Air Conditioning

Auto Care Plus is committed to keeping you and your family, even your fur babies, cool during the scorching summer heat. Our A/C Diagnosis tests for leaks, equipment failure, and contamination. In the event that a repair is required, our technicians are highly trained in the operation of air conditioning and are schooled in all regulatory requirements concerning refrigerants and parts replacement.

Understanding your vehicles air conditioning system

If you open your mouth wide and blow air from your lungs, it will be warm. But if you pucker your lips into a tight circle, the air feels cool. This is the simplest example of compression cooling and it is utilized in all refrigeration technology.

Air conditioning units not only pump cool air, they remove super-heated air. Hot air from within the car and around the engine is vented into a compressor that contains refrigerant. Within the compressor, rising temperatures create a rapidly-moving vapor that gets released into a condenser coil after reaching its peak temperature. Here, the “puckered lips” of the small coil, cool the vapor, assisted by the fast-moving air entering at the front of the radiator. At this point, the vapor becomes a liquid; (in the same way that clouds rising into the cold upper atmosphere produce rain). The liquid is then routed through a thermal expansion valve. This valve reduces the pressure, turning a portion back into gas. The remaining liquid returns to the compressor to repeat the cycle, while the gas is directed to the evaporation coil, where it is regulated and filtered before entering the vehicle. The result can be likened to the cool breeze that accompanies a summer storm.

GET AN AIR CONDITIONING INSPECTION QUOTE

Choose which location you prefer:

Innisfil Shop
Shelburne Shop

WHY AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS FAIL

Leaks comprise more than 80% of all air conditioning system failures. The most common leakages occur at the junctions between components; i.e., between the condenser and hose conections; the receiver/dryer connections; evaporator connections, etc. Solutions can be as simple as replacing gaskets, seals and hoses.

System components can also fail. The list below includes common components in an air conditioning system. Most systems only have four or five major components per system. Replacement/repair costs vary according to manufacture specs:

  • The Compressor
  • The Condenser
  • The Evaporator
  • The Orifice Tube
  • The Thermal Expansion Valve
  • The Receiver/Dryer

 

Refrigerant issues include system contamination or refrigerant loss. These issues are by far the most expensive to repair. Refrigerant regulations designed to protect the environment both before the turn of the century and since, have dramatically altered the face of refrigeration. Since decontamination consists of flushing and recharging the entire system and replacing its major components, it can be a costly proposition. Our team will walk you through any specialized issues they detect within your air conditioning system so that together, you can determine the best course of action for you.