We offer an Air Conditioning Recharge service as well as an Air Con Purification service which keeps your vehicle both cool and fresh by neutralising bacteria and unpleasant smells.

Most modern cars come with air conditioning as standard. Climate control is similar to air-con but works in different ways.

Air con

Air conditioning cools air and allows the inside of the car to be colder than the outside. External temperatures can be high while chilled air from a compressor offsets the heat within the car.

To get the maximum blast of air conditioned flow, press the air con button (usually depicted by a snowflake-like symbol) and turn the temperature dial to ‘C’ or the blue zone of its range. If you want it warmer, turn it towards ‘H’ or the red zone: this gradually mixes in warmer air with the air conditioned charge.

As ambient temperatures, the amount of external heat and even the speed of the car all change, you’ll need to alter the temperature dial to maintain an even temperature inside the car. This means drivers have to sometimes adjust it quite frequently.

Air con should only be used when all your windows are up/closed.

Climate control

Think of this as smart air conditioning. Climate control still cools the air in summer, but it does so intelligently. You set a specific temperature on the dial, say, 21 °C and a computer uses sensors to vary the air conditioning output to maintain this.

It does not matter if it is +30 °C or -10 °C outside, the interior of your car will always be kept at the temperature you set. It does this by smartly blending cold and warm air, constantly adjusting the balance to maintain an interior climate.

Climate control also often offers ‘dual zone’ control. The passengers can set a different temperature zone to the driver. Very expensive cars have a multi-zone control, so those in the back can create their own temperature zone too.

Climate control requires sensors, digital displays and complicated algorithms to juggle fan speed, temperature flow and air con usage.

There is an added benefit to climate control though – Because it only uses the air con when needed, it has the potential to save you money.  It may consume less power than standard  air con which simply runs unchecked all the time.

Air Conditioning Re-charge

• Most manufacturers recommend that your air conditioning system is re-gassed every three to four years as the refrigerant used is slowly lost over time.
• Did you know that an efficient air conditioning system can be used to demist your windscreen more quickly even in cold, wet weather by using warm, dry air?
• A fully recharged air con system will also improve fuel economy by putting less strain on the engine.
• If an air con recharge is unsuccessful on your vehicle (because the system has developed a leak or there is fault with the compressor or condenser,) then there will be no charge. Our staff will be happy to advise you as to the best course of action.

When carrying out an air con recharge our staff will perform the following tasks:

• Check operation of air conditioning system – visual, temperature, leak checks
• Recovery of refrigerant, evacuation of air and moisture from system
• Inject fresh system lubricant
• Recharge refrigerant to recommended levels
• Add ultra-violet dye to aid with future leak detection
• Provide A/C report and print out on request.

Air Conditioning Purification

In addition to your air con re-charge Garages offer an Air con Purification service. This will keep your vehicle fresh smelling by circulating a cleaning agent through the air-con system, vents and intakes of your car. This neutralises bacteria and removes unpleasant smells.

Contact your nearest branch today to make an appointment or to find out more about our air conditioning purification service.