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Licencing & Franchise – Bee Cool ACS Ltd (bee-cool-aircon.co.uk)

No. If are unsure if your car A/C is working or not, then come and visit us at our new service centre and workshop in Kettering and we will test your A/C system.

If you require a full A/C system diagnostic and report, then we will carry this out for you and provide you with a written report and quotation for any required work for £75.00. There is no obligation to have any additional work completed.

A full system service for most modern cars (built after 1995) will cost £55.00 at our workshop in Kettering.

The more modern HFO-1234 Systems are £125 and, Hybrid/Electric Vehicles are £145, and older cars (using R12 built before 1995) will cost £165.00

If required, an OFN pressure test costs £35.00 and UV dye for diagnosis is £7.50 if required and our antibacterial and deodorisation service costs £35.00, as a supplement to other services.

A Diagnostic Test & Report, including OFN Testing and/or Locktrace Testing is £75.00 Fixed Fee.

Hourly Labour is £83.33 per hour for any additional work; we believe this to be very competitive in comparison to other specialist technicians in the Automotive Industry.

Please note that all of our prices quoted exclude VAT at the current rate.

The vast majority of manufacturers recommend annual servicing of the A/C System. However, this is NOT normally carried out with the scheduled engine servicing, even by major car dealers.

This annual check should include a refrigerant and oil change, check of refrigerant quantity, pressure and temperatures, checking refrigerant hoses, drive belts, wiring harnesses and changing pollen filters (where required). Please note that this is at additional cost to the vehicle’s routine engine servicing.

We at Bee Cool recommend replacement of the A/C system filter drier at least every three years, unless the system has been open to air (in a bodyshop, or pipework failure).

If an air conditioning system is not serviced, a build-up of moisture will occur. The built-in filter (receiver-drier or accumulator) is designed to store any moisture and contamination present in the system.

If the filter-drier is not changed then its element will eventually break down and cause internal damage to the air conditioning system.

In addition, the PAG oil that is used to effectively lubricate the compressor is ‘Hydroscopic’ and attracts water; once this oil has water contact, it will lose its viscosity and become useless. This will lead to compressor failure.

Your car A/C system is the only part of your car that you are not allowed by law to service yourself. There are usually warnings in regard to this in the Owners Manual and under the bonnet.

Your A/C system is a high pressure system and there are many dangers in its servicing . To service the A/C system correctly, the system MUST be vacuumed to remove the moisture and the exact amount of refrigerant must be added according to the manufacturers data.

As a result, a ‘DIY top-up’ canister is really not a good idea!

You will usually need two of them to achieve any results but we at Bee Cool will carry out a full A/C system service that is a safer and more economical solution.

We are able to retrofit older vehicles carrying the now banned R12 refrigerant. This was fitted to vehicles prior to 1994.

We can use an industry accepted replacement gas called RS24; this is a non-flammable refrigerant blend, originally developed by Rolls-Royce.

This gas, although expensive, will avoid the need to replace all the major mechanical components of the system and will prove to be almost identical to the now banned R12. Please note that this is the ONLY option for a R12 car.

The newer refrigerants such as R134a, are a smaller molecular structure and will leak through the components on a R12 system. The oils used in R12 A/C systems are mineral based, and if they come into contact with a PAG oil  they will emusify and block the system.

A filter-drier removes any impurities and therefore protects the compressor. It contains desiccant to absorb the small amounts of moisture that are present within the system.

After a period of time and usage, the filter cannot perform the above functions as efficiently. This item will need to be replaced by the car manufacturer at your request.

The filter-drier will need to be replaced approximately every three years, or if the system has been exposed to air.

This is due to the build-up of microscopic particles, mould and microbes on the evaporator and the drainage tray. The evaporator is an ideal breeding ground for these bacteria.

This problem can easily be rectified with a special microbiological treatment of the evaporator unit during the annual service. This service is also available if the previous owners were smokers, or owned a dog, as it neutralises all smells and odors.

On a modern vehicle, the best advice is to run the air conditioning continuously.

Modern systems are very efficient and will not add greatly to the fuel consumption. Continuous running ensures that the refrigerant and oil are circulated throughout the system, keeping the seals lubricated and preventing microbe build-up on the evaporator.