Manufacturers recommend that your air con is recharged every 2 years. Your car or van air conditioner is not checked as part of your MOT test and re-gas is not typically included in your Service, it is important to make sure that you include recharging as part of your regular vehicle maintenance routine.

If your AC is blowing out warm air or only works intermittently, an A/C recharge can bring back cold air when you need it most on hot days. Unpleasant smells coming from the air vents also suggest that your air con needs some attention in the form of an air conditioning bacteria clean.

R134A gas is common in vehicles manufactured before 2014. All vehicles with air conditioning manufactured since 1st January 2017 include the new R1234YF air con gas which is more environmentally friendly. Since this date, manufacturers are no longer allowed to use the older R134A air con gas in a bid to reduce global warming as the old gas is believed to be more damaging to the environment. R1234YF gas was phased in by vehicle manufacturers over time so vehicles rolling off the production line between 2014 and 2016 could require either gas. To find out which type of air conditioning gas your car needs there may be a label under the bonnet attached to the front panel with the gas used on your vehicle. 

The price you pay for an air conditioning recharge depends on the type of refrigerant gas your car uses. The vast majority of cars on the road in the UK use one of two types of refrigerant - R134A and R1234YF. If your air conditioning system requires R134A gas the cost to recharge £64.95. For vehicles that require R1234YF gas the cost is £129.95 to recharge. It is not possible to switch between gases,  the port to recharge R134A models is different to the R1234YF making it impossible to refill with the incorrect gas.

NOT AVAILABLE FOR HYBRID OR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

If you notice bad odours coming from your air vents when you turn on your car air con, then your car may require  cleaning in the ventilation system, also known as a debug. Over time the humidity and moisture in your car's air con system can cause a build-up of bacteria, mould, and fungi, particularly if it is left unused for periods of time.

This build-up can be bad for your health, particularly if you suffer from allergies, as the bacterial spores are blown into the cabin of the vehicle and breathed in by occupants. Not only can this cause sickness, but also an unpleasant air con smell may be produced from the air vents when you turn your air conditioning on, making for an unpleasant driving experience.  The process involves  setting off a cleaning spray or 'bomb' in the vehicle cabin which is sucked into the air vents and kills off the unwanted bacteria within, leaving you with a long lasting fresh air con smell, and a clean, bacteria free, system throughout.  If a bad odour occurs when you turn on the air conditioning system but the air still blows cold, this would suggest that there is a build up of bacteria in the air system and a debug is required rather than a re-gas. A re-gas is only necessary when the air conditioning system is no longer able to cool the air in the cabin.