Air Conditioning Mobile Service Engineer specialising in maintenance , repair and servicing of vehicle air conditioning covering Shrewsbury, Telford, Oswestry, Shropshire and Welshpool Mid Wales areas .
FGAS 2079 class 1 trained mobile service engineer travels to you to diagnose, fault find and fix your car truck or tractor air conditioning system. Car Van Minibus Truck Tractor and Mobile Plant Cab Air Conditioning and Refrigeration.
Telephone 07703 558610 www.autoelectrics.net Car Van & Light Commercial Ambulance * Minibuses * Motorhome
Commercial & Fleet HGV Trucks * Coaches *
Tractors & Agricultural
machinery Air Conditioning Regas
Mobile Plant * Excavators * Construction equipment * Quarry plant *
* Marine
Vehicle air conditioning systems move heat. Heat transfer takes place via refrigerant. Heat is moved from the vehicle interior air to the exterior.
Warm air inside the vehicle cabin or load area loses heat to a heat exchanger (evaporator) which transfers heat to the cool flow of refrigerant. Refrigerant flows around the air conditioning system due to pressure created by operation of the air conditioning compressor, Heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the evaporator is moved to another heat exchanger (the condenser) before losing the heat to the outside air.
The Cooling effect of a working air conditioning system protects the driver, passengers, and cargo from excessive temperatures. Maintainins a fresh controlled cabin temperature and reduces transport stress. Humidity is controlled. Air is purified by the evaporator removing small dust particles
Passenger compartment heat is transported to the exterior allowing travel in fresh, air conditioned comfort.
The air conditioning system will only allow cooling if it is fully functional. A mixture of cool and hot air can be used to control temperature.
Air conditioning enhances driver and passenger safety in hot environments by maintaining a fresh and comfortable vehicle cabin temperature.
Air conditioning temperature control reduces
.
risk of heat exhaustion.
Cabin climate control allows windows of vehicles and mobile plant to remain closed reducing noise and dust to improve the driver working environment.
Provision of improved driver comfort reduces fatigue encouraging the driver to remain alert for longer time.
Air entering the vehicle interior passes through a pollen filter to reduce dusts and pollution for improved breathing air quality.
Pollen filters are a service item which require periodic replacement.
The temperature of air reduces as it contacts the air conditioning system evaporator, this also results in a wet evaporator surface which traps particles of dust and pollen.
Air conditioning dehumidifies air removing moisture.
Dry air helps maintain safety in winter and damp weather conditions by keeping windscreen & cab glass demisted to improve drivers vision.
Air conditioning allows vehicle windows to remain closed in hot weather enhancing security.
Keep vehicle windows closed. A functional check of air conditioning controls includes :
Set air conditioner temperature control to coldest
Switch air vent system controls to recirculation mode
Set blower fans to high speed
If your vehicle aircon system is functioning correctly - Enjoy chilled air breeze for a cooler fresh driving climate and more comfortable journey.
Drivers may be reluctant to use the air conditioning all year round due to fears of increased fuel costs.
Using the air conditioner all year round helps to keep the air conditioning system operational and Windscreens clear of mist.
All air conditioning systems require regular servicing.
Vent temperature : Warm air blowing from automotive cabin vents when the air conditioning temperature control is set to cool
indicates that the aircon system needs maintenance repair or service.
When air conditioning is working properly air blown from vents will feel icy cold.
Vehicle cabin aircon vent temperature is best checked using a thermometer.
Automotive air conditioning refrigerant circuits are pressurised systems.
Refrigerant loss may if vehicle air conditioning system becomes faulty due to leaking or corroded pipework, seals, or components.
Air conditioning condenser
heat exchanger can be a common point of failure due to its location at the front of the vehicle and possibility of impact damage.
AC receiver dryer units mounted in areas subject to road spray can be particularly vulnerable to corrosion and leakage. Vehicle vibration or chaffing can cause pipework to fail.
Refrigerant leakage from vehicle air conditioning evaporator is less common but can be difficult to detect and complex to repair because of location behind vehicle dashboard.
Air conditioning refrigerant loss symptoms from a vehicle climate control system may include:
Hissing noise of gas escaping can indicate a refrigerant leak, though most leaks are less obvious. Refrigerant should be recovered from the system as soon as possible for environmental reasons.
Warm air blowing from cabin vents.
Many (but not all) vehicle air conditioner systems use a compressor,
pulley driven by an electromagnetic clutch which you might hear cycling during air conditioner operation with a 'click' on and off as the aircon compressor operates.
Autoelectrical faults or excessively low or high refrigerant pressure sensed by the pressure switch may prevent engagement of the vehicle aircon compressor electric clutch.
Loss of refrigerant can also result in loss of the refrigeration oil which lubricates the air conditioner compressor leading to subsequent failure.
Marginal refrigerant gas loss can occur over time by permeation through hoses. Vehicle manufacturers generally recommend that an automotive air conditioning system has a refrigerant recharge every two years.
Air conditioning system blockage may occur where components have failed or pipework is damaged or kinked.
Ice formation can cause air conditioning system blockage.
Thermal expansion valve (TXV) failure or blocked orifice tube may cause abnormal air conditioning system pressures.
Vehicle climate control systems can have complex wiring and electronic control which may require computer aided diagnosis to read or clear fault codes which may prevent air conditioning system operation.
