure allows the liquid to boil and evaporate back into a gas. It absorbs heat from the air to boil.<\/li>\n
  4. With the heat removed, the air becomes cold.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If you don\u2019t have enough refrigerant, it won\u2019t be able to cool the air. But if you have too much, the pressure will be too high for the refrigerant to boil or for the compressor to work. Which means the system won\u2019t cool at all, and you\u2019ll still be left with hot air.<\/p>\n

    Getting Your AC Charge \u201cJust Right\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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    Sometimes people wind up with too much refrigerant because they try to add a certain number of ounces or cans to the system without checking the pressure. Your goal isn\u2019t to add the right number of ounces, it\u2019s to have the correct pressure. Putting the correct amount of R-134a in your car\u2019s A\/C system is simple when you use A\/C Pro.<\/p>\n

    How to Use AC Pro<\/strong><\/h2>\n