Air Conditioning
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Air Conditioning Refill From €75 in Dublin
The majority of manufacturers advise you to have the air conditioning unit in your vehicle serviced every two years. It’s important to pay attention to this as failing to do so could mean:
- Demisting windows in winter takes longer
- Air-con doesn't work properly, so it gets uncomfortable to drive when hot outside
- Parts in your air-con unit seize up and pipes crack
- Increased fuel consumption
- Horrible smells from built-up bacteria in vents
- Smaller issues not picked up before they become larger, more expensive ones
- The air-con unit stops working altogether
It is estimated that over two-thirds of cars come with climate control units or air-con as standard now. They play a key role for drivers and must be serviced regularly to perform at their best. Here at Sweeney’s Garage, we have over 20 years of experience and a team of expert mechanics behind us to make servicing your air-con in Dublin simple.
Car air conditioning units
Air-con systems should be used on hot days to cool the air inside your vehicle but also on cold days to heat or dry the air. Using your air-con all year-round is actually a great tip for its longevity. In addition, regular servicing is essential to keep it running efficiently. Regular air conditioning servicing will also protect the health of anyone who uses the vehicle – even if they are just passengers.
What benefits does air conditioning deliver?
When it is boiling hot outside, travelling in a cool car feels awesome. The same can be said when it’s cold out and you can enjoy travelling in a warm vehicle. Studies have also shown that it can be safer to drive a car with a fully functioning air-con system. This is because driving a vehicle with an air-con unit that is working properly and at the right temperature usually helps you react quicker and concentrate better.
The filters in your car’s air conditioning system also stop pollen or dust from getting in from the outside. This can help those who suffer from hay fever/dust allergies from feeling drowsy or sneezing a lot while driving. Of course, when winter comes, an air-con unit is perfect for quickly demisting windows. This means you not only spend less time waiting for windows to clear, but can also see out of them properly while driving.
Why not let the expert mechanics at Sweeney’s Garage keep your air conditioning unit in top shape so you get the most from it?
How often should you have your car's air-con serviced?
This naturally comes down to individual choice, but we would advise you:
- Have it thoroughly disinfected once each year
- Have the filter changed annually
- Have a full service every two years
- Recharge the whole system every two years or 20,000 km
- Change the cabin filter each time your recharge the system
If you keep on top of recommended maintenance times, it will help keep your air-con running better and for longer. A good additional tip is switching off the system a few minutes before coming to a halt but leaving the ventilator on. This will help to stop fungi or bacteria from clogging your unit up.
Air Con Refill Prices at Sweeney's Garage
The price of a car air conditioning refill depends on which gas your car uses. At Sweeney’s Garage a refill generally costs:
- R134a gas (mostly older cars): €75 to €120
- R1234yf gas (most cars from 2017 onward): €130 to €220
- Leak test: usually an additional €30 to €60
- Decontamination service: an additional €30
Not sure which gas your car takes? The gas type is printed on a label under the bonnet, or call into any of our locations and we will check for you.
How Much Gas Does a Car Air Con System Take?
The average car air conditioning system takes approximately 450 to 550 grams of refrigerant gas. Typical capacities:
- Small car: 350 to 450g
- Medium family car: 450 to 600g
- Large car or SUV: 600 to 900g
- Front and rear air conditioning: sometimes 900 to 1,300g
The exact amount is normally printed on a label under the bonnet, along with the gas type. The system should always be filled by weight to the manufacturer’s specification, not simply “topped up”.
Do You Keep My Old Gas During a Refill?
Yes. During a proper air con service, the machine:
- Recovers the refrigerant already in the car
- Measures and stores it
- Vacuum-tests the system for leaks and moisture
- Recycles and filters the recovered refrigerant
- Refills the system to the manufacturer's exact specified weight, reusing the recovered gas and adding only what is missing
Sweeney’s Garage provides a printout from our machine showing exactly how much new gas was added. For example, if the system specification is 500g and the machine recovers 350g, approximately 150g of additional refrigerant is required.
Worth knowing: refrigerant does not normally get “used up”. If a significant amount is missing, there may be a small leak that a basic vacuum test does not reveal. If your air con becomes weak again soon after a refill, it should receive a proper nitrogen/hydrogen leak test rather than another refill.
Air Conditioning Decontamination and Odour Removal
Can we clean and remove smells and bacteria from your in-car air system? Yes. Our professional treatment helps eliminate unpleasant smells, bacteria, mould and other contaminants from your vehicle’s air conditioning and ventilation system.
The service includes:
- Inspection of the cabin/pollen filter
- Cleaning and disinfecting the evaporator and air vents
- Decontamination of the ventilation system
- Treatment of bacteria, mould and odour sources
- Final system check to ensure fresh, clean airflow
Please note: this treatment removes smells caused by contamination within the air conditioning system. Persistent odours caused by water leaks, damp carpets, blocked drains or other vehicle problems may require additional investigation.
What Is a Full Air Conditioning Service?
A full car air conditioning service at Sweeney’s Garage normally includes:
- Recovering and measuring the old refrigerant gas
- Vacuum-testing the system to remove air and moisture
- Checking for leaks
- Refilling with the manufacturer-specified amount of gas and compressor oil
- Adding UV leak-detection dye where appropriate
- Checking the compressor, cooling fans, pressures and vent temperature
- Inspecting the drive belt, hoses, seals and connections
- Checking the cabin/pollen filter (separate pricing if required)
- Cleaning and disinfecting the evaporator and air vents to remove odours and bacteria
A basic “air con recharge” usually only recovers, tests and refills the refrigerant. It may not include a detailed inspection, cabin filter or antibacterial cleaning.
If no leak is found, we recover your existing refrigerant, clean and recycle it, and add only the amount required to reach the correct factory charge. If a leak is detected, it should be repaired before the system is refilled.