A typical electronic climate control system may monitor external ambient and internal cabin vent temperatures,
refrigerant pressure and flow, also monitoring and controlling compressor engagement, rotational speed and operation of blower fans.
Refrigerant loss may cause a climate control module to log fault codes and prevent aircon compressor clutch operation.
Persons recovering refrigerant have a legal requirement to be F-gas trained and qualified as a refrigerant handler
to meet the requirements of 2015 EC regulations
Companies recovering Refrigerants should also be FGAS company registered see
Guidance notes
EU reg 2006/40
applies to motor vehicle air conditioning systems.
(Article 6.2) All vehicles after 1 January 2017 can only have air conditioning systems filled using refrigerant with GWP below 150
unless the air conditioning system was fitted before 2017. Usual low gwp refrigerants in light vehicles are R1234YF or CO2.
(Article 6.3) If an abnormal amount of refrigerant has leaked from the system service providers
are not allowed to refill refrigerant until after the air conditioning system has been repaired.
(Article 6.1) Air conditioning systems containing refrigerant above 150 gwp can not be retrofitted to some types of vehicle after 1 January 2017.
See(MAC directive) of EC F-Gas (Fluorinated Gas) Regulations also see http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/air-atmos/fgas/sectors/mobileaircon.htm
for more details.
Updated F Gas regulations apply from 1st January 2015
(EU reg 517/2014).
EC 1494/2007 requires secure and clear labelling of products containing Fluorinated Gases 'contains fluorinated gases
covered by the Kyoto protocol' with total quantity charged.
EC 842/2006 and
EC 303/2008
specifies personnel certification and leak check requirements for stationery air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
EC 307/2008 specifies minimum training requirements for recovering refrigerant from motor vehicle air conditioning systems.
The Motor Vehicles (Refilling of Air Conditioning Systems by Service Providers) Regulations 2009 No.2194 also applies
Static and some mobile refrigeration equipment as used in hgv freezer trucks and refrigerated trailers, may be subject to a scheduled inspection requirement under new Fgas regulations EU 2015/2067 where systems contain refrigerant more than or equivalent to 5 tonnes CO2 (R134a quantity above 3.5kg).
Vehicle manufacturers have used a variety of refrigerants in vehicle mobile
air conditioning (MAC) applications.
Refrigerant at low temperature and pressure is cold so absorbs heat from the evaporator.
Refrigerant in the condenser is at high temperature and pressure so heat is rejected to the condenser.
Different refrigerant types and systems requiring a variety of dedicated service equipment.
Refrigerants are compared by Global Warming Potential (GWP).
R134a refrigerant (GWP1430) is a commonly used refrigerant utilised in pre-2017 vehicle
air conditioning systems and fleet transport refrigeration units.
Prior to vehicle aircon system repair involving disassembly of the refrigeration circuit any existing R134a refrigerant
must be recovered by FGas certified persons only.
Moisture causes problems with air conditioning system components because;
A dessicant pack within the vehicle receiver dryer aids moisture removal. Periodic renewal of the receiver dryer may be required.
After refrigerant recovery, a vacuum pump is used to evacuate the air conditioning system as part of servicing procedure boils off much accumulated moisture.
Refrigerant recharge involves recovery of any remaining refrigerant from the air conditioning system by trained and qualified personnel to minimise environmental damage before any air conditioning system service maintenance work is undertaken.
Refrigerant leak detection methods include:
After refrigerant recovery, the air conditioning system is placed under vacuum to remove air and moisture. During a vacuum hold test the system is locked off whilst under vacuum and monitored for a time period to see if vacuum is lost indicating an air leak nto the system, or potential refrigerant leak. Most automatic refrigerant recovery machines used in garages use this method of leak test before refrigerant recharge is allowed. Refrigerant leaks may not show when the air conditioner system is under vacuum but only show by pressure test.
After refrigerant recovery, the air conditioning system may be pressurised with Nitrogen gas.
The air conditioner system is locked off whilst under pressure then monitored for gas pressure loss over a time period.
Loss of pressure indicates a leak.
An electronic device sensitive to air conditioning refrigerant is used to sense leakage by passing over aircon system components such as compressor, heat exchangers , pipework , and air vents.
Addition of a quantity of UV dye into the vehicle air conditioning system can aid leak detection.
Should a refrigerant leak occur, the UV dye will glow when under UV light.
Restricted component access can make leak detection on vehicle air conditioning systems difficult and complex to repair.
The only effective cure for a refrigerant leak is a repair or component renewal.
Type SAE J2064 Air Conditioning Flexible refrigerant hoses for R134a may be manufacturer specific , or in some cases may be made up or repaired using fittings.
Aluminium refrigerant pipelines may be repaired using specialist splices and couplers.
Copper refrigerant pipelines may be made up using specialist equipment or joined using couplers or brazing process.
Following any hose or pipeline repairs a pressure test is recommended.
Insulated vehicle bodies are used to retain controlled temperature during transport of fresh and chilled products.
Some of our customers operate temperature controlled chiller vans for distribution and delivery of fresh goods.
Some air conditioning systems can reverse the flow of refrigerant to provide heating as well as cooling.
Shrewsbury - Bayston Hill - Baschurch - Middletown - Oswestry - Wem - Whitchurch - Telford and Wrekin - Shifnal - Market Drayton - Newport - - Much Wenlock - Craven Arms - Ludlow - Ellesmere
We welcome enquiries.
Useful links :
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