Summer is nearly here – all over the country temperatures are rising and soon the heat of the summer will be upon us, the only question is…is you A/C ready for the heat?
We know that sometimes you don’t have the money, since major maintenance can cost up to $4,000, or the time to always take your car in to have maintenance done, this is why we wanted to share with you a few tips om how to take care of your air conditioning on your own.
There are several ways that you can check your own air conditioning unit, that can help you stay on top of your maintenance.
Check for Leaks
Many times, the reason why you lose pressure of air coming through your vents is because somewhere you have a leak in your lines somewhere. So, if you add a fluorescent dye to the system and turn on the AC. After a few minutes check for coloring in the coils. If there is a leakage, the dye will make it apparent and then you can get it fixed by a qualified technician or do it yourself.
Clogged Condenser
It is good to check the status of the condenser, if it is clogged then the cooling fan closer to it cannot turn on thereby reducing the cooling effect. If you take a rubbing alcohol wipe to the condenser to restore the cooling capacity.
Compressor Problems
Compressor is the heart of an auto air conditioning system. In most of the cases, problems with compressor result in inefficient auto air conditioner. To identify the problem, start the car and turn on the AC. Locate the compressor and check if it is running (it produces a humming noise). If it is not working, then the possible reasons could be blown fuse, broken wires, switch problems or low level of refrigerants. Check for any of these conditions, fix it and then re-check the compressor again.
Levels of Refrigerants
Freon is used as refrigerant in the auto air conditioning system. It is a combination of gas and liquid that is compressed and circulated for cooling the air. To check the level and pressure of Freon, attach the pressure gauge to the compressor hose, start the AC system and take the readings. If any one of the measures is below normal, then Freon 134A has to be refilled. Due to environmental issues and strict federal laws governing them, only a qualified technician can refill Freon. Thus, it is recommended to get the optimum pressure of Freon restored locally from a qualified technician.
Advanced Auto
In case these methods fail to rectify the problem, it is time to take your car to Advanced Auto Care, we can help get your air flowing again!